Hundreds of vulnerable children in Niger are to receive access to quality health and education services, as well as clean water.
Niger is one of the poorest nations in the world. With over 80% of its land covered by desert, the country suffers regular drought, as well as on-going conflict and insecurity. The people of the least developed region, Tillabery,in particular, are no strangers to hunger – last year, 70% of the population were food insecure. Access to education and health services is extremely limited, with the region suffering the country’s highest rate of deaths from water-borne diseases.
Islamic Relief Niger has been providing education, orphan and child welfare programmes since 2006. More than 500 of the country’s poorest children receive an allowance for their basic needs through our one-to-one sponsorship programme. Our latest project, which began in April, is aiming to improve health and education outcomes for vulnerable children and their communities.
In Famalé village, we will be promoting good hygiene through education sessions, as well as distributing information kits and constructing latrines in a school and health centre – which will also receive essential medicines and equipment.
We will also ensure that local people – many of whom currently face a walk of over an hour to the nearest standpipe – receive sustainable access to clean water. We will install boreholes in public places, including a school, and empower local people to oversee their upkeep.
In addition, we will promote access to education – particularly for the poorest children – by providing training for teachers and community organisations on child rights, child-centred teaching, and welfare. Around 200 marginalised children will receive a school bag and books.
The seven month project is expected to directly benefit 460 vulnerable children, as well as 5,335 people in Famalé and neighbouring villages.
