The UN’s Education Index ranks Niger last – 187th of 187 countries.
Niger has one of the fastest growing populations in the world and a landscape that has resulted in significant geographic gaps in school coverage. Over 50% of all Nigerien youth ages 7-16 do not attend school. The reality for RAIN’s target demographics is even more severe – only 15% of rural students attend middle school and with just 9% of girls completing primary school, far fewer of them continue onto middle school.
Education is the most powerful tool to counteract Niger’s high rates of population growth, malnutrition, and illiteracy, all of which trap entire families in poverty. Children who stay in school have more options when they graduate, bear fewer children, make better decisions regarding their children’s well-being, and are more likely to enroll their own children in school.
We focus on strengthening the education pipeline for youth, particularly girls, at-risk of dropping out of school to ensure that they are given meaningful opportunities for mobility. We believe education empowers individuals to be active agents in their own futures.
