Nomadic students living in rural, remote areas of Niger face extreme poverty and hardship with no chance to continue their studies after primary school, as there is rarely a school to attend. These students find new opportunity at our Learning Center & Dormitory in the nomadic city of Agadez. This project makes possible the dream of attending secondary school with a place to live, study, tuition, meals, and tutoring. Together, we can tip the scales to make access to education a reality.
Only 2% of girls in Niger reach secondary school and most drop out before the fourth grade. Without a place to live, food to eat, and money for school fees, secondary education would be impossible for nomadic children of Niger, who must live at school. Girls not only fight against cultural norms but rarely have access to a safe environment to attend school. Extreme poverty, remote location and hardships from drought compound obstacles to access to education.
The Learning Center provides board, tuition, meals and tutoring for nomadic students, including girls who would otherwise be unable to attend. Many students have excelled - passing the government exams that allow them to progress to high school. We're recruiting students from the most remote desert regions of Niger to gain unprecedented access to education. Plans include a mentoring program for guidance & skills training, a school market garden and expansion to accommodate 50 rural students.
Investing in a girl's future is investing in the world's future. Girls with access to education delay marriage, have fewer children and have more options. RAIN is setting a new precedent in Niger. As girls in our mentoring programs graduate from primary school, they will have the chance to continue their studies that they would otherwise not have - a truly unique opportunity to break free of the cycle of poverty - and may be among the very few to go on to high school, or even college.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).