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SPRING 2015        
RAIN  NEWS 
Agadez Learning Center Thriving in 2nd Year

For the first time, remote northern communities of Niger are seeing a new generation of students going further in their education than ever before. At RAIN's Agadez Learning Center, 6th grade graduates have begun their studies at the local middle school while living in the safe and supportive ALC environment. RAIN provides scholarships, room and board, tutoring and mentoring to students who have never seen a city before. These Tuareg and Wodaabe youth, aged 12 - 16, all excelled in grammar school, but find themselves lagging behind their city-educated classmates. All are motivated to better their lives and give back to their communities as they start their journey of becoming active and educated citizens of Niger.

This year, we've constructed a kitchen to replace the outdoor cooking area. Leonard Seagren of New Castle, NH has been on the ground in Agadez, overseeing the expansion of the girls' dormitory with funding from the Portsmouth, NH Rotary Club. In addition to greatly improving the space for the 11 female dorm residents, Leonard is teaching carpentry skills to all the students. A retired pilot, he's  been showered with questions from the girls and boys, who had never even seen a plane until coming to Agadez.

Up next: construction of a solar-powered computer lab, where ALC students will have their first experiences using a computer. Schools in Niger don't have computers; we're eager to see the students connect to the wider world of cyberspace, as well as the world of spreadsheets, word processing and creativity. 

RAIN is grateful for the support of the Hurlbut-Johnson Trusts, Geoffrey Clark and Martha Fuller Clark, Leonard Seagren and the Portsmouth Rotary Club for making these improvements possible; and to John and Lee Lamson, Friends of Niger, Kimberly Vogel and Dr. Anders Seim for providing full scholarships for 14 students.

This year, RAIN welcomed 13 new 7th and 10th grade students to the ALC from the remote Ingal and Air Mountain communities, where access to secondary education is lacking.



Promotion Name
 Halima Grade 7
"When I came to Agadez, I found the city very tight. All the houses were so close together with so many people. There is no fresh air in the city. I like the after school courses a lot. They explain much more to us [than in class]. We can ask questions. We can use the classrooms at night to study because we have light. I like that Hawa comes to cook for us. We have more time to study."
Promotion Name
Nouadi Grade 7
"I like to live with the other girls in the room. I have made new friends. I didn't know any of the Tuareg girls. Now, we tell stories with each other and laugh. We help each other with our school work. When I grow up I would like to be a nurse to care for the sick people in my village."
Promotion Name
  
Mahmoud and Ghoumar    Grade 7

"When we first came to the city we saw so many cars. It was so busy, with so many roads. It's confusing. We have beds, a mattress, and a mosquito net. We have new friends now. The older boys help us with our French. We all play ball together. We can also study at night because we have light. We enjoy familiar foods like rice and beans, millet and milk. Our favorites are the peanut butter sauce and the Sunday meat and bread. Our after school teachers help to prepare us for class. Sometimes we learn things before our lesson the next day, so that we will understand it better in class. Other times they help with what we learned that day."
Leonard with students and
Program Director Brian Nowak

 
Leonard leads a carpentry workshop



 
In March, Leonard Seagren traveled to Agadez to lend a hand with
the learning center expansion efforts with help from the Rotary Club.
The following is an excerpt from his field journal.


"We can all find the Sahara Desert on a map of the world. Some of us can even describe the feeling of the desert - but very few can describe the power of that feeling. There are people who eat, sleep and raise families within this glorious environment. Like us, each of them has a dream and a plan. We are all connected to each other. We are all neighbors. On my second trip to the Sahara I discovered sand in my blood. Beware, it's contagious! As you connect with the nomads who call the desert their home, you feel their happiness and appreciation - inspiring you to continue your efforts - and this support is oh, so important!

The RAIN Learning Center is a powerful resource. The kids are exposed to the "three R's" in the public school; then they're encouraged and required to apply those skills at the center. Above their basic needs, the students are also provided with the ever so important social skills. RAIN is providing the rare opportunity to expand their dreams and plans. The RAIN mission is simple and under constant evolution. Be ready to leave your heart. The sand in your blood begins to feel very good."
Rain for the Sahel and Sahara  forges partnerships with underserved 
rural & nomadic desert peoples of West Africa 
 to realize their ambitions for education & enduring livelihoods.