What we have achieved with your help through the Niger schools Appeal

Since we launched the Niger schools appeal, we have succeeded in establishing five schools providing primary education to 276 children in one of the most remote and harshest areas on the planet.

Anti-Slavery International has faced huge challenges in delivering education to the semi nomadic families involved in this project, including a serious lack of rain which led to food scarcity and huge rises in both food and fuel prices.

But with your help Anti Slavery International and its local partner Timidria were able to ensure that extra food was provided for our school canteens and three wells were dug which provided urgently needed clean water for families and animals in three villages.

Your generosity also enabled us to provide schools materials, including exercise books, and has set up libraries in each of the schools, with over 70 reading books for ages 6-14 as well as teaching materials. This miraculously lead to Abankawel, one child, saving the life of another, Fatou, who had been bitten by a snake, simply because he had just read about how to apply a torniquet in one of the recently donated books. Read Abankawel's story .

Each class was provided with sports equipment and kit and the teachers have benefited from training in how to bring human rights principles, with a focus on equality, into the class room.  Pupils planted 12 trees in each schools' playground.

Mothers' groups have set up cooperative shops and micro credit income generating activities which have proved vital to improving the local economy.  Mothers reported to Anti Slavery International that the cooperative shops have been critical for the population as they were able to buy essential food stuffs and resell at below market prices.

The entire population of the 5 villages (2500 people) were vaccinated against measles, whooping cough and were treated for intestinal parasites and trachoma.

This year we are opening a new school and need your continued help.