Mentoring for At-Risk Nomadic Girls in Rural Niger

Last year was really hard.

As Covid-19 caused schools to shut down - in Niger and around the world - we worried about what would happen to girls who were out of school. Would they want to return to school? Would they be able to?

Families were struggling to put food on the table - would they marry their daughters off to ensure they were fed?

That might sound extreme but crises cause families to reevaluate their priorities. In Niger 75% of girls are married by age 18 and 23% of girls are married by 15.  We worried that for girls who were already missing school, their families might not see any point in waiting.

We were wrong.

100% of students enrolled in RAIN's mentoring program last year returned to their studies this year. 

It's too early in the year to have academic results but no grade-point-average could mean more than knowing these girls will continue to pursue an education.

Through your donation, you've helped to ensure over 600 elementary and middle school students receive the support they need to keep studying and working toward a brighter future.

Thank you.

We hope you'll continue to support this project so these kids have the support they need to keep going, throughout this school year and beyond.

Please also consider asking a friend or loved one to join you by matching your gift - we can go so much further together than we can alone.

Don't hesitate to reach out with questions. Otherwise, we'll be sure to send you another update soon!

Links:

• See our website for additional updates or to sign up for news!
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• Check out our online store for beautiful West African crafts!

As if a global pandemic wasn’t enough, Niger has experienced terrible flooding this year – the worst flooding in generations. Hundreds of thousands of Nigeriens were displaced and tens of thousands of people lost their homes, their fields, their herds. These extreme weather patterns are making a difficult climate even harder to survive.

This flooding was so severe that the government delayed the start of the school year nationwide. But our partners are resilient and, with your support, they persevere – even against pandemics and flooding.

Schools re-opened for in-person learning on October 15^th. Knowing how hard last year was - and anticipating another challenging year - RAIN has doubled down on our support for elementary and middle school children to pursue an education.

This fall, we began working with over 100 local women to serve as mentors to over 600 students across 4 middle schools and 18 elementary schools. This additional support is critical to help enroll kids in school and to keep them there. The pandemic pulled children out of school and then the floods stopped the school year from starting, but now, finally, these children are ready to learn.

With your help, hundreds of Nigerien children are starting the school year off strong – school fees paid, pens and notebooks at the ready. Thank you for all you’ve done. We hope you’ll continue to support this project to ensure that these kids, who have fought so hard to stay in school, have the support they need to do so.

Please consider sharing this opportunity with your friends and family - none of us can do it alone.

We look forward to updating you as the school year progresses!

Links:

• See our website for additional updates or to sign up for news!
• Follow us on Facebook for photos, stories, articles & more!