Nomadic students living in rural, remote areas of Niger face extreme poverty and hardship with no chance to continue their studies after primary school, as there is rarely a school to attend. These students find a second chance at the RAIN Learning Center and Dormitory. This project supports girls' dream of attending secondary school with a place to live, study, tuition, meals, and tutoring. Plans include mentoring, a resource center, and more.
The literacy rate of rural Niger is less than 15%, and girls especially face daunting challenges to staying in school, dropping out before the 4th grade. Most desert rural children are nomadic and must live at school while their parents search for pastureland. Their communities are hundreds of miles away from secondary schools, so even if a child successfully graduates primary school there is no opportunity to go on. Extreme poverty and hardships from droughts compound obstacles to education.
Rural students find a second chance at our learning center. Located in the Niger city of Agadez, the center and dormitory houses primarily female students. They live, study and receive tuition, meals, and tutoring. Now in its first year, RAIN plans to bring in more underserved elementary students from remote communities each year. Plans include a mentoring program, practical skills training, a resource center and more.
Investing in a girl's future is investing in the world's future. Girls that stay in school delay marraige, have fewer children and earn higher incomes. The rural poor of Niger are marginalized, but with more educated citizens will be more empowered. As RAIN expands the center and is able to recruit increasing numbers of students, we expect to set a new precedent in Niger and inspire the government as well as other NGO's to open similar centers for nomadic children.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
