We are coming alongside our partner, RAIN through a $25,667 matching grant that will address hunger and its impact on education while also increasing economic opportunities in Niger. This will be done by investing in two local schools by setting up school market gardens that provide meals for over 280 children and helps fund the schools' operations. This project will also start a artisan cooperative for 30 women to help spearhead small economic opportunities for them, their families, and the schools.
The Need:
The two communities in Niger that RAIN will be working in are Seiga and Ingui, both are nomadic communities. Despite some advances, Niger remains one of the poorest nations in the world. Most of the people earn a living through agriculture, however the region is still recovering from a severe drought in 2010, that left millions of people people hungry. As of 2012, 1 million primary school-aged children are not currently attending school in Niger, with only 49% of children in the region finishing primary school.
Our Partnership With RAIN:
Our partnership with RAIN will provide two schools with a market garden, mentoring program, and set up a cooperative for women artisans. Each of these components come back to investing in the two communities and schools to help build sustainable change.
School market gardens: These market gardens provide enough food for student lunches, which will sometimes be their only meal of the day. The lack of food is often a deterrent to children staying in school or performing well in their studies. The excess produce from the gardens will be sold at the market to help pay for some of the school's operations.
Artisan Cooperatives: 30 women will come together to help increase their income opportunities through a savings and loan cooperative and training in traditional artisan skills. The income earned will help support their families and the schools' operations. The women in the Co-op will also serve as mentors for girls in the school to help increase school attendance and provide positive role models for the girls.
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