Dan Amaria Primary School

Dan Amaria, Niger

We are delighted to announce that we have joined a Peace Corps Volunteer's effort to build two cement classrooms for a primary school in Dan Amaria, a small village in Niger, West Africa. We've chosen to extend our reach to Niger because, of the approximately 13 million people who make up its population, roughly 40% are children ages 1 to 14. This amounts to 5.2 milion children in need of primary education. According to UNESCO statistics, 58% of Niger's children are not enrolled in primary school and of those who are, only 30% actually complete their primary education. This results in a very poor literacy rate; 42% in young men and 15% in young women.

The school has 82 students (42 boys and 40 girls) between the ages of 6 and 9. Since a typical Nigerian woman has 8 children, the high attendance at Dan Amaria is not at all surprising. There are two classes, and each class has it's own teacher. The teachers are appointed and paid by the government of Niger. If the students are to continue going to school after completing primary school in Dan Amaria, they go to Dakoro, a town approximately 7 kilometers away.Currently the school is made of mud bricks and millet stalks, is in very poor condition and constantly needs repairs. The students are forced to endure harsh winds and blowing sands, and often they don't go to school because of the poor conditions.

Dan Amaria is a small village of approximately 300 people, which is approximately 700 kilometers east of Niger's capital, Niamey. All of the villagers are farmers and herders, and they depend on their crops and animals to support themselves. There is no electricity or running water, just one well that is 50 meters deep (approximately 150 feet).

US co-ordinator: John Heylin
Local co-ordinator: Cory Enger