By Elsa Sichrovsky Aminata Salifou Mody is a cultural ambassador whose passion is sharing the culture and beauty of her country, Niger, with the world. To find out more about her cultural celebration of Niger, I contacted her on Instagram and she graciously took time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions. Below… Read more »
Earthquake Blog
By Nick Baldry Source: Martin Luff At 11:39 PM on Friday, September 18th my house started to judder violently. As I lay helplessly pinned to my mattress desperately hoping that the ceiling would remain above my head while listening to my six-year-old scream in fear, a small voice in the back of my head told… Read more »
Moustapha Alassane: Telling Niger’s Stories
By Elsa Sichrovsky Source: Alzinous Moustapha Alassane produced the first African animation in full color, Samba le Grand (Samba the Great), which follows the adventures of its hero, Sambagana, as he strives to ace a series of challenges in order to win the hand of his bride[1]. In addition to directing over 30 films, Alassane… Read more »
COVID-19’s Severe Impact on Food Insecurity in Niger
By Omair Ali Source: UNICEF Niger//YouTube Like many nations around the globe, Niger is struggling to address many of its ongoing challenges during the pandemic-driven economic meltdown. Before the pandemic struck, many Nigeriens were already struggling to meet their most basic needs, but the economic effects of COVID-19 have made the situation more dire. Perhaps… Read more »
Hamsou Garba: Breaking Barriers
By Elsa Sichrovsky In the 1980s, Niger underwent massive economic restructuring initiated by the aid requirements of the IMF and the World Bank. Young women who worked clerical jobs were hit hard by massive layoffs. Among them, a young Nigerien woman named Hamsou Garba faced being laid off from her job as a typist at… Read more »
Coronavirus is Impacting Vaccine Programs in Niger, Endangering Children
By Omair Ali The COVID-19 pandemic has put a great strain on Niger by creating massive delays in supply distribution and other hurdles that have been detrimental to communities’ well-being. One, particularly concerning consequence of COVID-19, is that many children have not yet received essential vaccinations, leaving many vulnerable to serious infections. Vaccine-preventable diseases like… Read more »
Did COVID-19 bring anything good to the Planet?
by Raphaela Barros Prado Source: Del-Uks For months now, the world has been suffering from COVID-19, and citizens across the globe have been trying to find unique ways to fight the pandemic and adapt to a strange new reality. The planet has also changed since this crisis began, and many of these changes have… Read more »
Rahmatou Keïta’s The Wedding Ring: Celebrating Niger’s Beauty
By Elsa Sichrovsky Source : Rahmatou Keïta Do you know what Niger’s first entry at the Academy Awards was? It was Rahmatou Keïta’s 2016 film The Wedding Ring (Zin’naariyâ!), and it was entered in 2018[1]. It follows the adventures of an aristocratic young woman named Tiyaa (starring director Rahmatou Keïta’s daughter, Magaajyia Silberfeld) as she… Read more »
Summer 2020: A Malaria Season Like No Other
By Omair Ali Source: J. Bavier, Voice of America Niger experiences extremely high mortality rates related to disease outbreaks, which are rooted in poor access to sanitation, lack of prevention, and limited treatment options. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, malaria is Niger’s leading cause of death[1]; however, this summer will be… Read more »
Boko Haram’s Devastating Impact
By Chidiebere Aguziendu & SatyaLakshmi Settem Source: EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Boko Haram insurgency began in 2015 in the border region of Diffa. Though the attacks decreased in 2017 and 2018, the end of 2018 and 2019 saw an increase in violent attacks in the region. It has led to the death of… Read more »
