CRS IN NIGER AN ovErviEW OF OUR worK OUR HISTORY IN NIGER Catholic Relief Services came to Niger in 1991. In 1996, with a growing portfolio of programs and increased funding, we established a full country program. Today we have approximately 165 national staff and seven international staff. Our head office is in Niamey, with suboffices in Maradi, Matameye and Mayahi. WHAT WE DO CRS employs an integrated approach to help poor and vulnerable people lead full and productive lives. We work throughout Niger to serve the poorest of the poor through better food security, agriculture, health, microfinance, education and emergency response. We implement programs in partnership with a variety of stakeholders, including government agencies, local organizations, research institutions, international NGOs and local Caritas partners. Our current work in Niger focuses on the following areas: • Food security, nutrition and agriculture Our emergency food-security efforts have targeted • Health vulnerable people in Tillabéri and Ouallam, including these • Emergency response and resilience community members from the Ouallam department of Niger. Caroline Anderson/CRS • Education AGRICULTURE We are strengthening agricultural value chains to help CURRENT PROGRAMS farmers improve their food security and increase their FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION incomes. CRS is targeting 15,000 millet, sorghum and We are using an integrated approach to improve food cowpea farmers in 150 villages across Dosso, Maradi security and nutrition in rural areas. CRS is targeting and Tahoua. The program will strengthen farmers’ more than 86,700 Nigerian households in 900 isolated capacity to produce, store, market and sell their villages. The program includes activities in nutrition, crops. The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa is maternal and child health, water and sanitation, providing US$864,000 to fund the project for the years agriculture, microfinance, and adult literacy. 2012–2015. USAID’s Food for Peace initiative is providing US$39.9 HEALTH million to fund the program for the years 2012–2017. HIV & AIDS - CRS works to serve the physical, social We are collaborating with a variety of local organizations, and spiritual needs of people with HIV and AIDS in including the Niger-based International Crops Research the Dosso region of Niger by providing medicine, Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, the Government supplementary food and housing repair materials. We of Niger’s technical extension services, the Abdou also work to put an end to HIV stigmatization in the Moumouni University of Niamey, Tufts University and region by training peer educators from high schools Caritas Développement Niger (CADEV), the local Caritas and hosting discussions about HIV and AIDS for local partner in Niger. religious and traditional leaders. NIGER CRS installed latrines, showers and hand-washing stations at Villagers from Dai Beri in Tillabéri dug these “half moons” several refugee sites near the Mali border. Mahaman Souradja/CRS as part of their land recuperation efforts. Kara Cherniga/CRS MALARIA - We are reducing malaria-related morbidity and mortality through better prevention and treatment. The program has trained more than 1,100 community health agents and conducted 16,300 home visits and sensitization sessions to increase peoples’ knowledge about Malaria. Children’s use of bed nets has increased from 55 percent to 63 percent, and pregnant women’s use of bed nets has increased from 48 percent to 71 percent. The Global Fund provided US$30 million to fund the project for the years 2008–2013. Our partners are CADEV, l’Organisation de Développement Durable, Organisation Nigérienne des Educateur Novateurs and Niger’s National Program for the Fight against Malaria. Safia Ousman, mother of seven, participates in this CRS is the lead organization. agroenterprise group, which receives support from CRS. Tahirou Gouro for CRS EMERGENCY RESPONSE We are providing emergency relief for the three crises RESILIENCE that Niger experienced in 2012: an influx of refugees We are strengthening the resilience of vulnerable from Mali, a food shortage and severe flooding. households that suffer from chronic food insecurity. Our emergency response team has provided essential Our program aims to improve income, nutrition and supplies and services to more than 1,500 refugee resilience by using voucher-for-work activities, cash-for- households that are living near the Mali border. The work activities and household gardens. CRS is targeting program has received approximately US $2.9 million vulnerable households in Tillabéri and Ouallam. from Trócaire, Sisters of Charity, Caritas Australia, Mary The first phase of the project received US$850,000 from Jane and Glenn Creamer, the O’Neill Foundation, CRS CRS private funds and Caritas Australia for late 2012 private funds, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and through early 2013. In March 2013, CRS was awarded the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, nearly US$1 million from the OFDA to continue activities Refugees and Migration. for another 12 months. In response to the food crisis, CRS provided food via vouchers to 3,500 households for three months in 2012, EDUCATION using funds from Caritas New Zealand, Caritas Australia and We are helping students in nomadic communities access the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, which totaled about US education. CRS is targeting more than 2,500 students— $568,000. CRS served another 7,000 households through especially girls—in the Bermo nomadic zone, which is US$1.5 million from the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster in the Maradi region of Niger. We’ve invested more than Assistance between February 2012 and January 2013. US$500,000 in private resources to fund the project since 2008. CADEV is helping with implementation. Catholic Relief Services For more information about our work in Niger, contact our office at: BP 871 Blvd. Mali Béro/Ave. Sultans, Niamey, Niger Country Representative: Bill Rastetter tel: +227 20 72 21 25 | [email protected] | www.crs.org/countries/niger .