If you ask the kids at the Agadez Learning Center (ALC) what they appreciate most about studying there, the most common answer is electricity to study at night. Even with fun field trips, sports, crafts, and more, they're most grateful for light.
In the rural communities where these children are from, there is no electricity. For many, they are lucky if they have access to clean drinking water. At the ALC, basics like food, water, and lights, as well as mundane necessities like school supplies, are viewed and appreciated as luxuries.
At 17 years old, Tchimmadan began 7th grade at the ALC. She comes from the village of Elmiki, where most of her neighbors support themselves through gardening and raising animals.
She says, “My father passed away when I was so young that I don’t remember his face…my mom raised me with the help of her parents, her brothers, and our family. I’m the only girl in my family and my mother enrolled and kept me in school – until middle school.
There’s no middle school in my village. I was lucky to be able to continue my studies at the ALC. Thanks to the ALC, I didn’t have to worry about where to live in Agadez; I’ve never felt alone here, and my grades have improved a lot.
At the center, like all the other students here, I get everything I need. Honestly, I feel really good here; I have friends and I have the hope that I can succeed to complete my studies and become a civil servant. I’d like to earn a salary so I can help my mom and people in my village.
This support has been invaluable, and I am grateful.”
Students like Tchimmadan show their gratitude and dedication every day by making the most of the resources that your support provides. Last year, Tchimmadan’s grades went from a 10,35 in the first semester to a 14 in the second semester - an impressive leap!
Tchimmadan and her peers are hopeful, and their futures are bright -- thanks to the sturdy foundation that your generosity has helped them to build.
Please consider sharing Tchimmadan's story with your network to encourage more generous supporters to help students like Tchimmadan to continue on the path to success.
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Assalama Alhousseini graduated from the ALC in 2014. She received her certification to become a teacher and is currently teaching first and second grade in the village where she is from. As a student, she faced similar obstacles to those that current ALC students must overcome every day. Through hard work and perserverence, Assalama was able to achieve her goal of returning to and strengthening her own community.
She told us, “I am so happy that I had the opportunity to study at RAIN’s center. I miss it there and often go back to visit the girls that are there and even to see the new girls that have come. I encourage them and tell them about what I do. I tell them to study hard. Sometimes when I think about how difficult it is now at school, I remember all of the good times I had at the center studying with my friends and living together. It was a great chance for me to be able to get good grades and find a job. Now I have a salary and I’m helping the children in my own village to learn.”
Assalama's success is a testament not only to her dedication to complete her schooling, but to the generosity that helped provide the resources to get her there. Now she is encouraging even more students at the ALC and beyond to complete their studies so that they too may secure sustainable livelihoods.
Thank you for helping young women like Assalama reach new heights, for believing in the power of education, and for continuing a partnership with RAIN that creates opportunity for future generations.
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As Niger continues to grapple with the effects of COVID, students have returned to start a new school year at the Agadez Learning Center (ALC) with renewed determination. With schools closing down last year because of the pandemic, many teachers were unable to make it through the full curriculum meaning students have been forced to repeat grades or drop out altogether to help support their families. Your support has enabled RAIN to continue providing programs that increase access to education for youth in Niger struggling to finish their schooling.
As we continue to make improvements to the ALC we are encouraged by the prospect of providing for more and more students every year. Providing educational opportunities to students who would otherwise be unable to attend school is one thing, but being able to ensure students actually have a positive experience is a credit to your thoughtful support. With inconsistent access to electricity in Agadez, the installation of solar panels at the ALC has been integral in providing reliable power and creating a comfortable atmosphere for students to live and learn.
But there is always more work to be done. Though the ALC provides running water, Agadez suffers from frequent droughts meaning that water access is often suspended for days at a time. Now that the solar system has been installed we have been able to begin planning for the building of a water tower and solar powered well pump that will allow us to store up to two days worth of water on site when the city water has been cut off. Only 56% of Niger's population has any access to clean drinking water, let alone a reliable source close to home. These changes will address the most basic of needs but make a significant impact in the lives of the students housed at the center during the school year. These additions will also allow us to eventually increase capacity while reducing perstudent costs, making the center more sustainable.
We hope that you will continue to help strengthen this program and enable students from across Niger to pursue education and opportunity.
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As a student at RAIN' Agadez Learning Center, Nafissa has the opportunity to attend middle school in the city of Agadez. She receives room and board as well as the chance to show her family and her community just how much girls like her can achieve!
Below are her words about her experiences at the ALC:
"As I was ready to enter 6th grade, I had the opportunity to be recruited to the ALC. I was welcomed and I found everything I needed there in order to continue my studies. Thanks to the ALC, I am able to continue my studies well and I'll do everything I can in order to make it to the end. If not, right now, who knows, I might be a housewife like my friends back in the village. The ALC protects me from that situation, which I wouldn't want at all. If I have the chance to continue my studies, I want to be a healthcare worker to earn a living and help my parents, my brothers, and my sisters and also to prove to the community that a woman can also provide for her family."
Thank you for ensuring Nafissa has the chance to continue her education. We hope you'll continue to support this project so Nafissa and girls like her have the support they need to persevere through their challenges.
Please also consider asking a friend to join you by matching your gift - if everyone brings on friend along, we can raise twice as much and reach twice as many girls!
Don't hesitate to reach out with questions and if you want more RAIN updates, check out our website, newsletter, and social media pages.
With gratitude,
the RAIN team
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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.
This year, the Agadez Learning Center is hosting 32 middle school youth - our biggest class yet. And we're taking steps to prepare for even more students next year.
One of the changes we've made is that we just installed solar panels this week! Your support has enabled us to keep this project going so that, little by little, we can improve life for the students at the Agadez Learning Center. The solar panels will go a long way in improving both their living and their learning environment. 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!
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