Niger (generally pronounced “nee-JAIR”) is a land of great challenge. Land locked, and with less than 12% arable land, the country suffers from environmental degradation and periodic drought which lead to food shortages. The Sahara desert covers more than half of the northern part of the country. Most of the rest lies within the Sahel, where cultivation is only possible during the three to four months of rainy season. The infant mortality rate is high, the literacy rate low. The United Nations rates Niger at the bottom of its Human Development Index (2006). Yet, Niger is also a land of opportunity. The country is relatively stable and safe. The population is diverse.
CRWRC began to work in Niger in 1992. Balancing what is good for sustainable development with a Christian calling to be compassionate is not easy here. The number of Christian groups from which CRWRC Niger can select partners is small. Partners are at completely different capacity levels, but each one is improving its ability to manage its own development programs. CRWM (the CRC’s missions agency) joined CRWRC-Niger in 2005 to jointly pursue church development alongside the community development efforts of the local partners.
Fast Facts
Population: 15,306,252 (July 2009 est.)
Area Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Literacy rate: 28.7%
Life expectancy: 52.6 years
Population below poverty line: 63%
Gross Domestic Product per capita: $700 (2008 est.)
Languages: French (official), Hausa, Djerma
(From the World Factbook. Click here for more information on Niger.)
Notes:
Other local languages include Tamashek (Tuareg), Fulfude, Gourmanche, and Kanuri
Partners
Christian Evangelical Assembly of Niger (ACEN)
The Gourmanche speaking people of the southwest are one of the few ethnic groups with a significant number of Christians. Due to their minority status, this region is being ignored by local authorities leading to a lack of public services such as schooling, health, agriculture extension work and roads. CRWRC has a partnership with ACEN (Assembly of Evangelical Churches of Niger) in the Gourmanche area. ACEN is an association of ten tiny churches, wanting to extend the love of Christ through evangelism and community development. ACEN's board members have little formal education, so basic organizational functions have been a growth area for them. With CRWRC’s support, ACEN has helped communities start community development groups and carry out activities to increase literacy, improve health, and increase family income. In addition, ACEN works with community churches and church leaders to strengthen their ministry. In 2005, ACEN started a church leadership training program in order to equip both pastors and church members for ministry.
West Africa Francophone Civic Education Project (Civic Ed)
This is a regional effort to build the capacity of CRWRC's partners in Francophone West Africa in the area of civic education and social justice. Through a series of days of reflection, workshops and e-mail communication, partners are supporting each other's efforts to prepare learning materials and survey, planning, monitoring and evaluation tools. The partnership relationships developed in the process may or may not eventually develop into a more formal structure.
Salama Evangelical Church of Peace of Niger (Salama)
In December, 2005, the Evangelical Church of Peace of Niger (EESN-Salama) was approved as a full partner of the Christian Reformed Church of North America. "Salama" is the Hausa word for "peace." The Salama church is made up of one small congregation in Niamey and three small congregations and four evangelism stations scattered throughout central and western Niger among Hausa-speaking populations. Salama also has an agreement with the Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria, which has sent two evangelists to Niger. In rural areas, Salama has helped villages develop grain banks to give families access to food during lean times. Much of Salama's work, however, takes place among the poor in the urban neighborhoods of Niamey, Niger's capital. Through savings and credit groups Salama is reaching out to its urban neighbors and helping poor families generate more income.