Hope reborn !

Faiza Hassane, 15, lives in the village of Guilladjé, 119 kilometers from Dosso, Niger. A child sponsored by World Vision, she recounts with emotion the difficulties her family faced before the program arrived in their community. Before World Vision intervened in her community, she and her family lived in extreme poverty, lacking essential resources to meet their daily needs.

"I come from a very modest family. My father is a farmer and my mother, Zeinabou, is a housewife. She had no income and depended entirely on my father, whose harvests, based on rain-fed agriculture, were becoming increasingly uncertain due to climate change. We lacked everything: food, medical care, school supplies... Life was so hard that my father often had to ask his brother in Niamey for help," says Faiza, her face tinged with sadness.

But all that changed thanks to World Vision's intervention. The introduction of community savings groups marked a decisive turning point. Zeinabou joined the "Wafakey 4" group, and soon became its president. By saving 100 F CFA every week, she was able to benefit from training in cassava processing, financed by the Technical Nutrition Project. "One day, like a gift from heaven, World Vision came to our village with an approach called "saving group". My mom joined one of these groups, called Wafakey 4, and even became its president," continues Faiza.

With a loan of 10,000 CFA francs obtained through her group, Faiza's mother Zeinabou began processing cassava into gari, tapioca and gum. Her commitment and perseverance paid off. World Vision then strengthened her business by providing a modern processing kit, enabling her to increase her production. "Thanks to this training, my mother was able to borrow 10,000 F CFA from her group to buy cassava and start a business processing cassava into gari, tapioca and gum. Her hard work and determination have paid off," says Faiza.

Today, Zeinabou is an accomplished and respected woman. She trains other women, participates in regional and national fairs, and above all, has become financially independent. "Thanks to her, we've regained hope. She can now provide for all our needs without depending on anyone. We eat well and dress well thanks to the opportunity World Vision has given us. I'm so proud of my mom, who is fully committed and fights for our well-being," says Faiza with a beaming smile.

“I thank World Vision and the Nutrition Project from the bottom of my heart for restoring my mom's confidence and transforming our lives,” she concludes.

• #WomenEmpowerment
• #CassavaTransformation
• #SavingGroups
• #WorldVisionNiger
• #WorldVisionWestAfrica
• #EconomicAutonomy
• #Nutrition

https://storyhub.wvi.org/Share/7jqf1e1l1c5872e6f5k183mtsxpae7s8