About us | Les Puits du Désert

The Tidène valley community, arms raised in solidarity

Our mission

Our mission in one sentence: finance the projects decided and led by Nigerien teams in the Tidène valley.

No outsourcing. No expats. No "development missions" parachuted in. The projects are chosen locally by the communities and NGO Tidène. We finance, we support, we follow up — but we don't decide for them.

This method has a name: operational partnership. It's the sine qua non condition for projects that actually work — and it's also the reason for our longevity (20 years, no break with NGO Tidène).

Our values

Local partnership — NGO Tidène is the sole operator in Niger. No subcontracting, no French expats.
Transparency — Annual accounts published and audited. 85% field, 12% structure, 3% communications.
Pragmatism — No promises, only completed projects. No spin, only real figures.
Duration — 20 years with the same local partner. Consistency beats media buzz.
Autonomy — The ultimate goal is for communities to manage and maintain the works themselves.
Cultural respect — We don't try to impose our models. The solutions are Nigerien, not French.

20 years, step by step.

Forced landing in the Ténéré

Christel Pernet, during the 'Air Solidarité' humanitarian raid, makes a forced landing and meets the Tuareg chief Mohamed Ixa. The desire to help local Tuareg communities is born.

LPDD + NGO Tidène created simultaneously

Christel Pernet creates the association Les Puits du Désert in France, Mohamed Ixa founds NGO Tidène in Niger. They sign a partnership agreement together — the start of a 20-year story.

First community school: Lago

Construction of the first community school 'Lago', after 79 wells already built since 2004.

World Bank selection

LPDD and NGO Tidène are selected by the World Bank for the 'Development Marketplace' program.

World Water Forum

First participation in the World Water Forum. International advocacy on access to water in the Sahel.

Security & Development program

First phase of the 'Security and Development' program in the Aïr massif: 203 wells rehabilitated. A major turning point in the region's history.

Christel becomes Tambara of the sultan of Aïr

Christel Pernet becomes the first non-Tuareg woman to receive the customary title of Tambara, which gives her the responsibility to represent Tuareg women. Recognition of the work accomplished since the association's creation.

9th World Water Forum, Dakar

Invited by the French Water Partnership, the association presents its 'Security and Development' project. The Niger example becomes a reference for Guillaume Benoit, president of the 'Water and Rural Development' group.

345 wells + 16 cooperatives

Year-end 2023 totals: 345 wells (village, pastoral, market-garden, solar boreholes), 13 schools, 16 women's cooperatives, 720 children schooled full-time. More than 5,000 women impacted by the projects.

Founding of LPDD Helvetia

Opening of our Geneva branch. This new base strengthens our presence at the heart of international cooperation, allowing us to develop new partnerships, mobilise funding and increase the visibility of our work in Niger.

The leadership.

A volunteer team, no salaried staff in France.

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Christel Pernet

Founder of Les Ailes du Désert in 1998, she met Mohamed Ixa in 2002 during a forced landing in the Ténéré (Air Solidarité raid). From that meeting Les Puits du Désert was born, created in 2004. In 2019, she became Tambara of the sultan of Aïr — the first non-Tuareg woman to receive this customary Tuareg title.

Armelle de Roton

A partner of the association for nearly 15 years, she became director in early 2023. Based in Paris, she follows projects daily in liaison with NGO Tidène's team and leads communications and partner relations.

The board.

28 people elected at the annual general meeting, re-electable every 3 years.

Christel PERNET

Nadine SIONNEAU
Alain DUPOUY
Jacques TCHENG
Michel DASPET
Jean-Marc PAMBET
Jean-Christophe SIBELYA

Philippe OSOUF

Anne KARSENTI
Bernard AUBONNET
Émilie PATOU
Franck GIAZZI
Ingrid DUPARC
Laurence BOBILLIER
Mahé CHAON
Myriam BINCAILLE
Patrice DREVET
Stéphane BOUVIER
René SCHILD
Thierry NICOD
Philippe BERNARD
Catherine BERNARD
Jean-Claude BELANGER
Thierry BOUTROUX
Jean THOMAS
Pascal NGEN
William BORIES
Léo ZANELLA

NGO Tidène, our local partner.

100% Nigerien. Natives of the Agadez region.

Mohamed Ixa

Co-founder of NGO Tidène in 2004. Tuareg, a former Ténéré desert guide until 2007, he worked alongside Mano Dayak. Convinced that access to water is the trigger for all development, he has worked for twenty years to make his people's voice heard.

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Ibrahim Rissa Ikssa

A child of the bush, sponsored as a kid by Les Puits du Désert. After a Master's degree in economics and management in Europe and the United States, he returned to Niger to take over NGO Tidène's leadership. He coordinates all field operations and manages a team of 8 people across the different intervention zones.

Ali Boukari

Financial administrator of NGO Tidène, he leads the budget management and financial monitoring of all projects run in the Agadez region.

Elmoktar Anousra

Project coordinator at NGO Tidène. He manages field files, relationships with local communities and corporate partners. Daily point of contact for the French team.