Like an oasis in the middle of the endless Mauritanian desert stands an evocation of greenery and hope: Maaden el Ervane, set up on principles of communal life and sustainability. It bears witness to the great vision of its founder; the Sufi spiritual guide Mohammed Lemina Sidina.
This is a community that, from 1975, has gone from a remote piece of fertile land to a full-fledged village, mocking the hostile conditions of the desert.
Foundation of Maaden el Ervane (Photo : MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP via Getty Images)
It was right from the beginning that Sidina had a clear vision: a community where equality, fraternity, tolerance, and hard work were not ideals but a way of life.
The village, whose name means "the deposit of knowledge," is an open-air monument to a preacher who died over two decades ago.
With these traits, it is seen in residents like Djibril Niang who, 50 years back, traveled from Senegal to make an interracial marriage with Sidina's daughter-once thought to be a very unthinkable act; he says.
"There is equality. No caste, no race... We are all brothers." The daily life of the community goes in collective decision-making and effort, where every evening is spent planning for what work should be carried out the following day, whether it be digging a well, making a road, or planting a palm tree.
It is through this spirit of cooperation that a small dam has been built, fields were formed, and a school along with a community clinic were set up to make Madden self-sufficient.
Sustainable practices and thriving agriculture
Maaden was turned into a green paradise by Maaden's commitment to sustainable agriculture. Chemical fertilizers were displaced by compost brought in by organic farming techniques introduced by Pierre Rabhi, while fuel-powered motor pumps were changed into solar systems.
The arable lands in the village continue to add up, helped by the wind that clears off the sand from fields, naturally making room for tomato, pepper, carrot, onion, and watermelon cultivation
.Turning to a farmer like Mohamed Ould Vaide, who shows off the harvest from the drip irrigation technique that he used, one then realizes how good it is that he was taught the technique. "I'll never leave Maaden. There's no place like it," he says.
The activity of agriculture has put Maaden into the limelight, and now, many villages that inhabit the neighborhood no longer have members, but Maaden continues to have visitors.In conclusion time, Maaden el Ervane is a whole different something, a village, a model for the future.
People at Maaden el Ervane live with nature, they live with each other. Showing that even in the very heart of the desert, an oasis can be green, and through much more than crops, equality can also breed life better.
The village adopted composting, a natural system of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil additive.
Maaden el Ervane has replaced the usage of chemical fertilizers with compost. It does not only restore the soil but also nourishes it back with vital nutrients.
Plus, it reduces the harmful environmental impacts normally associated with these products.
Another major innovation is the power sources for the irrigation systems using solar panels.
This way, the village, which had its irrigation systems powered by motor pumps using fuel, is saved from it. Saving them from their carbon footprints and saving them from growing dependent on non-renewable sources of energy.
Drip Irrigation Technique
Drip irrigation is an effective watering system where the roots of the plants receive water directly.
This technology helps conserve water and ensures that every drop of the liquid reaches the crops in the exact quantity that is required by their development.
This is very effective in the arid environments typical of the desert of Mauritania, where every drop of water counts.
Henna Grinding Machine for Women's Empowerment
Besides, there was an extra source of income for the women of Maaden el Ervane through the introduction of a henna grinding machine.
When they were not in their cottage industries, tilling, or trading, they could apply themselves to the treatment of the local henna plant to make cosmetics. That not only greatly supported the village's economy but also empowered women in economic terms.
These are organic farming methods that have made Maaden el Ervane a hub of environmentalism, among other concepts, within this pioneering concept brought to this village by Pierre Rabhi, a French pioneer of organic farming.
They have made whatever resources that the village has had agriculturally conducive while remaining committed to sustainability.