As I mentioned in the previous post, John
will be traveling to Niger in the upcoming weeks to visit the site of the
Farmers of the Future. Niger is one of the world's most challenging places to live, economically
speaking. But when it comes to reducing extreme poverty, Niger is a great place
for EPN to work. Here’s why.
Niger: Quick Facts
Population:
19,113,728 (2014 census)
Capital:
Niamey
Bordered by:
Nigeria, Chad, Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Libya (a pretty neighborhood these days)
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| The Great Mosque in Agadez, Niger |
Landmarks:
- Aïr mountains (a cooler region
with altitudes over 1800 meters)
- Ténéré desert (where
temperatures often exceed 122 F)
- The W National Park (home to
buffalo, hippo, lions, antelope, and elephants)
- The Great Mosque in Agadez
(mud-architecture with 27-meter minaret)
- Neolithic rock engravings –
some in museums, others left in remote areas
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| Ténéré desert - sand dune between Fachi and Bilma, Niger |
Languages:
French (official government language), and 5 main local languages: Hausa, Songhai,
Fula/Fulbe, Kanuri/Beri-Beri, Tamasheq/Tamajaq
Motto:
“Fraternité, Travail, Progrès” which means “Brotherhood, Work, Progress.”
Geography & Climate
Niger is the largest country in West Africa;
to give you a sense of its size, its area is just under two times that of
Texas. It has one of the hottest climates in the world, and as such has been
nicknamed “the frying pan of the world.” Over 80% of its land is covered by the
Sahara Desert, and only 0.02% of its area is covered by water.
People & Culture
Over 90% of the population is Sunni Muslim.
Some of the people are nomadic or semi-nomadic, following ancient grazing
routes.
Subsistence Farming
The vast majority of the population of
Niger survives by subsistence farming, which means that they only raise
enough animals and grow enough crops to meet the family's needs. Women
are often left for long periods of time while their husbands look for work in
town centers or graze the herds. In their absence, the women farm the land and care for
children and elderly relatives.
Cattle, sheep, and goats are the main herds that
graze the land, and millet, sorghum, and cow peas are important agriculturally.
But when the rains are poor, people really struggle. Rainfall has been decreasing over the last 50 years and severe
droughts have led to pronounced food shortages as recently as in 2005 and 2009. Agricultural experts are engineering crops that will grow quickly to take
advantage of what rains do fall.
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| The more fertile land in southern Niger, near the Niger River |
While most of the land is too dry to grow
crops, Niger’s southeast and southwest corners have more fertile soil. In the
southwest lies the Niger River Basin, which Niger shares with eight other countries.
The Niger River supports farmers, cattle grazers, and fishermen from all these
neighboring countries, and it is thus a very fragile region. In order to preserve
it, they have developed one of the world’s most progressive river management
systems: The Niger River Basin Authority, whose responsibility it is to ensure
that the Niger River’s resources are used judiciously and that it benefits
the local communities.
Farmers of the Future
Perhaps you remember reading about our EPN Hero,
Dov Pasternak? Dov lived in Niger for 10 years and has worked with thousands of rural farmers in the country. For all the challenges they face, Dov describes Nigeriens as some of the most kind-hearted people he has met anywhere in the world. And Dov has seen a lot of the world!
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| Farmers of the Future nurseries - Niger |
Dov is the father of the Farmers of
the Future project, and has developed a range of techniques to grow hardy vegetables even on severely degraded land. He’s helping
Nigeriens rethink agriculture, to view it as a business and not just a means of survival. Using irrigation to grow and sell high value vegetables, farmers generate significant profits which they can use to purchase essentials and raise their standard of living. John will be visiting Niger in March along with Dov and reporting back on the progress with the Farmers of the Future program.
