Beyond the sport experience, our events are made for discovering the world. On the fringe of races, we focus on meeting, sharing and helping local communities. In these harsh times, we have decided to give a new boost to our commitments.
Mali, Mauritania, Niger… 20 years ago, Jérôme Lollier, founder of Canal Aventure, lived his encounter with Africa “such like a second birth”.
Since 2011, at the rhythm of races organized on five continents, Canal Aventure provided occasional help to local projects by offering sport equipment or study material to schools in India, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, or to the Aboriginal communities in Australia.
Over journeys and races, the desire of helping more and better was growing. But we are not an NGO and do not want to create confusion. By the years, we forged a strong and special link with Africa. This affection led us to wish a deeper involvement.
“We had to gather a few essentials for a sustained and efficient engagement in a human-scale project, matching with our core values.”
2020 is a kind of turning-point in Canal Aventure history: our tenth birthday and, in the same time, the arrival of a pandemic shaking up the word and our activity. During this thought-provoking period, a meeting-back led us to step it up!
[ Au Cœur du Niger: a crazy and successful bet ]
Since 2009, this non-profit organization is doing a huge work with children in the area of Zinder, in the south of Niger. Today, 340 deprived children are welcomed, hosted, treated and are attending school in its drop-in centre. Such a challenge in this country where extreme poverty, high demographic growth and early marriages condemn 80% of the population to remain illiterate.
Au Cœur du Niger takes all in the life of its founder, Isabelle Macheret that we had met on a race in Mauritania ten years ago. Driven by an early vocation to help the poorest and in love with Africa, she has created and developed this long-term project based on education and the belief that being autonomous will be more valuable over time than humanitarian assistance. A real haven where orphans, teenage-mothers and young albinos are offered a prospect for the future.
This mission based on confidence and a strong rectitude, is daily managed with a local staff, hired, trained and paid to accompany, coach an teach. This will to fully involve the inhabitants in a long-lasting project distinguishes this state-approved association.
[ A full and sustainable commitment ]
Access to education seems to be a priority for the future of earth and new generations.
“In a world where so many doors are closing, Canal Aventure choses to commit with Au Coeur du Niger, reliable partner working tangibly and with transparency.”
For years to come, our support to the development and functioning of the organization will be financial. Our task will be to inform and enhance public awareness to this cause, while involving our community in different communication work.
We’ll have to be a sincere actor on behalf of the future of these kids who have nothing, but deserve a right to anything and aim to come through. Since its creation, Au Cœur du Niger progresses due to the amazing work of the team but also to donations and sponsorship of the children. One year of school, food and help cost between 300 and 400€ per child.
“Offering one year of learning, security and caring to a child suffering and lacking everything, it is first a vital investment, the promise of a better future…”
Sponsorship for child-mothers or street children.
More information about the association Au Coeur du Niger.
