About Us

Rainbow Development in Africa was registered as a charity in July 2001 with the objective of poverty alleviation in Africa. Director Peter Hudson founded the charity as a result of his long-term relationship with the Mid-Gorgol region of the Senegal River Valley in southern Mauritania. Here, as well as in the district of Sylla in northern Senegal, the charity works with impoverished farmers and farming communities, helping them develop ways for their communities to become more economically and environmentally viable.

Our Approach

Rainbow Development in Africa works on a policy of trying to effect long-term change. We try to make sure that the work we do is truly sustainable in the sense that we are helping to create systems that will work in the absence of exterior assistance; that we do not create dependence.

One of the ways we do this is to concentrate on the economic viability of the communities we work in. If people have jobs and money they can not only address their own needs, but, equally importantly, they can do so in manners of their own choosing.

Economic empowerment also enables local people to create the grassroots civil society groupings, such as unions and village associations, that are the key to holding governing institutions accountable.

We work always through the medium of a local development partner (see below for details). As the south of Mauritania is predominantly an agricultural region, it is primarily through improved agricultural practices that we seek to help people increase the economic viability of their communities.

Structure and Funding

Rainbow Development in Africa operates out of a small office in Presteigne, Mid-Wales. We have three trustees of which Director and founder, Peter Hudson, is one. The other two are Mark Hudson and Gregory Kronsten.

Rainbow Development in Africa prides itself on the fact that its administrative and fundraising costs are extremely low with over 85-90% of all the money raised being spent directly on projects. The charity relies primarily on voluntary work.

Rainbow Development in Africa is funded by private Trusts and Foundations, sponsored walks, other events and private donations.

Trustee contact details:
peter.rda@freeuk.com
mjfhudson@gmail.com
gregory.kronsten@fcmbuk.com

Local partner ADMAPE

Rainbow Development in Africa works very closely with ADMAPE (Assistance pour le Développement et la Modernisation de l’Agriculture et la Protection de l’Environnement) our local Partner in southern Mauritania through whom we conduct all our work. Indeed, it was Rainbow Development in Africa who helped create ADMAPE as part of our Futa Initiative project in 2001. This included providing them with training and various resources such as a physically constructed centre from where activities could take place, a tractor, truck, pick-up truck and a rice de-husking machine.

Besides managing all project-related activities, ADMAPE also provides various agricultural services to the mid-Gorgol farming community (see Futa Initiative for more details), the income from which pays ADMAPE salaries and for the up-keep of all machinery as well as contributing significant sums to project activities and budgets.

ADMAPE operates from the small, regional town of Leqceiba in the Mid-Gorgol region.

The success of Rainbow Development in Africa and ADMAPE’s work is the direct result of the long-term and trusting relationship they have with each other.