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Niger

Second chance schools

© Tagaza Djibo

Between 2017 and 2020

914

children and young people received quality primary education

440

students went on to further education or vocational training

12

teachers have been trained in active teaching methods

The country issues

In Niger, four out of ten girls and three out out of ten boys do not go to school. Most of the children and teenagers evolve in poor and vulnerable communities: abuse, exploitation and violence are often part of their daily lives. The teenagers and yougsters, in particular girls, have to face constraints : 76% of them are married before 18. 36% of teenagers aged from 15 to 19 years old have already given birth or are pregnant and 26,9%, only, are literate against 50, 2% of boys the same age.

Offer a second chance to out-of-school children

The « Second chance schools » supported by Enfants du Monde, in close collaboration with the Nigerian Organisation of Innovative Educators (ONEN), are aimed to contribute to improve the education access and quality in Niger. They are intended to children from 9 to 13 years old who have never been to school or have dropped out of school too early, in poor districts of the capital Niamey (until 2021) as well as in Tahoua regions (until 2018) and Tillabéry.

What makes us different

We train the teachers to teach both in French, the official language of the country, and in the local mother tongue of the pupils so that they learn more easily.

  • The educational content is adapted to the realities and needs of the children.
  • The children also take practical classes, such as sewing or agriculture.
  • Students in second-chance schools do better than students in state schools.
© Tagaza Djibo

Mariama, 11 years old, schoolgirl in Niger

I have spent two years doing domestic housework and fetching water from the river. In the first school I have been to, they would only teach us in French. But here, when I do not understand in French, the teacher can explain in Zarma.

Improve the teaching quality

Many factors affect the teaching quality in Niger: the teachers often merely have a partial mastery of subjects to teach and weak teaching skills; the teaching methods are based on memorisation and mechanical repetition of knowledge; the concerns of the community and local specificities are not considered in teaching which makes it irrelevant for children, parents, and the community.

As part of our education programme in Niger, teachers undertake a thorough pedagogical training which enables them to improve their lessons quality. Annual exams are being implemented to assess their progression and our team specialists accompany them in the development of innovative teaching materials.

Schooling for girls

A special attention is paid to girls’ enrolment in schools: 50% of our schools’ students are girls. Their parents sign a written commitment to keep their daughters in school for 4 years to avoid early marriages during their schooling.
In 2010, a journalist from the Ensemble TV show, broadcast on the Radio Télévision Suisse, went to meet Zeimabou, then aged 13 years and a student from one of the Second Chance school in Niamey. Watch the video in French below:

Protecting students and teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic

In 2020 and 2021, we have closely collaborated with our local partners to provide effective support to the Ministry of Education in its national response to the epidemic: Protection kits for students, containing hand washing devices, soaps, soft fabric masks and hydroalcoholic gel, were distributed in Second chance schools that we support to enable children to safely go to school.

Contact our team

In Switzerland
Sébastien Blat, Sahel Program Manager
info@edm.ch

Financial partners

Local partners

©Tagaza Djibo/Enfants du Monde

My donation makes a difference

For example:

With 70 francs:

I am donating a bilingual textbook in French and Mooré (the local language) to 8 children in Burkina Faso to help them make better progress at school.

With 140 francs:

I am helping 250 pregnant women in Bangladesh to prepare for the birth of their baby and the risks associated with childbirth.

With 200 francs:

I am funding in-service training in bilingual education for 10 teachers in Guatemala to improve the quality of their lessons.

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