Niger: rain and recovery
Thursday 26 August 2010 by Amy Reed
In the UK, it rains heavily and it’s annoying. In Niger it rains heavily and – if you’re poor, and you probably are – it’s economic breakdown.
Niger
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world. One in six children dies before their fifth birthday. And most children before the age of 14 do paid work. We have launched an emergency appeal as 378,000 children face starvation if we don't act now
Niger: Abuda’s story
Wednesday 25 August 2010 by Amy Reed
Women like Abuda live all over Niger. With almost no education, support, or resources they’re still coming up with intelligent ways to support themselves and their families. They’re enterprising and they’re finding their own ways out of poverty, but they live in one of the hardest places in the world.
Niger: Trying to end a hand to mouth existence
Thursday 19 August 2010 by Mallary Gelb
In Niger’s bustling capital, Niamey, it’s easy to forget that more than 80 percent of people in this country are dependent on the land for food and their livelihood.
Most are extremely poor – a combination of regular poor harvests which yield little and a hand to mouth existence when the harvests are good.
Niger: Beating the unscrupulous traders
Wednesday 18 August 2010 by Mallary Gelb
I’ve just met a Nigerien woman in the capital, Niamey, who is determined to challenge the unscrupulous traders who are partially behind the high prices of millet – the staple here – and other grain which is playing an important part in the severe food crisis which is devastating this country.
Niger: Pastoralists facing major hardships
Monday 16 August 2010 by Amy Reed
Unless the rain becomes more regular soon, another year’s crops may fail. If that happens, this food crisis is going to escalate even further leaving pastoral and agricultural families across Niger even more desperate.
Niger: Tackling beliefs that put children in danger
Wednesday 11 August 2010 by Charles Mampasu
What can be done to protect children against the double whammy of food insecurity and the negative affects of beliefs? We need a solution that pushes people to change their behaviour and beliefs in order to save lives of children. The views of pregnant women and new mothers must be considered.
Rain in Niger
Monday 9 August 2010 by Ashley Hughes
Too much water can be as destructive as not enough. Hardened earth cannot easily absorb large amounts of rain, quickly creating a flash flood. Then, after a rain, standing water can soon become breeding ground for malaria-carrying mosquitoes and disease-ridden bacteria. The return of the rain is no simple event.
Boats, babies and births
Wednesday 4 August 2010 by Rachel Palmer
Sitting on the banks of the Thames at Henley looking at families with babies enjoying their picnics I couldn’t help but reflect on the stark contrast this was to the mothers and babies I’d met in Niger. There’s no such thing as leisure time for mothers there and little in the way of children’s toys.
Happy birthday Niger!
Tuesday 3 August 2010 by Amy Reed
Today is the 50th anniversary of Niger’s independence from France and there’s a party mood in the capital, Niamey. The office is closed, Ramadan begins in about a week, and people are taking the chance to have fun.
Niger: We must have community workers to find those in need
Monday 2 August 2010 by Amy Reed
We need community workers, cars and fuel to physically go out, find these children, bring them back and save their lives.
And we need to help families in the longer term. They need food now, but they also needs to be protected from having to sell seeds and tools for just a few days of food.
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