YOUR DONATIONS FED 453 STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES!
As COVID-19 spread across Niger, a new opportunity emerged for us to meet the critical needs of our students and their families. In appreciation of your support, this update was written by Ibrahim Abdou, Remember Niger primary partner on the ground in Niger.
Dear friends,
Your support is truly an act of love. All the beneficiaries of the food relief program are very grateful and send you their warm thanks. God bless you.
This time of year is already difficult for my fellow Nigeriens. Harvest was in the fall and by April most families were running out of food. This year was particularly bad because insects attacked our crops right before we harvested them last year. And, the flow of imported goods slowed almost to a stop because of the impact of COVID-19 and the border closure. Food costs rose making it difficult for the majority of Nigeriens to feed themselves and their families. Many of the families that Remember Niger (RN) supports already struggle to feed their children under normal circumstances. Very often the only meal the children receive during the day is at school, and with schools closed they are at high risk of hunger and malnourishment. Through the Emergency Food Relief Program, you gave hope and a life line to students and their families.
“The families were overjoyed to receive the food! One man told me that his family did not have ‘even a grain of rice’ before the relief arrived.”
In early April, Remember Niger established the Emergency Food Relief Program to provide immediate food relief to the most vulnerable students and families in the schools we support. These children include orphans, the disabled, girls and the very poor. Thanks to your support we were able to act quickly.
Together with our partners in Niger, we purchased and delivered food and hygiene supplies to over 260 families. While visiting with the families, I had the opportunity to talk to them about the importance of hand washing and how to wear the face masks. The families were overjoyed to receive the food! One man told me that his family did not have “even a grain of rice” before the relief arrived.
Since that time, directors of six more schools that RN supports contacted me about providing food to their most vulnerable students. We added 189 more students and their families to Phase 2 of the emergency food relief efforts. That means that thousands of people were touched and impacted by your sacrifice, generosity and compassion.
May God bless you, Ibrahim Abdou Remember Niger Coalition– Niger
