Ministering to the Saharawi

Paloma, David, and Cristina, Spain

One of the projects of Haciendo un Mundo Mejor (Making a Better World) focuses on aiding the different camps of refugees located in the Sahara Desert, near central Africa. For the last nine years we have organized groups of 10–15 volunteers that have visited and assisted these war-torn people known as Saharawi.

Our volunteers bring food, clothing, school supplies, medicine, and toys for the children. We live as the Saharawi do, staying in haimas (desert tents) or mud houses during our three-week stay.





About the Saharawi

The people who are now known as Saharawi settled down as a Bedouin tribe in Western Sahara near the ocean. Eventually it became a Spanish colony for over a hundred years. Because of disputes with the Moroccan government, the Spanish left the people there to their own fate. A subsequent war with the Moroccan government forced a great part of the Saharawi population into the desert, and many families were separated as a result. As of today about 200,000 Saharawi are living in extreme conditions in the Sahara Desert.

In addition to the aid and materials we bring, we also conduct various programs, such as seminars, educational and cultural activities, theater, and clown shows. We perform in different centers and school facilities which are spread out across the desert.

Our goal is to share God’s love with as many as possible through our music, skits, and performances. We also spend time talking with people and listening to their heart cries. Since the majority of people in this region are Muslims, we distribute Motivated, which is well accepted.

With the help of many sponsors, and the TFI Mission Grant Fund, a team of 11 people between the ages of 15–57 embarked on a three-week trip in September–October 2012.

There is a lot that goes into the preparation for these trips, considering that the location is over 5,000 km from where we live, and located in the Sahara Desert.

We started working out the logistics for this trip months in advance, beginning with a detailed report of what we wanted to achieve in the camps, as our plans and itinerary had to be approved by the proper authorities. Once we got the appropriate clearance, we began arranging the visas and airline tickets. We also had to hire drivers and vehicles that could take us through the desert and arrange lodging, along with many other details. In the meantime, we worked on the shows we planned to perform in the many schools and centers we would visit.



Here are some of the accomplishments of our trip:

• We performed in 15 schools in three different camps. Approximately 3,000 children attended the programs in total.

• We were invited to perform in a cultural program along with many other national groups. Since this took place over the Easter holiday, there were a lot of Spanish and foreign people present.

Young girl with her new doll.

• We brought a variety of presents, clothes, shoes, and toys, which were donated to the many needy children and families we visited.

• We did an interview with a national radio station and talked about the programs we were doing in the area.

• We were invited to participate in a national television show where we recorded six songs. These songs are going to be broadcast by satellite to all the camps in Argel, and also played throughout the year on an international Saharawi news channel.

• We donated educational material for children at various centers and institutions. We also distributed hundreds of Motivated mags. These magazines formed the basis of the different seminars we conducted during our time there.



We received some very positive reactions from the teachers and headmasters of the schools we performed at. Here are excerpts of a couple of letters:

“On behalf of the headmistress and group of teachers of the Longrono school, we want to thank you for sharing such a beautiful day with all our boys and girls which offered them the opportunity to enjoy all these things: dances, songs, and to have such a happy day. It has also enabled them to see things that they know nothing about nor have ever seen before, and that they could never have imagined. All our children have enjoyed a moment of happiness and joy. Thank you. We hope to see you again soon.”



“On behalf of the group of teachers and of the students of the secondary school of Said Esgaller, we want to extend our appreciation and thanks for all the educational and recreational work you carried out which has left a positive impression on the hearts and minds of the students. We hope that this valuable work will continue in the following years.”

All in all, our entire trip was a great success, with each piece of the puzzle falling into place exactly at the right time.



Here are reactions from a couple of our young volunteers after their visit to the Saharawi:

This was my fifth trip to visit the Saharawi, and every year it gets better. It’s so amazing! It makes you look forward to your next trip with excitement, knowing you will encounter many wonderful opportunities and new experiences.

The Sahara is a magical place, and its people are even more so. I admire each and every one of them for their love, spirit of giving, endurance, positiveness, faith, sacrifice, and so much more. The Saharawi are an incredible sample to all who visit them. I think it is because they come in contact with something that you cannot find too easily: their pure way of doing things, their love. These people are blessed by God. You can feel it. Their spirit, the way they live and interact with one another—sometimes you feel like you just can’t get enough—they carry so much peace. It is wonderful to be around them.

I feel very blessed to have met the Saharawi people and to go on these trips. Even though I would love to stay longer, I am very thankful for the time that I spent there.

I really enjoy doing clown shows for the children. Seeing them happy and laughing is a wonderful experience. All the schools we went to really enjoyed our performance and asked us to come back before next year.

Singing at the cultural program that took place in the refugee camp was something unexpected but exciting at the same time. We performed with a Saharawi singing group, which made me feel closer to them.—Anita (17)



I still can’t believe how fast time passed on this trip. It was amazing…. It’s so hard to describe…. I have seen so many things and have lived through so many emotions that I cannot imagine not going to the Sahara again. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I went there to give my all and came back with so much more. The Saharawi taught me how to be a better and kinder person. They have so little but they are so happy with the little they have. They showed me the treasures of life. They don’t have a lot of material things that the world offers, but they do have a lot of love and they have each other, and this helps them to face life and its difficulties. I wish to be like them—loving, caring, and sharing. I just love them and hope this is not the last time I get to see these wonderful people.—Vicky (15)