Contributor: Haoua Sidibe

The women who call themselves "4H," whose names each begin with the letter "H." Their collective volunteer efforts have reached more than 2,500 Mercy Corps beneficiaries. Photo: Haoua Sidibé/ Mercy Corps

The name "4H" is really a pure coincidence: these four colleagues from the same Mercy Corps project in Niger are called Hadiza, Halima, Hadiara and Hadiza. They told me about their efforts to support hundreds of women in Niamey, as well as their desire to make changes amongst the most marginalised, yet motivated populations.

Through the Urban Economic Opportunities Extension Project, 4H support exactly 2,557 persons including 2,456 women. Their target group, usually comprised of women of very low education levels, includes household women, who have become small business entrepreneurs.

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In Niger, although women represent more than half of the population, they are victims of all kinds of discrimination. Despite their best efforts they mostly remain poor. The rural woman's workload is 16 to 18 hours each day — in agriculture, livestock, trade and handicrafts, not to mention work around the household and raising multiple children. Despite this, their work is not taken into consideration in official economic and labour statistics. Therefore, women's activities are not appreciated here!

“No development without education for all" and "No sustainable development without girls’ education" are local slogans that speak to the importance of women in Niger's economy and society. Yet, in the analysis of the figures, one realizes that 80 percent of girls from 7 to 12 years are not educated. Instead, they are inhibited by household tasks and most of them are forced to be married before maturity.

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Ibrahim Kalilou, a Community Health Worker in Tondibia Gorou village, treats a patient who lays on a mat on the floor. Photo: Haoua Sidibe/Mercy Corps

We traveled only five kilometers from Niamey, the capital of Niger, to where we met Mr. Ibrahim Kalilou, a Community Health Worker in Tondibia Gorou village. Although he likes his job, his face shows despair and fatigue, despite efforts made by Niger's Government and its development partners, which include Mercy Corps, to intervene in this village through Community Health and Income-Generating Activities programmes.

Through this programme, which started in early 2008 in 133 communities, Mercy Corps trains Community Health Workers who provide primary health care services within their communities. Together with Mercy Corps, they develop a community health monitoring system to identify and track high-risk cases. The Community Health Workers help residents increase their awareness and understanding of health risks and preventive measures for mitigating risks commonly associated with maternal/child health.

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My name is Haoua Sidibé, a political scientist with a special concern for women and development. I worked with national non-govermental organisations (NGOs) from 1999 to 2005. Then I was recruited to an international NGO during the terrible food crisis in Niger.

In 2007, I was recruited by Mercy Corps for the position of Nutrition Officer and Translator, since I speak both English and French. From that position during the food crisis, I was appointed to the position of Programme Manager in Niamey, Niger's capital, and I regularly visit our projects in the city and surrounding communities.

My task is to coordinate community health programmes and income-generating activities in Niamey by managing daily and monthly partnerships, communications and direct activities in the field.

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