Key Takeaways
- Six months after Cyclone Chido, Fondation de France has allocated $11.9 million to support 113 initiatives across Mayotte.
- Emergency efforts have transitioned into long-term support for vulnerable residents, including the elderly, isolated families, and people with disabilities.
- Reconstruction focuses on cyclone-resistant construction, sustainable practices, and restoring damaged homes, community spaces, and infrastructure.
- Environmental recovery efforts support mangroves, forests, wetlands, and coral ecosystems through cleanup, assessment, and regeneration programs.
- Health initiatives include mobile medical units, mental-health-support sports programs for youth, and psychological care embedded in schools and universities.
- Education, sports, and cultural life are being restored to help children regain stability and rebuild their routines.
- Local economic recovery programs provide loans, equipment, and agricultural assistance for nearly 800 small businesses and cooperatives.
Support Disaster Recovery in Mayotte
Continuing to address urgent basic needs
After a first phase largely dedicated to emergency relief, Fondation de France is now focusing its support on more targeted and sustainable initiatives, with a priority given to the most vulnerable and isolated populations. Here are a few examples of the organizations supported:
In Tsingoni, the Association Absoir combats the isolation of eldery people by helping them remain in their homes. It organizes intergenerational activities and helps them with their administrative and medico-social procedures. Each week, the organization also distributes food packages directly to the homes of over 130 vulnerable elderly individuals.
As for the Association Allo Saad, which specializes in the care and home assistance for elderly people or those living with disabilities, it was supporting over 260 people before the cyclone hit. It has since reinforced its efforts to assist an additional 100 people. Its work notably includes the distribution of food and essential supplies.
Fondation de France also supports sustainable food aid initiatives led by Mayotte’s community solidarity grocery stores: Narihime ASJSFP, Petite-T’espoir, Le Regard du Cœur, and Yes We Can Nette are thus able to continue their efforts, assisting people facing hardship. These include the distribution of food, access to low-cost products, administrative and social support, and the organization of community-building activities.
© Fondation de France
Planning reconstruction sustainably
To address the challenges of Mayotte’s reconstruction—40% of the archipelago’s resident homes were destroyed—Fondation de France supports initiatives that combine local technical expertise and raising awareness to sustainable construction approaches.
The association Likoli Dago, for example, created resource centers where residents, craftspeople, and building professionals can access technical training on cyclone-resistant construction, along with personalized support. These centers also offer tool lending services and provide educational material support. Two containers have been set up in Chiconi and Mamoudzou to host reception centers and themed workshops.
In Majicavo, 17 families living there lost their homes, destroyed or severely damaged by the cyclone. In response to the unsanitary and unsuitable conditions, the Association Soliha renovates housing and relocates families in need. It also provides them with administrative and social support for a year.
Mayotte’s natural environment was also significantly damaged by the cyclone. Mangroves, forests, wetlands, and coral reefs suffered significant damage, requiring coordinated efforts for cleanup, assessment, and regeneration. Working within a large network of public institutions and private stakeholders, Fondation de France supports various associations, such as Gepomay and Mayotte Nature Environnement, to help them expand their reach.
Beyond assessing priority needs and carrying out cleanup operations, these organizations ensure that the reconstruction respects the local ecosystems vital to life on the island. For example, the Association Lieux Infinis set up a mobile sawmill to clear fallen trees and consider their optimal use for agriculture, rebuilding, or watershed protection.
Facilitating access to healthcare and providing psychological support
To address the physical and mental health needs of the residents, Fondation de France supports several associations that work with the most vulnerable populations. The association Play International uses sport to facilitate reconstruction, socialization, and emotional healing. By offering sport training sessions led by a facilitator and a mental health specialist, it allows children and teenagers to better handle their emotions and approach mental health in a playful and collective way. These activities also help identify young people facing challenges and refer them to adequate support services.
Following the cyclone Chido, access to medical screenings and medical treatment became even more difficult. To address this challenge, the association Narike M’Sada has stepped up its prevention efforts. It is equipped with a mobile health unit that offers screenings for sexually transmittable infections, including hepatitis and HIV, in the most remote areas of the island. This initiative contributes to reducing late stage diagnosis.
The association Ensemble pour la Santé Primaire à Mayotte (EPSM) provides local medical and psychological care and follow-up for students by working directly within the University of Mayotte, the Coconi Agricultural High School, and three rural facilities located in the east, south, and north of the island. Since students were particularly affected by the cyclone and are often reluctant to seek out healthcare services, this approach is essential in providing them with health support when no such services were previously available.
Supporting education and the return of cultural and sports activities
Fondation de France is helping to restore activities essential to the wellbeing of children and young people in Mayotte, supporting various local organizations that are involved in education fields and organizing cultural and sports activities.
The APMN (Amicale des Personnels de Mamoudzou Nord) creates educational projects for students and their families, including libraries, reading clubs, educational gardens, and more. The organization works to reinforce the relationship between families and educational staff. It also works on replacing school supplies destroyed by the cyclone, to enable 150 children to resume their education.
The association Formation et Espoir works to provide access to education for out-of-school children through a school established. This school provides students and parents with tutoring lessons, educational and recreational workshops during holidays, and parent-focused workshops, while also organizing food distribution for families in extreme poverty. “The food package we received represents way more than just food. It shows that someone is thinking of us, and that we aren’t forgotten” says Mme. Dhoiffir, a mother from one of the supported families.
To resume practices and competitions in the best conditions in its 40 clubs, the Ligue régionale de basketball de Mayotte bought new supplies to replace those stolen or destroyed following the cyclone. These include balls, nets, plots, etc.
Finally, the association Hippocampus works to revive the cultural life of the archipelago through a program of live performance—storytelling, concerts, theater, and dance—showcasing local artists from Mayotte and the Indian Ocean region.
Supporting economic recovery
To facilitate the recovery of local economic activity, Fondation de France supports programs for small businesses and the agricultural sector.
The association Initiative Mayotte created an honorary loan fund to support businesses affected by the cyclone. Depending on the extent of the damage (property damage, equipment loss, business interruption), small entrepreneurs can receive interest-free loans of up to $23,000. This initiative, supported by the Departmental Council of Mayotte and Fondation de France, is expected to assist nearly 300 small companies.
ADIE Mayotte is developing a complementary program aimed at microentrepreneurs, supported by the Crédit Agricole La Réunion/Mayotte Foundation and Fondation de France. A dedicated fund aims to assist 500 beneficiaries by the end of 2025, across various sectors, such as commerce, crafts, and agriculture, with an average loan amount estimated at $4,600.
The resumption of agricultural activity is also being undertaken with the support of several local groups and cooperatives, in partnership with the Mayotte Chamber of Agriculture. This aid facilitates the purchase of seeds, seedlings, and essential equipment for crop recovery. For example, COPEMAY (The Mayotte Fishermen’s Cooperative) has been able to repair buildings, replace technical and computer equipment, and compensate fishermen, while COOPAC (the Central Farmers’ Cooperative) has acquired equipment and expanded its team.
Key figures for Solidarity with Mayotte:
as of May 12, 2025:
- 339,000 Donations
- $50.3 millions raised
- $11.9 millions allocated
Support Disaster Recovery in Mayotte
