Bring Lights, Books and Computers to Niger

            Rain for the Sahel and Sahara’s Agadez Learning Center, (ALC) is a place where disadvantaged girls and at risk-boys can come to continue their education. Without this center these rural and nomadic children would have stopped their education at primary school. Thanks to the inviting staff and tutors these students are given a “leg up” in their academics. Parents are afraid of their children going to the city to learn, but will occasionally send their sons to make the journey. They call their daughters “little eggs that we must protect,” but with the ALC their fears are alleviated. The center is a boarding facility that provides room and board along with many other services.

            Some of these other services include mentoring from local women and tutoring. They teach the girls and boys traditional crafts to create income. They explain to students about hygiene and why the school is important giving examples from their own life how education would have helped them. Tutoring is another tool that is given to these students. The local middle and high schools provide teachers to do after school catch up and extra help sessions.

            The Center is looking to expand to allow more children to seek education. RAIN has been given funding to start the project of creating a solar lab after the rainy season comes to an end. This solar lab will act as not only a classroom, but also a library, and study area. The power of the internet to connect young people to the world is only growing. With computers, these underprivileged student can see the world in a completely new way and gain important skills like typing and computer literacy.

The solar library will give a new opportunity to students that truly want to empower themselves and who want to succeed. The continued support and growth of the learning center are vital as it allows more students the ability to get an education have support, and guidance. RAIN needs your help to build this special space. Having a place that promotes opportunity is so rare in West Africa. Support for these remarkable people comes in many forms from RAIN, but its best is education. Come join Rain for the Sahel and Sahara as we push students toward their dreams and ambitions.

Hear from the students themselves they are excited about this new opportunity:

Naoudi (14)

“At the Center, I like the electric light that makes everything clear as if it is day; the availability of water at the pump without long walks, and no loss of time to draw water. After-school courses are taught by teachers who have mastered their subjects; food is available and suitable for us; bedroom items are available for each student (bed, blanket, sheet, trunk to store our belongings, notebooks, pens....); practical and other learning activities are offered. And finally, RAIN’s staff make available for us everything needed to make our lives pleasant at the center and to allow us to succeed in our schooling. ”

Abdoulwahab (13)

“This year’s school is different than last year’s (primary school in the bush) because it is so big. There are many classrooms. They just keep on going and the yard is even bigger. There are a lot of teachers. I want to be a middle school director when I’m big. It does not seem that tiring. He goes around and makes sure everybody is doing a good job. He works in his office and does everything for the school.”