At a glance: Niger

Real lives

Traditional Chiefs from Niger and Nigeria join together to fight polio
18 April 2004__Fifty-two Traditional Chiefs from Niger and 32 traditional chiefs from Nigeria participated in the first-ever, UNICEF Niger-led, 'Cross-Border Meeting of Nigerien & Nigerian Traditional Chiefs on Polio Eradication' in Maradi, Niger.

More school girls needed in Nigerien classrooms
Azel, a sun-scorched community of 2,800 people, lies on the southern border of the Sahara. Its school, built in 1956, is one of the oldest and most important in the region. Raicha is a fifth-grade pupil there. "I wanted to go to school to learn French and to help my parents," said the soft-spoken school girl.

Princess Mathilde’s visit to Niger raises awareness of gender issues
On 19 February, 2004, Her Royal Highness (HRH), Princess Mathilde of Belgium, completed her five-day working visit to Niger.

Starting new traditions in infant nutrition
Babies are getting a healthier start in life at the 17 Portes Maternity Hospital in Maradi, Niger.

Preventing early marriage in Niger and Benin
“We, the girls of this region, ask our parents to not give us in marriage at an early age and to not arrange marriages for us.” This bold statement, made by 14-year-old Sahanatou Abdou, was met with a deathly silence from the assembled audience of elders and peers in a village in Niger.