Niger

The large youth population of Niger (more than half are less than 18 years old) lacks educational and cultural structures for breaking the cycle of poverty in which the country is locked.

Our Actions

Niamey: the creation of a library in the center of EPAD

In 2008, Libraries Without Borders worked with EPAD-Niger to open a library in the organization’s training center and to make available a resource fund for 140 schools in the EPAD network. 

The Nigerian NGO EPAD (School – Sponsorship and Acts of Development) is a key actor in NIger in strengthening the capacities of school teachers and bettering learning conditions for school children. 

This library is today a space of pedagogy for teachers and a public library open to residents of the neighborhood.

Arlit: developing the collection of African books at the municipal library

The municipal library at Arlit, in the middle of the desert, is one of the biggest in the country: it contains more than 20,000 books and engages  thousands of young people  every year. These large-scale education and cultural centers are essential tools to break the cycle of poverty in which  the country is stuck. LWB’s support program for the municipal library at Arlit launched in 2010 has allowed the development of collections of African books to better respond to the needs of the public, the proposal of a new cultural program, and the creation of a workshop for bookbinding and small-scale publishing. Outside activities at the library began at the end of 2012 with the acquisition of rotating collections for the surrounding schools.

Our Work in Niger


Arlit Municipal Library in Niger

Objective

Access to Education & Culture


Start date


Status

Closed


PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The AREVA group is supporting the construction of a documentation center in Arlit, a town in the country’s north. The Arlit municipal library opened in February 2008 and is one of the country’s largest, containing more than 20,000 books. The only cultural space in the town, it is today used by thousands of children. Yet, in the absence of a coherent cultural and educational policy, it is struggling to grow.

LWB is supporting the Arlit library to help it enlarge its collection of African books, create a wide range of cultural activities and a bookbinding workshop.

OBJECTIVES

  • To encourage the expansion of the municipal library by improving the quality of the services it offers.
  • To support library initiatives involving recreational activities for its youth clientele.
  • To implement a coherent cultural and pedagogical policy.
  • To ensure the durable conservation of collections.
  • To establish a high quality information service.
  • To encourage the emergence of local book supply chains via the purchase of African books.

ACTIVITIES

  • Creating a collection of African books.
  • Training of staff to oversee the library, conservation and bookbinding activities, event scheduling and cultural programs in Niger and France.
  • The establishment of the computing service (acquisition and dispatch of computers, digital catalog development, library web portal development).
  • Expert assistance in developing cultural activities.

BENEFICIARIES

  • The children and adolescents of Arlit.
  • The teachers and professors of Arlit who will be able to use the library’s material and digital resources.

PARTNERS

  • The Arlit urban district
  • The AREVA Foundation
Training Center in Niamey

Objective

Training & Capacity Building


Start date


Status

Ongoing


PROJECT DESCRIPTION

LEPAD (Ecole – Parrainage et Actions de Développement) plays a key role in efforts to enhance the capacities of the country’s school teachers and thereby gradually but durably improve the conditions in which students learn.

LWB shares this long-term vision and closely works with EPAD to create a space for documentation and information in the Association’s training center.

While it is true that educational structures struggle to grow in the country, pedagogical material is even scarcer. Most secondary schools and establishments have no library and lack books (manuals, textbooks, literature) to help promote literacy and the educational trajectory. The creation of a library and documentary collection will make a mobile book reserve available to the region.

OBJECTIVES

  • To encourage and diversify free access to books and technical documentation for the pupils, teachers and interns of the EPAD training center in Niamey and its surroundings.
  • To support the EPAD’s training and educational support missions by contributing pedagogical material.
  • To support the pedagogical missions of the EPAD network schools by providing them with a reserve collection consisting of manuals and textbooks.
  • To energize and support the local book supply chain by establishing a large, cross-disciplinary library.

ACTIVITIES

  • Installation of a documentary space within the EPAD training center.
  • Contribution (donation and purchase from local publishers) of 6000 books to make the Center a book-centered meeting place and site of activity.
  • Contribution, storage, referencing and distribution of around 5000 pedagogical books for the EPAD school network.
  • Training staff in how to run a small library.
  • Computerization of the library space and establishment of a computerized catalog of collections.
  • Training of an archivist / librarian in how to manage and schedule events at a library.

BENEFICIARIES

  • The 3000 children and adolescents under the age of 15 years old who will benefit from the Center’s youth area and open access school books.
  • The 2500 students and young people from the nearby University of Niamey and / or those benefiting from the EPAD’s training programs.
  • The 500 school teachers in the EPAD network who benefit from its expertise and training – the Center’s pedagogical tools will allow them to access material in support of their teaching.
  • The 1000 adults who will be able to find technical documentation on particular subjects (mechanics, practical life, etc.) as well as francophone literature at the Center.
  • The 30,000 school children of the 140 schools supported by the EPAD who will benefit from the reserve collection.

PARTNERS

  • EPAD-Niger
  • Ministry of Culture and Communication, Books and Reading Office
  • The Teaching League and its “No Education, No Future” campaign