Niger in 2019

Providing education, enabling freedom

Like in Mauritania, traditional slavery – when people are born into slavery because their ancestors ‘belong’ to slave-owning families – is still widespread in Niger.

For over ten years, we’ve partnered with a local organisation to establish dedicated hubs to support communities escaping slavery.

The hubs are centred around schools providing primary education for the first time for these communities and also provide vocational training and micro-loans. Pupils obtain some of the highest pass rates in the country, with the highest proportion of girls at school.

What’s more, the influence of our project communities’ is spreading to neighbouring areas. In 2019 alone, the Government estimated that 5,735 people left their masters and established four independent communities.

Fati: story of freedom

One of the people we supported in Niger is Fati. Two of her three daughters go to school. “I received two goats and one ewe. I sold their cubs to set up a small business in the new marketplace in my community. I am very hopeful this will enable me to provide for my daughters. I know that little by little, Fati at her market stall. I will have my own shop, I have a lot of hope.”