Tales of hope from Niger

For the past week, Joanne Thomas, Caritas Australia's Program Coordinator for the Humanitarian Emergency Group, has been in Niger visiting some of the people and aid programs Caritas has been supporting through our Africa emergency appeal. Meeting with a diverse range of program participants and sharing personal stories of success, Jo has seen first-hand the positive changes being made in the world's poorest country. Here, she shares her latest photos and experiences from her field visits:

Listening to reps from all members of the community, including a sultan, mayor, district chiefs, people with disabilities, married women, men, girls and boys has meant that we have been conversing in Housa, Zarma and French to hear everyone’s opinion. It’s been a wonderful week with so many very rich experiences. The best news I have received is that all members of the communities we met with have said the aid came in time and they really appreciated the activities chosen. The activities include sanitation and land resource management - e.g. keeping streets clean with sweeping activities; sand dune fixation; cleaning up land of enormous waste deposits; protecting communities' access to land by liasing with the Dept of Environment to ensure safe access for women and children to communal public facilities.

It’s my last day in Niger, and here’s just a few more pics from 2 different field sites I’ve visited over the past few days.


Over the past 40 years, this lady has lived through 5 droughts in Niger. She said Caritas' aid came in time in 2010 and prevented the recurrence of the worst of the 1968 drought where there was no food anywhere

More women in Dosso share very positive feedback about the impact that Caritas' cash for work program has had on their lives during the food crisis



Village women take care of a 2 day old newborn inside the family hut built near the sand dune fixation fields.  



Meeting the Sultan of Dosso, who expressed a high regard for the respect of traditional cultural life 



 To learn more or donate to our Africa appeal, please visit the Caritas Australia website >>