School Market Gardens

Dear Friends,

I’m just back from Niger.  I’m sure many of you have seen in the news that it’s a time of drought and hunger there.  It’s difficult to be in Niger's countryside and see the parched earth, the desperation and hunger in people’s faces.  The situation is worsened by refuges arriving from Mali and other neighboring countries that are experiencing war or fragile political situations.  Despite the hardships they are suffering the people of Niger are proud that their country remains a peaceful, united one.

In this season when the land looks like endless sand and dust, it is almost miraculous to come upon a green RAIN school market garden. I visited the hamlet of Mari in Tillabery two weeks ago.  The school’s garden was flourishing, bursting with vegetables for the children to eat.  The gardener reported that about 40% of the produce is eaten by the children while 60% is sold to buy food staples such as grain and pay the garden’s expenses. A truly sustainable, long-term program for improving children’s health and nutrition, while helping their school.

 At RAIN we believe in creating an integrated set of programs for developing livelihoods and supporting schools.  In Mari we have a mentor program and are currently building a garden and teaching the 99 women of the Mari garden cooperative  about nutrition and organic gardening techniques.

 I met with the Mari school director. He told me that since 2009, when RAIN began its programs in Mari, school enrollment has shot up from 65 to 233 students.  Bravo Mari!  Bravo to all of you supporting RAIN!

 Much gratitude and best regards to all,  Bess Palmisciano

Links:

• Rain for the Sahel and Sahara
• Video of Mari women learning and gardening.

Many children in RAIN’s partner communities are semi-nomadic, and will likely grow up to become farmers like their parents. As in all partner communities, the school garden in Lemdou of the Tillaberi region of Niger acts as a living classroom where children, teachers and parents come together for training in sustainable, organic farming techniques.  

Children and adults alike learn by practicing these methods, including drip irrigation, in order to better prepare them as stewards of development in their community. RAIN gardens provide nutritious food for students, help to keep the school in operation, and are a direct initiative to building a better future with and for the children through access to education, both inside and outside the classroom. Starting in 2012, RAIN will establish an experimental program in certain communities to instruct children, with a special focus on young girls, the principles of sustainable farming. In West Africa, it is the women who are often the primary planters and caretakers of crops. With this new educational program, RAIN hopes to effect measurable increase in food production within this generation.  Your donation is not only increasing food security for schoolchildren and their families, but supporting a new generation of women who will teach the next techniques that will enhance the lives of all members of the community.

Our staff in Niger are just now concluding their most recent tournee (field research) to identify new garden sites in the coming year.  Soon, those gardens will begin growing, transforming the surrounding community with the tools for a more food secure future.  Happy New Year to all of you, from all of your nomadic friends!

Be sure to visit our new website as we add photo galleries, videos, newsletters and more at  www.rain4sahara.org!

Links:

• Visit the RAIN website
• RAIN Winter 2011-12 News
• Like us on Facebook