Concern Blogs

The desert of Niger from the air, tiny clusters mark out the villages beneath

I am en route to Niamey, Niger’s capital city, and from there I will continue on to the Tahoua region, where Concern works. I am travelling to help set up a new five-year Child Survival program that we are undertaking in collaboration with the government of Niger. The program will deliver child health and nutrition services in a rural area.

As I embark on this long journey to Niamey (via Casablanca on a Royal Air Morocco flight), I take stock of this land from the air. Niger is the largest country in West Africa, and it is—for all intents and purposes—absolutely dark right now. Shafts of moonlight reflect on the Niger River as it winds its way through the desert. The occasional cluster of lights below marks the outline of small villages in the dark.

On the ground, Niger looks much like Somalia, but perhaps with more color. The attire of the local people is bright and brilliant.

Due to security risk, we travel between by plane between Niamey and Tahoua instead of making the journey by truck via a long and dusty road, which would have taken hours and left us dangerously exposed in a region of chronic civil unrest.

The Niger River

On arrival, I observe that by contrast, the remote region of Tahoua is a very relaxed place. Here time meets simplicity and slows down—the sounds of geckos and mosquitoes are the only noises amidst the silence.

Malaria and pneumonia are key childhood diseases in Niger. This represents needless suffering, which is preventable, and which we hope to remedy with this program.  Concern’s new program, which I am here to help launch, aims to reach children and their families in 100 communities.

The situation is grim, rains have not come, animals are thin and weak, and drought is ubiquitous. As I knuckle down to get some work done, I know that Concern can offer a lifeline to the people living here, by offering help to combat the diseases that are common in their country.