Education Niger Project #23950

Bring Lights, Books and Computers to Niger

by Rain for the Sahel and Sahara

Project Report | Mar 2, 2023
Choosing Optimism

By Katherine Kolios | Executive Director

Older girls help the new ones settle in at the ALC

5 months into their new lives in "the big city" and the 6th graders have taken to life at RAIN's Agadez Learning Center as if they've always lived there!

The younger students are partnered with more experienced 9th graders who can show them the ropes - at RAIN's center, at the local middle school, and about life in the city. The older girls help the younger girls feel welcome, ensure they're employing good study habits,... and make sure they know how to off blow steam!

On this visit, I was joined by two members of RAIN's Board of Directors. The girls prepared to welcome us with new murals painted on the center's walls. They made good use of our guests' time and expertise by doing a Q&A on their careers in international development... of course with some questions about their personal lives thrown in ;) Finally, the girls wrapped up the visit with a favorite activity at the center; they hosted a special tende celebration in honor of their visitors.

"Tende," referring to both the instrument and the musical style, plays a central role in Tuareg culture and is featured regularly at naming ceremonies, weddings, and other community events. Even though it comes from Tuareg tradition, all the ALC students enjoy the chance to boogie down with their friends - and to laugh with (or at?) the dance moves of the center's Director, RAIN's Executive Director, and the visiting board members.

We're still raising money for the expansion these girls need to live and study more comfortably and with better resources. We met with the Department of Urbanization in Agadez to review the latest construction plans and budgets. This included discussion of the traditional "sans bois" construction method and how the thick earthen walls create a natural cooling mechanism in such an extreme climate.

If you'd like to help make this expansion a reality - so the girls can live and study in a space that truly meets their needs, please consider giving a gift today or reach out to ask to ask how you can help.

We're hopeful that with your support, we can make significant progress with this plan in 2023 but, in the meantime, the girls know exactly how to make the most of things.

Painting murals doubled as a lesson in health!

Q&A with RAIN Board on careers, family, and life!

Notice the use of a flipflop for the right sound!

Everyone gets to share their unique dance moves!

Discussing construction techniques for expansion

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Oct 28, 2022
Back to School! - Expanding Support in Challenging Times

By Katherine Kolios | Executive Director

56 Girls are EXCITED to Study at RAIN's ALC

Two weeks ago, we gathered parents at RAIN's Agadez Learning Center. As we welcomed a new class of 6th grade girls to the center for the 2022-2023 school year, we knew it was important to connect with their parents, to ensure the girls were supported by all the central figures in their lives.

The difference between the energy of the parents and the girls was palpable. The parents were hopeful but they were also fearful. They lamented the mounting obstacles their children had to overcome each day. They talked about a government that let them down and non-profit organizations that never came back.

A Village Chief spoke about how all the professionals in the city of Agadez had to be brought in from elsewhere, how locals needed translators to access medical help in their own city. He urged the parents to think about how their daughters could fill those roles. With education, their daughters could be the nurses, doctors, and administrators who serve their city.

The parents agreed but there was still a layer of doubt - was this vision possible?

The girls have no doubts. When asked about their futures, they shared visions of becoming teachers, doctors, even a pilot (if only to see the inside of a plane!).

Their parents are right that there are many obstacles… but every child has a world of potential in them – and that potential should not be snuffed out just because they were born into circumstances where they have fewer opportunities. They’re young enough not to let those limitations stop them and with your support, RAIN offers the opportunity they need. It’s still not easy, but with hard work, there is a path out.

We see this with ALC graduates. There’s Naoude who opened her own clinic and Assalamata who returned to teach in her hometown.

This year RAIN is hosting the biggest class of students ever at its center - 56! And the community only wants us to welcome more students. We're in the process of raising funds to build a new 3-story dorm that can accomodate another 50 girls and that includes a media library and study center. But inflation has driven construction costs up. We need your help!

Give today to support expansion and to ensure these students, and those to come, have the support and resources they need to succeed.

Ask friends, neighbors, and colleagues to give with you for greater impact!

Early in the year, the girls make new friends!

Fearless, the girls fight for brighter futures

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Jun 30, 2022
Access Equals Opportunity

By Amy Warnock | Development Manager

Girls crowd around laptop for documentary viewing

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.

Nighttime studying

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