Worried about the economic development of our region, we created Amanar which goal is to help Djanet’s local people, (And sometimes from Tamanrasset ) working in tourism giving them facilities to invest (credit without interest to buy camels, 4x4 or any material necessary for expedition.).
Few years ago, during a tour for the agency Essendilene Voyages, a camel driver had to kill two of his camels in the same day. Because one broke his leg and the other felt seriously ill. Mektoub, destiny. But mostly a tragedy for this man who had only this one resource for him and his family.No more camels, no more work. It’s as simple as that in a country where there’s no employ security : the only insurance is solidarity.
He came to Abdou Borgi, the agency’s director who proposed to advance him the money needed to buy 2 new camels. This money will be paid back without interest and only when the animals will product a benefit. This is done in the traditional way : word given in front of two elders. Few months later, as the word was given, the camel driver gave back the money and said that this money was for him like “touching the polar star.” !
This little story gave birth to Amanar (Which links in Tamasheq to the Orion constellation which points East and West and helps to find the polar star.) : A free interest system.
Others came, each one with his own difficulties and since, this money travels from one to another.
Today, Essendilene Voyages takes 10 € per person to put in this solidarity cashier. It already permitted to few people either to replace his animals, either to help the beginners to buy their own (donkeys, camels) instead of renting it to owners, permitting to make their work more productive.
This still is quite confidential, and we’d like, thanks to you, to develop this system keeping the traditional aspect.: word given and elders advices which are adapted to the tuareg society.
Our ambition is to help exchanges and to develop this traditional solidarity toward other group of people (women and their artisanal work), other areas of Sahara, and maybe more.
We’ll just have to follow the stars…
We are also working with our friends Lucien Brau and the Onan association to build a well in the region.