By Sher Betz | Co-Founder Les Amis de Hampate Ba
We are very proud! Thanks to your sponsorship, we are able to offer scholarships to young girls from underprivileged backgrounds to receive a quality education at Hampaté Bâ School Complex in Niamey. This is a real gift ! Our project puts girls first due to their special responsibility to pass on knowledge to future generations.
Indeed, only 7% of girls in Niger have the opportunity to attend secondary school, and too many adolescent girls are forced to drop out because of financial difficulties, early marriages, and gender bias.
MEETING CHALLENGES THROUGH DIGITAL CONNECTION
To meet some of these drop-out challenges, our Non-Profit, “les Amis de Hampaté Bâ” has a committed team who has worked to create an ICT training program where we can motivate girls to go as far as possible in their academic studies, while simultaneously gaining an understanding of basic computer skills, concepts, attitudes and qualities needed to become agents of effective social change locally and globally. This computer training has helped to expand the girls’ knowledge of the world and strengthen their confidence in finding more easily a job, thus becoming valued providers for their families and capable of improving families’ well-being by generating much needed income. Indeed, these classes can have significant impact on the girls’ economic aspirations. The new computer skills, coupled with education, can inspire girls to increasingly become independent voices in their communities, while also breaking the cycle of poverty and meeting the global challenges of our times.
In spite of big personal challenges and tough times for succeeding exams during the pandemic, the scholarship girls have held on to their dreams and career aspirations with determination, hard work, and hope. However, much courage and patience is required, as success is not always immediate. Sometimes failure comes before success.
Up until the age of 18, we ensure our scholarship girls are in full time education or vocational training.This helps to pave the way for further education, should that be the direction in which they wish to move.
MEET THE GIRLS
SARATOU’S STORY
Saratou was raised alone by her illiterate mother, as her father died when she was only a few years old. Her mom has very little resources, mainly from selling water, so when Saratou finished primary school, her mom was not able to afford any more schooling for her. Can you imagine not being able to go to school anymore at 12 years old ? Think how different your life would be! Luckily, based on her good results, we were able to award her a scholarship to attend Hampaté Bâ Middle School. Saratou was very motivated by her studies, but in spite of remediation classes and her fervent desire to learn, she was penalised by her poor living conditions: no electricity to study at home, no one to help with homework at home, and long walks to get to school every day.
Alas, Saratou did not succeed her Baccalaureate exam and she was far from getting it even if she tried a second time. To remedy this situation, our charity proposed her a 2- year vocational training program majoring in “Computer Programming for Enterprises” which could lead quickly to a professional diploma and a job. Faced with another new challenge, Saratou got discouraged as the computer course was highly specialised and she was lacking tools to be up to level.
We did 2 things to help her: We were able to offer her an after-school group tutoring class in computer science for a few months and thanks to your support, we also bought her a small, inexpensive, but very useful computer. This solution changed everything for her! One obviously needs a personal computer for Computer Management courses! She was able to do homework on her computer and turn in an elaborate Internship Report. Her grade results started to soar and she is now ready to pass a Professional Baccalauréate. We admire her personal courage to have continued striving to succeed in spite of tackling a new major in a new school. Thanks to basic computer skills learned at Hampaté Bâ School, furthered by extensive training in specific software programs during 2 years, she will have a profession and be able to help support her mother and contribute to her community.
FARIDA’S STORY
Farida also represents what can be achieved through your Sponsorship. Farida comes from a very poor family, with 7 brothers and sisters, so her opportunities were limited. She has always dreamed of becoming a mid-wife or gynecologist and has the deep desire to help other women in her community. Her scholarship at Hampaté Bâ School served her well. But In spite of her excellent results year after year, for some unknown reason, she didn’t succeed her Baccalaureate exam on the first try. Even though she was terribly disappointed, she continued to work hard and follow regularly all the remediation courses that we offered her while she re-did a second time the last year of high school courses. Due to her intensive efforts, she succeeded the Bac on her second try, and not only that! She received a State scholarship to enter a highly reputed medical school and was number 1 on the entrance test.
As in the case of Saratou, Farida was missing a very essential tool. Indeed, computers are now necessary for medical studies. The professors were giving their courses with drawings, schemas, and photos, all available on USB keys, which she couldn’t manage since she did not have a computer, and therefore was penalised in her studies. Once again, thanks to your support, we were able to purchase a computer for her.
Farida is now a very successful student in her 2nd year of medical studies and is following internships in hospitals to help deliver babies as well as caring for new mothers with difficulties. She is definitely ready and willing to help her community and also aid her parents who live in poverty.
EMPOWERING GIRLS
To empower girls and young women, we ensure that education plays a key role. By educating girls – their opportunities as women are broadened. Further education in Niger can be very costly, and traditional beliefs around the role of women in the home, mean girls are not always encouraged or confident enough to pursue the career of their dreams.
By giving adolescent girls the tools they need to improve their own lives, and by engaging them in efforts to improve the well-being of entire families and to uplift their communities, we are promoting the progress of the entire society. We empower girls to stand up for themselves and we help them reach their dreams.
TOOLS NEEDED
Saratou and Farida are only two examples of how the success of these girls depends on your sponsorship, especially concerning badly needed tools like computers. We wish to thank everyone who is already donating towards scholarships for girls’ vocational training.
DOING YOUR PART
You are doing your part to ensure that more bright minds have the opportunities they deserve — to explore, to grow and eventually to give back. Your belief in these girls and your caring makes all the difference. Now students don’t have to give up, thanks to YOU ! With access to opportunity, girls CAN succeed!
In order to help girls fulfill their career dreams and aspirations, we welcome sponsorship of our girl empowerment projects. Will you give today to ensure education doesn’t stop for these girls in need?
Thank you!
By Sher Betz | Co-founder Les Amis de Hampate Ba
By Sher Betz | Co-Founder Association les Amis de Hampate Ba
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