Roura Primary School

Roura Primary School Roura, 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 Roura, 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.

This project will result in a two room schoolhouse to be used for primary education in the village of Roura. This will make it possible for more children to attend school and will also give teachers in Roura the ability to provide students with a better education. Roura’s present school-house consists of two structures built entirely from millet stalk fencing. They are cramped and provide scant protection from wind, rain, and dust. This makes both study and teaching very difficult. Roura’s student body is set to almost double within the next year from 75 boys and girls to at least 135. The village currently has two teachers although a third teacher is scheduled to arrive in 2009 when the number of students is projected to top 200. A new school-house will provide a means of addressing these current problems and will serve the community well into the future. A better education will give more children a chance at passing their primary school exams, administered here every four years. This will mean more students will be able to move on to secondary school and, in the long term, provide for greater development within the community.

Roura, a Hausa village consisting of roughly 450 people, is one of 53 villages which make up the Serkin Hausa commune. Located south of Serkin Hausa, Roura’s primary source of income comes from farming millet, sorghum, and smaller crops such as beans, peanuts, tiger nuts, and squash. There is one well and one foot-pump. The nearest medical clinic is in Serkin Hausa, about a forty minute walk away through deep sand. The only school in the village houses 49 boys and 26 girls and, because it is made from millet stalk, has to be built anew every year

US co-ordinator: Shalin Sheth

Local co-ordinator: Lachlan Chambliss