Solidarity with Mayotte: 1 year of action

On 14 December 2024, Cyclone Chido hit Mayotte, killing and injuring hundreds of people and causing unprecedented damage. To help the people affected by the disaster, Fondation de France launched an appeal for donations which raised €44.4 million. €19 million has already been allocated to support 238 initiatives throughout Mayotte. One year on, Fondation de France remains mobilised alongside local associations and structures to meet the still immense needs.

Living conditions remain difficult, marked by largely destroyed housing, weakened agriculture, supply difficulties, frequent interruptions to the water supply and the already precarious situation in the archipelago.

Promoting access to water and strengthening food self-sufficiency

Among the associations supported, EUMA (Ensemble Unis et Mayotte Avancera) has been active from the outset, distributing food and mattresses to the most vulnerable residents of Longoni, in the north of the archipelago. The Federation of Kahani Associations, which brings together twelve local organisations, has set up food distributions to families in the village.

The Federation of Kahani Associations organises food distributions.

Fondation de France supports initiatives to promote access to water and strengthen the food self-sufficiency of local people. The Solidarités International association is, for example, running a programme in the most disadvantaged areas of Mayotte to guarantee a continuous supply of safe water by installing treatment units and storage tanks. In Petite Terre, Narendre has created a garden tended by young people from the neighbourhood, who are supported and trained in its upkeep. In Chiconi too, where the garden run by FMAPAR brings elderly people and families together to pass on agricultural know-how and grow local produce.

Solidarités International is installing chlorinated-water tanks to ensure safe and sustainable access to water.

A concerted approach to sustainable reconstruction

While the scars of the cyclone are still very visible on both housing and natural environments, Fondation de France is supporting initiatives that combine sheltering people, rehabilitating housing and restoring damaged ecosystems. In particular, it is a member of the Biodiversity Donors Committee, made up of the French Biodiversity Office (OFB), the Department of the Environment, Planning and Housing (DEAL), the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), the National Forestry Office (ONF), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Departmental Council and the Albioma Foundation. This committee ensures close coordination between the stakeholders involved in environmental reconstruction.

In September 2025, Fondation de France, in partnership with the Mayotte Departmental Council, the Office National des Forêts (ONF) and the Direction de l’Économie, de l’Emploi, du Travail et des Solidarités (DEETS), also launched a call for expressions of interest to reopen damaged forest areas and paths. The aim is to clean up and protect nature against fires and unauthorised exploitation.

40% of the archipelago’s habitats destroyed

Fondation de France supports a number of projects aimed at rebuilding homes or renovating community living spaces. In M’Tsamboro, in the north of Mayotte, Architectes de l’Urgence is helping to rebuild the homes of around forty vulnerable families. Three associations, Lieux Infinis, Le Pas de Côté and Les Compagnons Bâtisseurs, are joining forces to rebuild four farés (communal living areas) in Mamoudzou and M’Tsangamouji. These are participatory projects involving local residents and students from vocational secondary schools, in conjunction with the local authorities, to promote training in building trades and raise awareness of cyclone-related and earthquake risks.

To encourage environmentally friendly reconstruction, Mayotte’s CAUE (Conseil d’Architecture, d’Urbanisme et de l’Environnement) is drawing up a building guide designed to raise residents’ awareness of good cyclone-resistant and earthquake-resistant practices. In addition, the Gepomay association is producing a guide to incorporating respect for biodiversity into reconstruction projects.

Gepomay is clearing the paths around Lake Karihani.

Facilitating access to healthcare and providing psychological support 

The cyclone also hit already weakened health facilities. Fondation de France supports initiatives that ensure equitable access to healthcare and respond to post-disaster trauma.

The Opelia association, for example, has set up a mobile care unit that travels across the entire country to assist people who are isolated and a long way away from aid services. The Horizon association, for its part, offers prevention, awareness-raising and diagnostic initiatives via outreach work with populations that have little recourse to healthcare.

Because the psychological impact on people is a major issue, Fondation de France supports a number of associations that provide listening and training services.  The Terra Psy association is offering psychological support sessions in schools and villages for people affected by the cyclone, particularly children, and is providing support for families. It is also setting up training courses for professional mediators to improve the handling of disaster-related trauma. France Alzheimer also offers discussion groups and relaxation sessions for families, carers and professionals.

Terra Psy provides psychological support sessions for children in the villages.

Supporting education and the resumption of cultural and sporting activities

The lack of infrastructure and staff means that teaching conditions remain particularly difficult. Fondation de France supports associations working on a number of fronts: distribution of school kits, replacement of sports equipment, refurbishment of premises, support for children in and out of school through educational, sporting and cultural activities, etc.

Thanks to support from Fondation de France, Nya Moja de Longoni has been able to continue serving as a collective shelter for minors. At the start of the school year, it also distributed school supplies to disadvantaged pupils. École Joie Liberté’s premises have been refurbished to enable it to resume its educational support and parenting support programmes. The Kaweni secondary school sports association has acquired sports equipment so that pupils can take part in outdoor activities (running, lagoon swimming, etc.) to compensate for the lack of facilities. Lastly, the Hip Hop Evolution dance association has rebuilt its facilities, enabling dancers in Mayotte to resume their training and outreach sessions to be held in schools, associations and local neighbourhoods.

Hip Hop Evolution is rebuilding its infrastructures.

Supporting economic recovery

The cyclone has taken a heavy toll on the local economy, bringing many small businesses to a sudden halt and increasing the vulnerability of the local population. Fondation de France supports initiatives that contribute to the revival of agricultural and economic activity and entrepreneurship.

In Kaweni, Wenka Culture has purchased equipment and machinery to resume its carpentry activities and continue to train young people in vocational integration. The association Action Coup de Pouce has set up a project to reuse waste to produce items (bags, clothes, etc.) for families in extremely precarious circumstances. In Koungou, Kaweni and Tsingoni, it is organising collections of clothes, plastics and other recyclable materials, followed by creative workshops involving almost 200 families. For its part, the Association for the Development of Beekeeping in Mayotte (ADAM) is helping to revive the beekeeping sector by clearing plots, replanting melliferous species and reinstalling hives. Finally, Supernovae and Technopole de Mayotte are working to develop agri-food entrepreneurship, providing young people, women and farmers with equipment and technical training to process and add value to local produce.

© David Lemor/Solidarités International ; © Fédération des associations de Kahani ; © Gepomay ; © Terra Psy ; © Hip Hop Evolution

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