Food Security Niger Project #21564

Women's Community Gardens in Niger

by Rain for the Sahel and Sahara

Project Report | Nov 23, 2021
Farming for the Future

By Amy Warnock | Development Manager

Over the course of 2021, your support brought about great changes in RAIN's partner communities. Your generosity helped create 2 new gardens in the Agadez region in Niger, providing a unique opportunity to the people living in this area. Agadez's climate allows for year-round harvest, meaning these gardens are able to provide sustenance and income for gardeners when previously this would not have been possible throughout the calendar year.

Even with delays due to COVID travel restrictions, RAIN reached over 3500 Nigeriens in Batarmatas, Torguit, and 9 neighboring villages this year. Approximately 75 gardeners and 350 family members benefit directly from community gardens. Enabling them to providew food for their families and other local community members as well as utilize surplus produce to generate funds that create more robust local markets.

Looking ahead to 2022. There is still so much more that you can do to make an impact! With your support, RAIN plans to grow 2 new gardens in the coming year; expanding RAIN's reach into new villages and bringing food and income opportunities to even more rural and nomadic Nigeriens. As the community garden program grows, so do the possibilities of closing the gap on food insecurity in these vulnerable regions of Niger. In addition, there are new partnerships on the horizon with plans for a collaborative garden in Torguit.

You have made it possible to expand this program and provide not only a reliable and healthy source of food and funds but educational training to maintain these gardens into the future.

Thank you for continuing to support women, children, and families in their pursuit of education and a sustainable livelihood.

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Jul 27, 2021
Hidi Shares about How You've Helped

By Katherine Kolios | Executive Director

Hidi shares her struggles and hopes with RAIN

mHidi is a mother of 6 and serves as President of the Women's Group of Torguit. In her role, she works closely with the other women of her community so that, together, they can ensure that they have the resources and opportunities they need to live full, healthy lives.

Below are Hidi's words as she shared about her experiences over the last year, the challenges of Covid, and her hopes for the future:

"I am the President of the Women’s Group of Torguit and I speak on behalf of all the women in our village.

Over the past year, with Covid-19, members of our community were scattered. Many of us were forced to sell our animals in order to feed our families. This year, RAIN worked hard to find us partners to drill a borehole well. This water will allow our families to drink. Now, we hope to practice market gardening, which will allow us to overcome the difficulties caused by confinement and Covid-19. Bless you."

Thank you for ensuring Hidi, her children, and her community have access to clean water. Safe drinking water is critical in any community and the health impacts on handwashing and maintaining hygiene have been underscored with Covid.

Between the well in Betarmatas and this new well in Torguit, you've helped us reach over 3,500 Nigeriens this year. We hope you'll continue to support this project so these communities can leverage their new access to water in order to achieve Hidi's dream - to use market gardening to rebuild from the losses of Covid.

Please also consider asking a friend to join you by matching your gift - if everyone brings one friend along, we can raise twice as much and reach twice as many Nigeriens!

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

The women of Torguit sing with joy at the new well

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Mar 30, 2021
Success Against All Odds

By Katherine Kolios | Executive Director

Overlooking the terrain selected for the project

Last year was really hard.

As Covid-19 hit - in Niger and around the world - many communities feared the health repurcussions. But in RAIN's partner communities, Covid's biggest impact was economic. Markets shut down and prices skyrocketed. Families already living on the edge had to find new ways to earn enough to buy food and other basic goods.

This experience reiterated how important it is for there to be local, sustainable solutions to food production. Right now, our team is breaking ground on a new well and community garden in Betarmatas. The project will provide access to safe drinking water to the community of Betarmatas and residents of the neighboring communities of Azangala and Azamalan - reaching 1,854 Nigeriens.

This is critical because the community doesn't have access to potable water right now. The water that's available has high levels of natron (a sodium compound) - it cannot be drunk or used to water plants. As a result, the community relies on hand dug wells in the nearby quarry bed - but that water is only available seasonally and the open-mouth wells are easily contaminated by runoff. RAIN's solution will ensure year-round access to safe water.

Further, the wells will irrigate a new community garden in which local women will collaborate to grow food to feed their families and their communities. We've already worked with them to clear the land and close it off with a living hedge - to protect the plants from animals. Additionally, RAIN staff has worked with the community to establish a local maintenance committee so the wells and garden will be cared for - long beyond RAIN's involvement.

Thank you for bringing safe drinking water to Betarmatas! In the coming months, we plan to do the same in Torguit - stay tuned!

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!

Local women clear land for the community garden

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