Help 80 Secondary Pupils in Niger Read and Write

Reading and Writing Skills count, but not only . . . ! 

The Hampaté Bà School in Niamey has worked over the years on meeting the challenge to improve the quality of education to underprivileged students entering Middle School and thus to reduce the dropout rate. Happily, the tutoring program of our non-profit has been largely successful in helping to achieve these aims.
Although learning such basic skills as reading, writing, and arithmetics through remediation classes is certainly important, the school’s vision is also based on the guiding principles of human dignity and respect for others. Spreading a culture of tolerance and inclusivity is also important and very much in line with the philosophy of the school’s namesake, Amadou Hampaté Bâ, the well-known writer, historian, ethnographer, poet and story teller.

Unity in Diversity

A vivid image In Amadou Hampaté Bâ’s own words

“Much as a carpet’s beauty depends on the variety of its colours, the diversity of humans, cultures and civilisations makes the world beautiful and rich.”

The Hampaté Bâ School teaches students cardinal virtues such as open-mindedness, patience, tolerance and humility. Instead of our differences separating us from others, they will become sources of complementarity and mutual enrichment.

Celebrating Cultural Diversity Day

In December 2023, some faculty members as well as some alumni of Hampaté Bâ School, including scholarship students now in higher studies, organised a “Cultural Day” to celebrate diversity and to help promote exchange, understanding and respect for traditions and beliefs of different ethnic groups in Niger. This type of celebration can help students learn about the experiences, histories, and contributions of different groups and increase awareness of their diversity, symbol of tolerance and unity.

A Striking Mix of Ethnic Groups and Awards

The event showcased a variety of ethnic groups including Hausa , Djerma, Tuareg, Kanuri, and Peul. Cultural performances by the students infused with folk music, traditional dress and theatre sketches, captivated the audience with unique performances that combined elements with different customs.. During the festival, the organisers gave out gifts to each student who participated ( a novel by Amadou Hampaté Bâ as well as notebooks and pens) in hopes of motivating them to study and encouraging them to follow in the steps of the successful alumni who were present.

A Myriad of colorful activities and Representations

•  Many students, including our scholarship girls, represented customs of their ethnic group by wearing traditional dress and adding lines on their faces, making it easy to identify from which ethnic group they originated.
• Other scholarship girls presented a traditional danse from the Djerma ethnic group, which was accompanied by lively music 
• Yet another scholarship student was part of a theatre play raising awareness of the disadvantages of early marriage , with the strong message of advice for young girls to stay in school and study before thinking of getting married.

What are the Advantages of Cultural Celebrations?
Deeper Awareness of Unity in Diversity

Cultural celebrations are not only joyful, but foster respect and open-mindedness for other cultures. Celebrating our differences, as well as our common interests, helps unite and educate us. To understand other's perspectives, to broaden our own, and to fully experience and educate ourselves.

Expanding Knowledge

Hampaté Bâ School is proud to be home to many different ethnic groups who study harmoniously in a rich and culturally diverse environment. This initiative aims to promote a dialogue between cultures and engage the Hampaté Bâ community in learning more about other traditions and values to expand their knowledge of the world.

Add something extraordinary to what is ordinary

We can never get tired of the lessons learned from the great humanist, Amadou Hampaté Bâ :  the happiness to discover new things and to add something extraordinary to what is ordinary.
We want to help our students make a difference in the world. We want to teach students to think critically, be creative and become innovators, and to work collaboratively. What enterprises require from students isn’t just raw knowledge, but skills and competencies.
The challenge comes in determining what a high-quality education looks like beyond the fundamental skills of reading and writing.
What will students need to succeed as learners, workers, and citizens in today’s global knowledge economy ? Now that we are so much closer to the goal of universal education for all children, we must begin to consider the quality of education over its simple existence.

An exciting time for young people because of the opportunities that are opened up in the field of knowledge and communication between people… Be the change ! Thank you for your donations which allow our underprivileged students in Niger to evolve through quality education. With your help, we can do it !

SWEET SUCCESS ! BUSY AS BEES ! 

We are delighted to announce to you that this summer has been filled with many success stories and we couldn’t be happier !  The magnificent results of our scholarship students at all levels were made possible due to the continuous support that we give them both financially and motivationally, as well as the students’ incessant efforts and determination to fulfil their aspirations.   

It was a good summer indeed !

Such amazing news and the excellent results kept rolling in!

Even though there are too many accomplishments to name them all, Take a look at some of the results at all levels  :

At Middle school level  :

• 100% success rate for BEPC (Brevet) diploma

At High School level :

• 100% success rate for Literary BAC and BAC PRO diploma

At Vocational institutions:(nurses, technology, business)

• 100% validated 2022-23 and were admitted to next level
• 75% received BTS Diploma

At Higher educational level : (Universities)

• 100% validated 2022-23 and were admitted to next level
• Telecommunication, Marketing, Private Law

Bachelor’s Degrees received in :

• Banking, Human Resources, Communication, Business Administration

Masters Degrees received in :

• Finance, Business Administration, Humanitarian Law, Obstetrician

WHAT’s BEHIND ALL THESE DIPLOMAS ?

There is one big common denominator between all these students: they are all Scholarship students supported currently or in the past by our charity.  They all got their basics from Hampaté Bâ Secondary School. Also, they are all students from economically low income families who could not afford to pay for their children’s secondary school education without our help. And last but not least, the majority of these students had an extremely weak level and were struggling in reading and writing skills when they were admitted to Hampaté Bâ School in 6th grade. The reading and writing program at Hampaté Bâ was designed to motivate them, to re-enforce them, to give them confidence, and to  bring them up to par through expert tutoring and regular after-school remediation classes. And the proof is there. It worked !

 Sure, these students are all happy to get diplomas. But not only !  They are all aware that they have gained precious skills along the way. Increasing students’ proficiency in reading and writing as well as their knowledge of computer skills is a big part of education at Hampaté Bâ. The Impact of Hampaté Bâ’s quality education is visibly more and more well show-cased.

MOVING ON : the Case of Ibrahim and his Master’s Degree

As a point of interest, in Niger, in order to receive a Bachelor’s Degree or a Master’s Degree, each student must complete an internship of several months and then submit a lengthy and consistent report of at least 30 pages, as well as give a consequential oral Defense of the Graduation Thesis in front of a knowledgeable jury. 

This was the case of Ibrahim this summer after 11 years of dedicated studies (7 years at Hampaté Bâ and 4 years at university .) He needed to fulfil the necessary requirements given by the university he was attending to qualify for his Master’s Degree in Finance. Easier said than done.

Even though Ibrahim had a good comprehension of math, accounting and finance, in order to conclude adequately the writing of 30 pages, comprehension alone was not enough. This is where his writing skills came into play.  He needed strong  writing capacities, which he possessed, thanks to his excellent training at Hampaté Bâ Secondary School. And obviously, his computer skills, learned at Hampaté Bâ School also, since the age of 12, were very handy in typing the report and in making a PowerPoint presentation. 

Needless to say, Ibrahim brilliantly succeeded the defense of his Graduation thesis. We can proudly say, “Mission accomplished”. 

Our scholarships are awarded to acknowledge the highest achieving students and to assist students of limited means.

We are very proud to see that our Reading and Writing Program at Hampaté Bâ has a real impact. It is very touching to remark that a struggling student in Middle School whose family could not pay for his education, was able to persevere and receive a Master’s diploma. It seems unreal, but thanks to your continued support and generous donations, and of course,  the excellent Read and Write Program, a dream has become a reality for Ibrahim.

Please keep those donations coming. We need them to continue our support of worthy students and the remarkable Read and Write Program. 

Thank you so much.