Niger

A Speed School girl teaches her parents how to read. Photo: Thorleif Svensson

Niger is a landlocked country situated in the dry belt of Sahel in West Africa. It is known for a mix of striking geography and rich cultures. Having played significant historical and economic roles in the region, the country is currently facing multiple overlapping crises.

The country is named after the flood Niger, which irrigates the most fertile zone in the country, sharply contrasting with the surrounding desert. Although rich in natural resources such as uranium and gold, Niger is considered one of the poorest countries in the world.

Niger has one of the world’s youngest populations, with over 50 percent of children aged 7 to 16 out of school. This is mainly due to a significant number of public schools remaining closed because of insecurity, while floods from heavy rain have damaged thousands of classrooms.

Predominantly rural, with livelihoods based on subsistence farming and pastoralism, Niger has an economy based mainly on the primary sector. Farmers experience frequent droughts and climate shocks, contributing to food insecurity.

Our approach and focus areas 

  • Re-enrollment of out-of-school children through Speed Schools, an accelerated education for children and adolescents; improved literacy and life skills for illiterate women; and our adolescent empowerment programme, Tamadash.
  • Promoting entrepreneurship and economic empowerment through vocational training for youth and community-managed savings groups for women. 
  • In promoting gender equality, we ensure that women, boys and girls have access to education, employment, and leadership opportunities, empowering them to become drivers of change in their communities.
  • We also integrate climate-smart practices into our initiatives, helping communities adapt to climate change while protecting the environment.
  • Additionally, we champion inclusion by ensuring that marginalised and vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, advocating for equal access to resources, opportunities, and platforms to amplify their voices.

For the 2024–2028 strategic period, we are partnering with local organizations and other private sector partners to strengthen the resilience of poor and marginalized communities in the regions of Tillabéry and Dosso, and the capital Niamey.

Our Key Programmes

We have two main Programme interventions: 

  1. Inclusive Quality Education and Lifelong Learning
  2. Income Generation and Job Creation
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Speed School 1 for children

Speed School 1 targets out-of-school children aged 8-12 a nine months accelerated learning, covering the first three years of primary education. The learners are taugth reading and writing in their local language, before continuing in French. After a final test, they graduate and enroll normally in grade 4 in formal school.

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Speed School 2 for adolescents

Speed School 2 offers out-of-school adolescents aged 13 to 14 a two-year accelerated learning course that makes them eligible to obtain the primary school leaving certificate and subsequently enroll in secondary school in 6th or 7th grade.

2021 Niger Tamadash

Tamadash - Adolescent Empowerment

Tamadash targets adolescents between 15 and 20 years. 
Through life skills, literacy and vocational training training, and issue-based discussions, they are mobilised to be change agents, address social issues, and take charge of their own lives. 

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Vocational Training for youth.

To support the school-to-work transition, and in response to the high youth unemployment rates, we implement a vocational training programme for 15-25-year-olds. Participants are trained in vocational skills, which will eventually facilitate local employment/self-employment.

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Active Literacy for women

Active Literacy allows women to follow a two-year curriculum that enables them to acquire academic skills and discuss themes related to citizenship, early marriage, the importance of education, the health of children, and income-generating activities.

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Community Managed Savings Groups (CMSG)

Community Managed Savings Groups (CMSG) Programme ​​​​​​strengthens financial inclusion by enabling community members, especially women and youth, to save, access credit, and invest in income-generating activities.

Country Office Niger

Strømme Foundation Niger
BP: 11351, Plateau, Rue en face du Ministère de la Justice,
Deuxième tournant à gauche contiguë à L’UNICAN,
Niamey, Niger

Telephone : +227 23 90 00 45/ +227 23 90 00 46
E-mail: niger@stromme.org

Our Partnerships

These partnerships amplify our impact, ensuring that resources are used effectively and efficiently to drive sustainable change. Transparency, accountability, and community ownership are at the core of everything we do.

We invite like-minded partners to join us in this transformative journey, whether through strategic collaborations, resource sharing, or volunteer efforts to build a more inclusive, resilient, and prosperous future for Niger.

Our Partners