Empowering community members to maximise their potential: Moustapha's transformation story

For many years, World Vision has been working in Niger –including Maradi region where various activities have been carried out– to help improve the well-being of children and families. In that sense, World Vision has organised community-level trainings in its Empowered Worldview approach; a Bible-based programme that aims to help farmers adopt new attitudes and behaviours that break dependency on aid and maximise their resources to create sustainable economic development. 

Such trainings have helped community members like Moustapha Kassoum Aboubacar to understand how they can exploit all the resources which are available to them in order to be in ideal living conditions. Above all, they learnt that their fulfilment is the will of God. Here's Moustapha's story...

Thirty-four-year-old Moustapha is a husband, and a father to one child. He has been a community volunteer in World Vision's Gobir Yamma Area Programme since 2006."In 2016, I studied at Maradi breeding school where I got my veterinary degree. For three years I did not look for a job despite the fact that I could benefit from my veterinary skills. My community volunteer premium which was my only income was not enough to take care of my family. My wife was eating poorly while she was still breastfeeding our child." he recalls.

He continues: "When I received the Empowered Worldview training, I realised that I had a lot of opportunities that I wasn't taking advantage of. Later, When I got home I decided to value my degree. I contacted the communal livestock service of Guidan Sori in Maradi region, and I have been hired. Since that time I am in charge of the curative and preventive treatment of animals. I am the one who does meat inspection, the monitoring of livestock market (number of animals brought and sold to the market) and the monitoring of livestock prices by category."

Now that Moustapha is putting his knowledge and skills into practice, he has not only improved his competencies,  but has also created good relationships with other breeders and veterinary professionals in the region. "It’s not only a great opportunity for me to learn more my job but also to have a higher position in the future. And thanks to this work I take good care of my family; we have a quality and balanced diet, my wife uses meat when preparing our sauce, which was impossible before." he proudly shares.

He concludes: "Now I even offer small gifts to my wife and it makes her very happy! As for my volunteer premium, I no longer need to spend it; I have created an account at the bank where I save it. I thank World Vision, which helped me to realise that I could exploit this potential."