Abidine Maetalla
Mauritania

Abidine Maetalla has over six years of experience fighting against slavery segregation and discrimination in Mauritania. Abidine coordinated a project that provided sewing machines to women freed from slavery by his NGO. The NGO focuses on eradicating slavery, discrimination, and segregation by holding peaceful demonstrations and sit-ins, and writing about and otherwise spreading a culture of tolerance, equality, and democracy. Currently, Abidine is the educational specialist for the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist (IRA) movement in Mauritania, where he focuses on framing and forming activities that promote the ideology and the philosophy of his NGO. Abidine has a qualification in English Languages and Literature and works for the NGO as a translator. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Abidine plans to continue fighting against slavery, discrimination, segregation, inequality, and the violation of human rights.