By Will Beeker In 2007, a group of African countries in the Sahel region came together with an ambitious plan: planting a 5,000-mile line of trees stretching from Senegal on Africa’s west coast to Djibouti on its east coast to be completed by the year 2030. The aim was stopping the Sahara Desert from creeping… Read more »
Tuareg Guitar Sensation Mdou Moctar Partners with Wells Bring Hope
By Ankita Taneja The most innovative artist in contemporary Saharan music, Mdou Moctar, is a Nigerien musician with an international reputation. He has gained immense popularity and love for his modern adaptations of Tuareg guitar music and his songs of revolution. We are excited to announce a new partnership with Mdou Moctar and his band!… Read more »
The Significance of Niger’s Flame of Peace Holiday
By Brenda Enfua Source: Wells Bring Hope I often like to flip through my calendar and mark any holiday I can find as a reminder to celebrate. There are multiple holidays recognized in Niger including New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, and Labor Day, but one that deserves special attention is Concord Day, which takes place… Read more »
Niger Eradicates River Blindness
By Adhithi Sreenivasan Niger has recently made great strides in the realm of public health by becoming the first African nation to eliminate river blindness. River blindness is a disease that has plagued West African nations and other regions throughout the continent. Known formally as Onchocerciasis, the ailment is the result of a parasitic worm,… Read more »
Surviving the Pandemic: Microfinance Training for Women
By Amber Persson The COVID-19 pandemic has devasted countries across the world but has also led to an increased sense of community and compassion between people. In countries like Niger, community-building can help families survive the ongoing pandemic. One such community-building activity is the creation of women’s savings groups, which help families persevere amidst the… Read more »
How Niger’s Agricultural Industry Is Fighting Back Against Climate Change
By Amber Nicolai Source: Stephan Gladieu / World Bank Over 80% of Nigeriens depend on agriculture for their livelihood—a livelihood that is being severely threatened by climate change. An arid country to begin with, Niger is far from ideal for raising crops or livestock. And now it’s facing the additional challenges that climate change brings… Read more »
Cure Salée: Festival of the Nomadic Herders
By Amber Persson Source: Wikimedia The small Saharan desert town of Ingall is lit up with an explosion of color and culture when thousands of nomadic herders from the Tuareg and Wodaabé clans come together in celebration of their traditions for Niger’s annual Cure Salée festival. The festival symbolizes the end of Niger’s rainy season,… Read more »
COVID-19: A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY
By William Beeker Source: Wells Bring Hope The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted many systemic problems in societies around the world, but maybe none so clearly as those in our education systems. Here in the US, adapting to the challenges presented by the pandemic was difficult, but manageable. Many schools were able to implement some form… Read more »
Climate Change Makes Life Increasingly Difficult for Niger’s Farmers and Nomadic Herders
By Amber Nicolai As with many issues faced by developing nations, climate change is intensifying many of Niger’s existing difficulties, such as the lack of access to land for farming and grazing. About 80% of Niger’s population relies on farming or herding for sustenance, and suitable land is becoming increasingly difficult to find. Source: Peter… Read more »
Contraception and Family Planning
By William Beeker Source: Wells Bring Hope Modern contraception is a vital tool in women’s empowerment and the fight for gender equality. In countries like Niger, where gender inequality is still highly prevalent, contraception use for married women is about 14%, compared with 30% across Africa and 55% globally. This is troubling for a few… Read more »
