REMEMBER NIGER COALITION
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News

Chefou's  story: A  Tsibiri  Student  Pays  It  Forward

3/9/2022

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When Chefou was a young boy, his older brother herded cattle for missionaries. One day, the missionary visited Chefou’s home so that she could pay the boy for his work. As Chefou tells the story, when she saw him (Chefou), she immediately asked, “Would you like to go to school?”  His affirmative response changed the trajectory of his life. He attended the Tsibiri Boarding School, which at that time was run by missionaries (it is now run by the EERN and a Remember Niger partner school). It was during those formative years that Chefou became a Christian. He did so well academically, that he was allowed to continue through secondary school and then he was offered a scholarship to attend university in Nigeria. He returned to Niger and worked as an English teacher for many years, eventually working his way up into administration.  

Through it all, Chefou never forgot the life-changing question that the missionary had asked him, “Do you want to go to school?”.  He and the Evangelical Church of Niger (EERN) leaders in Madaoua, where he was living, wanted to ask the children in their community the same question.  They had a dream of creating a school that would enable them to provide excellent, education grounded in Christianity to the children in their community. They approached Remember Niger, seeking help in achieving their dream and we came alongside them. In 2014, they opened a kindergarten class with 23 students in a temporary classroom on the church property. Now, the school is bursting at the seams with 437 students in preschool through 6th grade. The first 6th grade class graduated in June 2021. 100% of the students passed the national exam and matriculated to secondary school. 
 
The story doesn’t end there. In 2017, Chefou retired and moved with his family to Tahoua.  He and the leaders of the Salama Church wanted to ask the children in the Tahoua community the same question, “Do you want to go to school?” Again, the Chefou and the local church approached Remember Niger, seeking partnership. In 2018, the Salama Primary School opened with a kindergarten class in the Sunday School classroom on the church’s property. Today, the school teaches nearly 60 students in grades kindergarten through 4th grade and Chefou and his church continue to ask the children, “Do you want to go to school?”

It is remarkable to see the way in which God’s love continues and multiplies. The missionary’s simple act of love - sending a child to the Christian boarding school - has reaped fruit beyond measure and continues to grow. We are humbled to walk with Chefou and other amazing Nigeriens who are making Christ known through their simple desire to enable every child in Niger to have the opportunity to answer the question, “Do you want to go to school?”
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Training  seminars  for  teachers  and  administrators

1/29/2022

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Remember Niger facilitated two teacher training seminars in 2021. In partnership with the Nigerien Education Department in the Maradi Region, the first seminar focused on the new Nigerien curriculum and technology. All Remember Niger partner school elementary teachers and directors were invited to participate. This seminar was generously funded through a grant from IMF Giving Together Fund. The second seminar was a special teacher training focused on sign language and technology. Teachers at the Niamey School for the Deaf, the Niamey Inclusive Middle School, the Maradi Deaf School and the Zinder Deaf School participated. We were pleased to have an expert sign language professor, Dr. Victor, provide the instruction. Generous support from Entrepreneurs for Knowledge (Efk) and the United States Embassy and Cultural Center in Niger made this seminar possible.

“I am very grateful to Remember Niger and its collaborators for organizing this training to improve and strengthen the capacities and activities of its partner schools.  This training provided the knowledge and tools that will allow us to manage our school activities well in order to have a school that is useful for society. We hope that Remember Niger and its collaborators will continue to train teachers on pedagogical and technology topics. God bless you.”
-Leahtou, Primary School Director (pictured below)
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Solar  Power  Installed  at  TWO  SCHOOLs

1/29/2022

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Remember Niger partnered with Rotary clubs in Maryland, Minnesota and Niger to complete solar power projects at two of our partner schools. Solar panels, inverters and batteries were installed and connected to provide consistent power for computer labs and classrooms at the Niamey School for the Deaf and the Hamsa Girls Education Center.

Special thanks to the following Rotary Clubs for their support:
Stillwater Sunrise Rotary Club • Roseville Rotary Club • Bethesda - Chevy Chase Rotary Foundation • Gaithersburg Rotary Foundation • New Brighton / Mounds View Rotary Club • Maradi Rotary Club (Niger) • Montgomery Village Rotary Club Foundation


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Health  Screenings  Saved  Isaaka's  Foot

1/29/2022

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Isaaka looked at me with very sad eyes as he waited patiently for his turn to talk. He was articulate and his French was excellent for 3rd grade. Isaaka gave me information that every new sponsorship student provides. He told me about how he loves to play soccer with his friends and he wants to be a policeman when he is older. It wasn’t until later that I found out why he seemed so sad. I was talking with teachers when I kept feeling a tap on my arm and a pull on my sleeve. When I looked down, there was Isaaka standing there with a friend. The friend pointed to Isaaka’s foot, which was very swollen. There was an inch-long sore that was jagged and oozing. He had been playing with his friends a week earlier when his foot had been stuck by a stick. I was really alarmed because he could hardly walk on the foot and he had not been to the clinic yet. I spoke with the directress of the school and she assured me that she would make sure that he went to the clinic, even if she had to bring him herself.  I left funds for the clinic visit and the medicine that he will need. Isaaka's injury would likely have caused him to lose his foot if it had continued to go untreated.


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KOLLO  GIRLS  SCHOOL  OPENed   IN  NOVEMBER

1/29/2022

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The vision of the Kollo Girls School is to create a safe learning space for girls to receive a high-quality education. The school opened its doors with 30 kindergarten and first grade students in November 2021. When complete, the school will provide education to girls in grades preschool through high school. The school will utilize the STEAM education approach that teaches the girls to be curious and to think critically and creatively about the world around them. They will be the future leaders and problem-solvers in their communities and country.

Karen Pepin, Remember Niger Sponsorship Coordinator, shares her experience visiting with students and family members at the school:

"The Kollo Girls’ School opened its doors and classes began in November. During my visit to the school, I met with the students who will receive sponsorships and their caregivers. Most of the girls are orphaned and live with their grandparents or aunts. The girls were identified and selected for the program by the female mayor of Kollo. It was so powerful to have her standing in front of the girls as we talked about the importance of education and staying in school. Several of the grandmothers told us how they weren't allowed to go to school when they were young and they regretted it. Fati (the woman pictured in the green outfit) said that when she asked her father if she could go to school, his response was always, "Go pound the millet!". And now, thanks to the generosity of Remember Niger supporters, her granddaughter is attending school.
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I cannot thank you enough for helping to make this possible. What began as a dream is now a reality. I’m always amazed when I look at the happy and active children learning and playing in the school building and on the land where, not too long ago, there was nothing but sand and bushes. It’s an honor to partner with you and be a part of God’s work in this way."

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3  New  Classrooms  complete  at  Zinder High School

1/29/2022

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Three classrooms were added to the high school in Zinder in 2021. There was so much demand from parents and community members for more space and classes that additional classrooms needed to be added sooner than initially planned.

The Zinder School was established in 2007 with 27 students in preschool through 1st grade. The school now serves over 700 students in preschool through the 2nd class of high school. The opening of Zinder High School in 2020 provided students with the opportunity to attend a quality school that will prepare them for university or future employment.
    
Remember Niger is honored to be a part of Zinder School’s growth and the realization of their vision for a preschool through high school complex that will serve the Zinder community for many years to come.
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Zinder High School

8/9/2021

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We are pleased to report that in Zinder, three more classrooms are being added to the high school this summer. They will be ready for classes to start at the beginning of October. We are excited that there was so much demand from parents and community members for more space and classes that additional classrooms needed to be added sooner than initially planned.
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A MOTHER'S LOVE

8/9/2021

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I met Shapiou and his mother a few months ago when he entered the Remember Niger Sponsorship Program so that he could attend the School of Hope for Children with Disabilities. I was moved by his story and wanted to share it with you so you can see how you are impacting the lives of children in Niger.
      Shapiou is a 10-year-old boy who had a motorcycle accident.  He was playing with his friends on the side of the road, when a motorcycle ran over his leg. Unfortunately, following this accident the doctors had to cut off his right leg below the knee to save him.  As a result, his mother, being poor with no income, was forced to sell everything she had to pay for the surgery and hospital.  This is a very important act in Nigerien culture. Here in Niger, when a young woman is preparing for her marriage, parents take care of giving her everything she needs before going to her home, such as: the bed, mattress, dressing table, kitchen utensils etc. These materials are objects jealously guarded by the woman because they are objects offered by the parents.  Their value is historical and sentimental for the woman.  She will keep them her entire life because they mean so much to her. But, Shapiou’s mother lost a whole story and memory of her life by selling her precious goods to save her son. We can say apart from being a good mother she also sacrificed her story and her memory.
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KOLLO GIRLS SCHOOL

4/13/2021

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The Kollo Girls School will be an expansion of the Remember Niger Coalition Girls Education Initiative. Remember Niger Coalition (Remember Niger) will work with our Partner Hosanna Institute of the Sahel (HIS) to construct classrooms and other capital projects, as well as provide student sponsorships and scholarships, teacher training, support for student meals.  The Kollo Girls School will use the same system of growth utilized by our other partners. HIS has acquired a piece of land near the Niger River for the school.  The first phase of construction will include: a three-classroom building for preschool and kindergarten, a security wall, and latrines.  Ultimately, the vision for this school is to provide education to girls in preschool through high school with a dormitory for girls who live in rural areas. ​
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Project Partner
HIS was founded by Yacouba and Renate Seydou with the purpose of addressing the needs of the people of Niger and raising up the next generation of Nigerien Christian leaders in order to positively transform their country.  Their current projects include a women’s clinic (located in Kollo), a radio and television studio, a divinity school, ministry to the disabled, and much more. 
 
Remember Niger began its partnership with HIS in 2018 with the establishment of the School of Hope for Children with disabilities in Maradi, Niger.  During a recent visit to Kollo, Pastor Yacouba facilitated a meeting for Kara and Ibrahim with the mayor of Kollo to discuss the project with him. He was very happy and supportive of the project.  He said that he was, “thankful that this door of education would be opened for the girls in the community.”  Remember Niger is looking forward to our continued partnership with HIS to create a brighter future for generations of girls in Kollo and throughout Niger.
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Vision for Kollo Girls School
Through their work at the clinic in Kollo, Yacouba and Renate have met many young girls who were married when they were just children.  According to UNICEF Niger has the highest rate of childhood marriage in the world.  As a result of childhood marriage and giving birth at such a young age many girls developed Obstetric Fistulas.  Fistulas become infected and create a foul odor which often results in the girls being rejected and divorced by their husbands, leaving them to care for themselves and the young children.  Yacouba and Renate realized the impact education could have on these young girls if they just had the opportunity.   Along with serving girls in the community, this school would also provide a safe space where these young girls will be able to catch up on their learning through remediation programs and continue their education through high school and beyond.
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Sustainability
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As with all our schools, our goal for Kollo Girls School is to become self-sufficient.  With such a large population of young girls and women in the community, it is possible for the school to grow at a steady rate.   Once a school has established a reputation of excellence, parents who are able to afford the tuition and fees will send their girls to the school.  Remember Niger anticipates it will take 4-6 years for the school to become self-sufficient. ​
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medical concerns of young girls

3/3/2021

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Hanna’s parents arranged for her to marry an older man when she was just 12 years old.  She became pregnant within the first year of the marriage.   Her young body was not fully developed, and she was too small to carry and deliver a child.  During childbirth an obstetric fistula formed. Over the next year, she constantly had infections and people began to treat her differently because of the resulting foul odor.   Her husband was embarrassed and didn’t want to be with her. He rejected her and the baby and eventually divorced her. 
 
Unfortunately, there are thousands of girls and young women like Hanna in Niger.  They have been rejected by their husbands, families and friends.  Life is very difficult for them, because they don’t know how to get help.  Sometimes, they are able to find treatment at clinics and hospitals.  Even if they are cured, there are very few opportunities for them.  They were forced to leave school early to marry and do not have skills to find work. 
 
Remember Niger Coalition is addressing this need by helping establish the Kollo Girls School (KGS).  In the coming years, KGS will provide opportunities for girls like Hanna to return to school to gain the skills and knowledge needed to get a good job.
 
* Fistula – (from Wikipedia) Obstetric fistula is a medical condition in which a hole develops in the birth canal as a result of childbirth. This can be between the vagina and rectum, ureter, or bladder. It can result in incontinence of urine or feces. Complications may include depression, infertility, and social isolation.



Ousseina (Oo-sane- a) is 7 years old and in first grade. Like most children in Niger, she comes from a very large family.  The average woman in Niger will have at least 7 children, which is the highest birthrate in the world.  Ousseina is the youngest of 12 siblings.  All her brothers and sisters attended and graduated from the Tsibiri Boarding School (TBS).  TBS is highly regarded in its community for providing a high-quality education to students in elementary school.  It is well known that students who graduate from TBS are at the top of their class when they move on to middle school.
 
Unfortunately for Ousseina, by time it was it was her turn to go to school her father could not afford it.  He is now older, retired and on a very fixed income.  In past years he had always sold a goat to pay for his other children to attend school. Sadly, he has run out of goats.  It was for this reason that he decided that Ousseina would not be able to attend school.  She cried and cried and begged her father to let her go to school.  Fortunately, because of Ousseina’s circumstances, she was able to receive a sponsorship through the Remember Niger Coalition.  She is now in the 1st grade at the Tsibiri Boarding School, and she’s very happy.  She dreams of being a teacher one day.
 
There are thousands upon thousands of children in Niger whose stories don’t end so happily.  Sadly, most of their fathers are unable to send them to school.  They simply are unable to afford it.  Remember Niger Coalition is addressing this issue through our sponsorship and scholarship programs.  We match students like Ousseina with a sponsor in the United States or around the world.  The sponsor’s support covers the cost of tuition, books, school meals and in many cases uniforms.  The students in the sponsorship program attend high-quality schools where they learn, grow and develop into the children that God created them to be.

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Remember Niger Coalition

Remember Niger Coalition is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is to unify people and mobilize resources to expand quality educational opportunities in Niger.

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  • Home
    • About Us >
      • Our Story >
        • Schools we support >
          • Student Stories
        • About Niger
      • Our Approach
      • Our Team
      • Programs >
        • COVID-19 Food Relief
        • Sustainable School Communities
        • Girls Advancement
        • Children with Disabilities
        • Health and Wellness
        • Inclusive design & construction
        • Training & Enrichment
  • Sponsorships
    • Primary Student Sponsorships
    • Sponsorship Student Profiles
    • Scholarships For Girls
  • Donate
  • News
  • Get Involved
    • Rally for Niger
    • Churches, schools, civic groups
  • Our publications