PROJECTS

Supplementary Feeding Program

After a poor harvest and locust infestation spiked malnutrition rates in 2005, Samaritan's Purse implemented feeding programs in 16 communities in the country's northern Tillabery region. That year, 20 percent of the country's children experienced moderate to acute malnutrition. We have worked closely with the Nigerien Ministry of Health to identify children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years who are severely malnourished. We are currently working toward transitioning these activities over to local health authorities.

Livestock Project
Samaritan's Purse provides vulnerable women with goats, sheep, or cattle to alleviate poverty and reduce malnutrition. Each woman receives three female goats or sheep and one male and cares for them until all females have given birth. At that time, the woman is allowed to keep the young and passes the original animal on to another woman in the program. Goats and sheep routinely give birth to twins, so within six months, each woman can take away as many as six animals. Women also receive one rooster and 10 hens. The chickens provide income necessary to meet basic daily needs without depleting their herds of goats and sheep. A group of the most vulnerable women in the community receive one bull and 10 cows. Women enrolled in the program are also required to attend training sessions on modern herding techniques, animal healthcare, animal fattening, cheese making, and small business management.

Household Water Project
Samaritan's Purse continues to install bio sand filters—a household water treatment system—to make clean drinking water available to nine villages in the northern Tillabery region. The filters are made of concrete, gravel, and sand and greatly reduce the spread of waterborne illness. Each filter recipient must attend educational sessions on hygiene and sanitation and how to properly use and maintain the filter.

Latrine Project
Proper latrine construction greatly reduces the spread of diseases that contribute to malnutrition. In the community of Soumatt, Samaritan's Purse not only builds latrines, but also provides educational sessions about the importance of sanitation. In 2009, two other communities will benefit from latrine construction and sanitation education.

Ministry Outreach
We continue to provide training in evangelism, community development theory, and small business management to dedicated Nigerien church members who are willing to reach out to neighboring communities. We have partnered with three churches and have placed three couples in previously unreached villages. Samaritan's Purse has provided these couples with small loans to start businesses that will help support their outreach efforts.

Child Survival Program
Niger is considered the most dangerous place in the world to be a mother or child. The majority of women and children do not have access to proper healthcare and lack basic knowledge about disease prevention and proper nutrition. Samaritan's Purse is partnering with the Nigerien Ministry of Health to provide education, parasite treatment, mosquito nets, and other basic preventive measures to reduce child mortality and sickness. More than 45,000 women will benefit from this program in a three year period.