Hope reborn !
Fifteen-year-old Faiza Hassane lives in Guilladjé, a village located 119 kilometres from Dosso in Niger. Sponsored by World Vision, she recounts the difficulties her family faced before the programme arrived in their community. Before World Vision's intervention, she and her family were living in extreme poverty and lacked the essential resources needed 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 was a decisive turning point. Zeinabou joined the 'Wafakey 4' group and quickly became its president.
By saving 100 CFA francs every week, she was able to receive training in cassava processing, funded by the Technical Nutrition Project. 'One day, like a gift from heaven, World Vision came to our village with an approach called the "saving group". My mum joined one of these groups, called Wafakey 4, and even became its president,' Faiza continues.
Faiza's mother, Zeinabou, obtained a loan of 10,000 CFA francs through her group and began processing cassava into gari, tapioca and gum. Her commitment and perseverance paid off. World Vision then helped to strengthen her business by providing a modern processing kit, which enabled her to increase her production. 'Thanks to this training, my mother was able to borrow 10,000 CFA francs from her group to buy cassava and start processing it into gari, tapioca and gum. Her hard work and determination have paid off," says Faiza.
Today, Zeinabou is a successful and respected woman. She trains other women, participates in regional and national fairs, and, most importantly, has become financially independent. Thanks to her, we have regained hope. She can now provide for all our needs without depending on anyone. We eat well and dress well thanks to the opportunity that World Vision has given us. I'm so proud of my mum, who is fully committed to fighting for our well-being," says Faiza, smiling broadly.
“I thank World Vision and the Nutrition Project from the bottom of my heart for restoring my mum's confidence and transforming our lives,” she concludes.