Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Alert: a school is closing in the Azawak Valley

The school of Fak has closed its doors for the school year 2006.
This year, 25 children will not have access to basic education.

Fak's well is located 40 km east of Abalak, in the region of Tahoua. About 200 families of nomadic cattle breeders live around this well.
The opening of the school in 2004 gave access to asic education to several nomadic children.

The way of life of the nomadic cattle breeders takes them away from the well a little more everyday, as they look for pasture for their animals. Sending the children to school would then mean sending them by foot everyday, several kilometers away from their families.
In these conditions, the children can only attend school if the State of Niger provides for them, feeding them and lodging them on premises.

At the start of the 2006 school year, the 25 students of Fak, ages 7 to 10, were present in the school facilities. However this year, they were not provided for: the school canteen had been closed. One after the other, the children had to leave the school to go back to their families.

Today the school at Fak is closed, depriving 25 children of their right to education.

NGO Tagaste recognized by the government of Niger

Since February 26, 2006, NGO Tagaste figures in the official journal of the Republic of Niger.
It means that Tagaste is now authorized to exercise its activities for a 4-year period.

We would like to thank the generous donors who have helped us obtain our status of official Non Governmental Organization.

NGO TAGASTE - Who are we?




NGO TAGASTE is a Nigerien non-profit organization,working in the field of grassroots development.




The NGO's goal is to contribute to the economical, social and cultural development of Niger, focusing especially on the Azawak region.



The Azawak is a sub-sahelian region with a semi arid climate, located between the Aïr moutains and the agricultural zones in the South of the country.
It extends from the North-West of Niger to the North of Mali.
In Niger, the azawak covers the counties of Tchin-Tabaraden, Abalak and In-Gall.

The region is inhabited mostly by nomadic Tuaregs and Fulanis who practice essentially susbsistance stockbreeding.

Since 1974, cyclical droughts are plaguing the region, weakening the situation of the stockbreeders.
Access to water, the rarity of cereals and the degradation of the environment are the principal preoccupations of the population.

The NGO's activities are essentially oriented towards:

1. the promotion of the agro-pastoral sector,
2. the development of the educational sector in the nomadic zone,
3. the creation of revenue-generating activities for women's groups,
4. the creation and rehabilitation of wells.

Contact:
ongtagaste@yahoo.fr

Tel: 00-227-96-57-90-73

00-227-94-24-32-90