Ouallam

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Ouallam's Community News

Thanks to the generous support of donors, we’re making great progress toward the well-being of children and their families. These are a few of the areas we focused on in the past year:

Located in northwest Niger, 100 km from the capital city of Niamey, the Ouallam community covers an area of just over 18,000 km2. 90% of the people are of Zarma ethnicity, with other ethnic groups such as Hausa, Touareg, Peul, and Arab comprising the remaining 10%.

Ouallam's climate is very dry, and temperatures can climb above 45℃ . Rainfall is scarce and irregular. The rainy season extends from June to September and the rest of the year is dry from October to May.

Niger experienced significant food crises in 2005, 2010, and 2012 due to insufficient rainfall. This has caused low food production and high food prices, resulting in families struggling to find disposable income to buy enough food to meet their daily needs.

Child Protection

1 spiritual leader partnered with World Vision Canada to bring positive changes in the lives of children and families
100 community members learned about child rights and protection issues to help ensure children's safety and participation
9 children were rescued from early marriage thanks to the child protection systems established by the community

Education

104 teachers learned child-friendly teaching methods to improve the quality of education for children
18 children received the resources they need to learn including school fees, supplies, books and uniforms
2,401 children are getting extra help to improve their reading and writing through camps and classes
440 children are participating in cultural and recreational clubs, learning new things and having fun
6 schools received classroom tools and resources to create a safer and stimulating learning environment for students

Health

1 health facility was improved with medical equipment and supplies to better care for children and families
10 health workers were trained to provide quality health services, especially for women and children
8,855 parents learned about common childhood illnesses and how to protect their children's health
998 children were vaccinated to protect them against preventable diseases

Livelihood

1,207 farmers received livestock, seeds or tools to improve productivity and help meet their family needs
158 savings groups are helping children and adults save money and access loans to grow businesses or cover basic expenses
3,177 people are part of savings groups, helping them meet their financial needs and access small loans
50 farmers learned techniques to improve crop and livestock production to better provide for their children and families

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

17 renovated water sources are providing access to safe water, protecting children against waterborne diseases
2,225 people learned about the importance of water safety, proper sanitation and hygiene to stay healthy
2,944 children have safe water for drinking and cooking thanks to improved water sources
26,760 people have safe water for drinking and cooking thanks to improved water sources
This community is partially free of open defecation, ensuring a more sanitary space for children and families

Results achieved from October 2017 to September 2018

Education
To ensure children can access and benefit from quality education, World Vision will assist the community to:

Provide opportunities for training to improve the quality of instruction and teachers skills.
Improve the school environment through the construction and improvement of school buildings.
Support schools with learning materials, supplies, and manuals.
Support informal education for adults and older children who dropped out of school.

Health Care
With the partnership of Canadian sponsors and the community, World Vision will work to:

Improve access to primary health facilities in order to receive care.
Train mothers in techniques to alleviate malnutrition, as well as in appropriate cooking techniques to provide nutrient-dense meals.
Teach parents about the importance of immunization for their children.

Food
To ensure parents in Ouallam can provide for their families, World Vision will partner with the community to:

Improve local agricultural production by supporting farmers with seeds and farming materials. Introduce modern agricultural techniques.
Create and support community grain banks to safety store grain.
Provide households with livestock and access to animal health care.
Support women's groups with irrigated vegetable gardens to grow vegetables and fruit during the dry season.

Water and Sanitation
In partnership with families and sponsors, World Vision will work with the community to:

Ensure the availability and accessibility of potable water for households.
Teach mothers about how to prevent and treat waterborne diseases like diarrhea through improved hygiene and sanitation practices.

15.0% of children were underweight according to their age, as a result of malnutrition in 2017 decreasing from 22.0% in 2014.

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Explore Ouallam

current conditions

To protect the privacy of children, this map shows only the general area of the community, not the exact location.

The needs in Ouallam

Sponsor a child in Niger

Education
Children in Ouallam face many challenges that prevent them from receiving a quality education. There is a lack of educational infrastructure, such as schools and literacy centres. Of the children attending school, there is a high dropout rate, and adults also suffer from a high illiteracy rate. Families can't afford to pay for school supplies for their children, and teachers are often not well trained.

Health Care
Children in Ouallam suffer from malnutrition, and mothers are often not aware of the need for exclusive breastfeeding in children under six months old. There is also a lack of training in how to cook food that is high in nutrition to encourage a diverse diet. In addition, there is limited access to health facilities in the community, and due to high levels of migration, the risk of HIV and AIDS is much higher.

Food
There is an insufficient amount of gardens in the area for growing food during the dry season, due in large part to a lack of water irrigation. Farmers are lacking improved seeds and there are not enough grain banks to safely store harvested grain. People also do not have access to credit to engage in additional income-generating activities.

Water and Sanitation
In spite of the many efforts made by the government to ensure better living conditions, access to social services is limited in Ouallam. There is restricted access to drinking water to meet the needs of the population, which in turn has serious consequences to people's health. Drinking unsafe water leads to children contracting waterborne diseases, such as diarrhea.

Life cycle of a sponsorship community

Ouallam, is in Phase 2

PHASE 2: Evaluate and grow

We monitor progress and make adjustments to meet goals. More community members become involved, lead projects and gain ownership of their success.