Job Skills for People in Niger

The new academic year started at DIMA in October. There are now 70 students enrolled at the main training center in Niamey (51 girls and 19 boys). We had hoped to start literacy training in October along with tailoring and leatherworking, but the instructor received a scholarship to study for a Ph.D overseas. Fortunately a new instructor has been hired and classes started in December.

 Six months of training have been completed in tailoring and leatherworking for 42 members of the Communaite des Handicapes Locomoteurs de la Commune Niamey II. There are 3 more months of training to be completed. A commercial sewing machine and a skiver for the leatherworking students had been purchased in the United States and have now been delivered to the students’ new workshop that was constructed by DIMA over the summer.

 In December, DIMA started a new class in tailoring for 30 women recuperating at the Centre National de Reference des Fisticules Obstetricales (CNRFO). This is a repeat of a project done in 2023. We saw how the first project transformed the participants’ lives and we are delighted that we have been able to raise enough funding to offer the training to the new group.

Also in December, DIMA staff visited the new weaving center in Lakatone that we built over the summer. We discussed plans with the villagers to operate a weaving school at the center.

 We continue to be excited by seeing the change that vocational training makes in peoples’ lives. We are grateful for your partnership in making this happen. Best Wishes for the New Year!