Updated: March 2009
Niger
Overview | World Vision's history in Niger | World Vision in Niger today
OverviewThe Republic of Niger sits in west-central Africa and is border by Algeria and Libya to the north, Chad to the east, Nigeria and Benin to the south, and Mali and Burkina Faso to the west. With the sand dunes of the Sahara in the north and the desert plains of the Sahel in the south, Niger’s climate is mostly hot, dry, and dusty. There is a tropical climate in the far south near the Niger River basin, which features a more grassland terrain. Natural resources include coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, gypsum, salt, and petroleum. Niger is the world’s sixth largest producer of uranium.The two largest ethnic groups in Niger, who together make up more than 75 percent of the population, are the Hausa and the Djerma-Sonnghai—both farming groups who live in the more soil-rich southern region of the country. Other groups include the nomadic tribes of the north: the Tuaregs, Fulani, and Kanuri. Though French is the official language of Niger, Hausa, Djerma, Tamajeq, and Fulfulde are also spoken. Niger was incorporated into French West Africa in 1896 and colonized in 1922. In 1960, Nigeriens* proclaimed independence from France and established a republic. During the 1970s, the country enjoyed rapid economic growth, due in large part to uranium production, but when uranium prices fell a decade later, Niger’s brief period of prosperity ended. The drought of 1968-1975 devastated the country, leaving an estimated 2 million people without enough food to survive. Since then, Niger has experienced political and tribal unrest, a severe famine, and a locust infestation in 2005. The northern Tuareg rebels, feeling marginalized by the faraway southern government, have formed the Niger Movement for Justice and have attacked several government facilities in the Sahara region since February 2007. |  |
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| Niger is one of the most impoverished countries in the world, ranking 174th out of 177 on the United Nations Human Development Index. The country’s economy largely depends on subsistence agriculture, livestock grazing, and the declining export of uranium. Jobs in agriculture constitute 90 percent of the country’s workforce, though less than 12 percent of the land in arable. Frequent droughts, soil erosion, desert expansion, and a drop in worldwide demand for uranium have contributed to Niger’s declining economy over the past 10 years. Today, more than 86 percent of Nigeriens live on less than $2 a day, while nearly two-thirds live below the poverty line. Niger’s government has recently committed to help the economy by repairing the transportation infrastructure, improving water resources in the south, and developing a plan to improve the health-care system. The health status of Nigeriens, especially children, is cause for concern. Nearly half of all children under the age of five are underweight. UNICEF reports that child mortality rates in Niger are the fourth worst in the world: one child in four does not live to see his or her fifth birthday. In addition, proper sanitation is available to only four percent of the population in rural areas. Access to education is a particular problem for people in Niger, which has resulted in 71 percent of the population not knowing how to read or write. For primary school-age children, 36 percent of boys and only 25 percent of girls attend school. By the time children reach secondary school, only six percent attend and fewer than that actually finish. Many children, especially girls, stay home to take care of ailing family members or to work in the fields. Back to top World Vision’s history in NigerWorld Vision’s work in Niger began with drought relief efforts in August 1973. Additional emergency relief was provided from 1974 to 1976 to help irrigate and develop 10,000 acres of arid land in the Tara Valley. Niger’s military government during the 1980s deterred many relief agencies from providing assistance. World Vision established an office in Niger in 1994 and immediately began funding projects to improve the quality of life for Nigeriens.During the late 1990s, World Vision began a sponsorship program, making a tremendous impact on the health and well-being of Nigerien children. Over the course of six years, 15,000 children benefited from the regular medical care, educational opportunities, and developmental activities provided by child sponsorship. In 2002 World Vision constructed a multi-functional health center in an area of northern Niger where families often had to walk great distances to find health care. Equipped with beds, a refrigerator, medicines, and a freshwater well, the health center has offered services to more than 3,000 people in the last six years. In 2004 World Vision focused on improving the health of all Nigeriens by encouraging 600 children to distribute HIV and AIDS fact sheets across the capital city of Niamey as part of a Children’s AIDS Day campaign. Other World Vision projects have included drilling nine freshwater wells in five villages and constructing 126 latrines in 27 communities that significantly decreased the occurrences of waterborne illnesses. In response to the 2005 locust infestation, World Vision distributed 350 tons of cereal and seed stocks to men, women, and children. Back to top World Vision in Niger todayWorld Vision is committed to partnering with the people of Niger to enhance their lives today and to help enact sustainable solutions for the future of their communities, families, and children. Currently, 22,450 children are registered in the World Vision sponsorship program. Several times this number of children and other family members benefit from World Vision activities. Of these registered children, many have World Vision sponsors in other countries. U.S. donors sponsor 8,700 girls and boys. In addition, World Vision operates 10 development programs, four of which are supported by U.S. donors. Highlights of these efforts include the following:
Back to top *Note: People from Niger are called Nigeriens; this word is slightly different than Nigerians, which refers to people from Nigeria. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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