Civil field report from the Sahel

Abstract

In the Sahel region, the importance of the civil sector seems to have increased in recent times, undoubtedly linked to its specific capacity and importance to quickly and accurately communicate needs, expectations and conflicts in society, and to launch optimal responses to them, due to its proximity to society, its relative bureaucratic freedom and its lack of self-interest. Drawing on the field experiences of the Hungarian-based Close to Africa Foundation, based in Mali, the paper elaborates on the concept of the third sector, its (Sahelian) functions, its position in the state–private–civil sector relationship, its role as a 'mediator' and 'gap-filler', its forms and types of institutionalisation. It also provides an insight into development and humanitarian aid in the Sahel region by looking at Hungarian and international NGOs and projects. By synthesising academic and empirical knowledge and placing NGOs in their local operational context, including structural, political and funding contexts, the study will explore the role of NGOs in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, It attempts to draw a 'vision' of the situation of the Sahel region's large and rapidly growing population, which is facing increasingly burdensome multifactorial challenges in its daily life.