Hamamatou’s story THE GIRLS’ SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME
Gomba Village Niger
Schools for Africa
Niger
THE GIRLS’ SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME
Thanks to your support, girls like Hamamatou are able to stay in school and complete their education.
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Adolescent girls are among the most vulnerable populations in the countries of West and Central Africa. Niger is no exception. Most of the country’s daughters can look forward to a life spent in poverty in which 80 per cent will remain illiterate, 60 per cent will be married by the time they are 15, and half will give birth to the first of seven or eight children before the age of 18. There is a way to break the cycle of poverty: education. Since 2008, UNICEF has focused its efforts on increasing the participation of girls in primary school. Now, as these girls approach the end of their primary education, UNICEF is turning its attention to secondary education. For girls, the biggest challenges begin immediately after primary school, in the transition to Junior Secondary School. “This is a critical time in girls’ lives,” says UNICEF Niger’s Education Chief, Lamine Sow. “If they have gone to school, this is the time when parents usually withdraw them either to help earn money for the family, or to get married. In either case, it is the end of their education.” Recent years have seen a growing recognition of the importance of educating adolescent girls, not only because it will provide them with bankable skills, but also because there is no surer way to alleviate poverty and advance a country’s development. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent—or more important—than in Niger. Consider the facts: • Early marriage is the number one reason girls in Niger drop out of school. Girls who attend primary school reduce their chances of marrying early by 40 per cent; attending secondary school decreases those chances by 120 per cent. • Girls who marry early are more than twice as likely to become early mothers. Pregnancy at an early age comes with significant health risks, including high rates of obstetric fistula for mothers, low birth weight in babies and an increased risk of death for both mother and child.
• Early marriage and early pregnancy translate into a greater number of children per woman. Niger is the world’s poorest country. It also has the world’s highest population growth rate at 3.9 per cent. At this rate, Niger’s population of 17 million will double in just 18 years. Left unchecked, it is projected to reach 60 million by 2050. “This is very bad for Niger,”says Sow. “The country has few resources apart from extractive industries, like petroleum, which are not sustainable; increased reliance on agriculture isn’t possible given that so much of the country is desert. So, as the population grows, it will have to share the same revenues and resources it has right now. If they don’t reduce population growth today, Niger will be in big trouble in the future. The most immediate way to address this is to keep girls in school.” The biggest challenge is cost: secondary school is free, but students need school materials, uniforms and shoes. Multiply this by the six to eight children in the average family, and the education cost for a poor family is simply too much. The other factor is access: without a secondary school nearby, girls must either travel a long distance or live with families in the village near the school. Though happy to receive students, most ‘host families’ do not need another mouth to feed. To address this, UNICEF piloted a scholarship programme in 2010 in which 60 girls in four junior secondary schools received a scholarship that provided a stipend to families or host families, and gave a nominal amount to the girls. All of the girls who received the scholarship stayed in school and are now completing higher secondary school. Based on the strength of these results, UNICEF and the government have scaled up the initiative, providing scholarships to over 600 vulnerable girls in four regions. The girl you will meet in the following pages, Hamamatou Oumarou, is one of these girls. This is her story. Schools for Africa Hamamatou’s story 3
My name is Hamamatou Oumarou. I am 15 years old and I am in class 7 at Gomba’s Hausa College in the village of Gomba, in Kantche District in Southern Niger. Gomba is not my home. I am staying here with my father’s friend, Mr. Monkaila, and his family. It is better for me to stay here while I go to school instead of staying in my village, because if I have to walk seven km to get here every morning and seven km to return home every afternoon, I will be too tired to study. At Mr. Monkaila’s house, I am not far from school. I can easily come and go and I have plenty of time to study. Of course, I miss my family, but I try not to think about them too much. I am here because I got a scholarship. To keep it, I need to focus and study hard, so that is what I am doing.
Schools for Africa Hamamatou’s story 5
06:54 I eat breakfast. At home, I eat with my brother and my sisters, but here I eat alone because I don't have anybody my age to eat with. It gets lonely always eating by myself.
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07:03 Schools for Africa xxxxxxxx’s story 7
07:14 Then I get dressed.
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07:29 On the way to school I stop at the house where my best friend Sabra is staying and we walk to school together.
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07:46 Before class, Sabra and I talk with our friends. I’m always glad to be here because I know there are lots of other girls who don’t get the chance to go to school. Today everybody is talking about the timetable. We have only a half day at school.
With your UNICEF support... Girl-friendly schools UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Education and schools to make them more attractive to girls and more conducive to learning. This means not only making sure schools have access to facilities like separated latrine blocks for girls and boys and functioning water points, but also working with teachers to improve gender sensitivity in the classroom. UNICEF is also supporting the introduction of minimum standards by which to measure quality and equity in schools. The ongoing implementation process will target 100 schools in Maradi and Zinder, two regions that have high dropout rates for girls.
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Schools for Africa Hamamatou’s story 13
With your UNICEF support... New models for secondary education “It is time to invest in secondary education,” says UNICEF Niger Education Chief M. Lamine Sow. “The students
MOUSSA ISSOUFOU Director of College, Gomba Village, Yaouri Commune, Matameye Department
who went to Child Friendly Schools in primary are now going on to secondary. Without change, they will have to sit on the floor and be taught by teachers who
08:05
“Our school first opened its doors in October 2010. During the first two years the girls’ scholarship programme did not exist. In those two years a lot of girls dropped out. But since we started implementing the girls’ scholarship programme in December 2012, not a single girl has dropped out, and in some grade levels girls are now in the majority. “There were a number of reasons why the girls were dropping out. First: before we had this new school, we had a building made of reeds. Parents had to contribute for the school building and they also had to buy uniforms. You cannot even imagine how poor most of these families are, so this was a big burden for them. The second reason is that many of these girls were coming from villages located four, five or even ten km away. At the beginning of the school year they would come to school. It was easy. It was the cool season. After that they would get tired of coming and going, especially when it was really hot or their families were facing a lack of food. That’s when they would start dropping out. “Now many of the girls from families like these are receiving scholarships. They live with trusted and reliable host families who receive a monthly stipend of 15,000 CFA (US $30) so that they can take good care of the girls. The girls also get a little money that they can use
are not trained, which will undo all the good we are trying to make happen.” But taking this on essentially means starting back at square one. “When we piloted child friendly schools in 2008, access was our first challenge. There were too few schools.” The same is true for Junior Secondary Schools (JSS). Sow looks to a model he calls a ‘mini college of proximity’ to help address this challenge. Constructed centrally between villages, these colleges—with separated latrine blocks for girls and boys—are designed to attract girls from all of the primary schools in the vicinity and make it attractive for parents to send them— because parents are reluctant to allow girls travel far to attend secondary school.” UNICEF will construct five mini colleges of proximity and collect the evidence base for the model’s scale up.
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With your UNICEF support... The other challenge to access As the demand for education grows, so too does Niger’s population. This puts enormous pressure on the country’s scarce education resources. Between 2003 and 2010, the enrollment rate in Junior Secondary School (JSS) increased from 107,330 to 253,643 and the number of Junior Secondary Schools nationwide rose from 286 to 675—numbers that are still far too low for a country of 17 million inhabitants. However, providing even these students with the necessary classrooms, water and sanitation facilities, school furniture, trained teachers and teaching and learning materials far exceeds the Government’s capacity. UNICEF is working to support Niger’s Education ministries by advocating for a common basket approach to education with other donors and providing new, cost-effective models for teacher training and building facilites, including the ‘mini colleges of proximity.’
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for uniforms, soap, sanitary pads and snacks at school. They really like having some pocket money of their own. It motivates them—and that is important, because in order to keep the scholarship, they must do well in their studies. “Education is very important for girls. The population of Niger is more than 50 per cent female. We cannot even think of developing the country if they are left without education. By keeping them in school, the scholarship programme helps the girls go beyond the critical period, which usually comes during junior secondary school. If a girl makes it past this time, the risk is there, but it is less because by that time, girls are more aware. They want to continue to go to school and they want to take their own lives into their hands, so the idea of getting married is not appealing and they start thinking about other objectives. “If these girls succeed, they will help the country. They can, for example, become midwives. In this country, many men refuse to send their pregnant wives to health centres for consultation if the doctor is a man, and this puts their wives at risk during pregnancy and delivery. But if we have enough educated girls who train to become midwives, this problem will be solved. And, of course, every girl is also a woman to be. If she is educated, then when she gets married and has her own children she can take their education into her hands. With more and more educated women raising educated children, the whole country will benefit.”
08:14
09:18 My
first class is English. I like the teacher. He makes us laugh.
“The most important thing for me is to be able to understand what they teach us in class. Otherwise, why go to school? The English teacher is a good teacher. He writes clearly on the blackboard and he always asks us “Do you understand?” Some of the other teachers do not write legibly and we know they are making mistakes in what they write on the board. One teacher speaks so quietly that we can’t hear what he is saying. He never asks if we understand and then he leaves class right after it finishes, so there isn’t an opportunity to ask questions.”
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—Hamamatou Schools for Africa Hamamatou’s story 19
10:31
10:16 My
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next class is physics.
With your UNICEF support... The Girls’ Scholarship Programme
HAMAMATOU OUMAROU
The scholarship targets girls who are
Fifteen-year-old Hamamatou is in class 7 at Gomba College
poor, live 7-15 km from school, and are good students. There is a preference for the most vulnerable: girls who are poor and live with a single caretaker/mother, are orphaned, or living with disabilities. Parties to the scholarship include: • The parents: Parents sign a letter agreeing that their daughter will attend four years of secondary education. In return, they receive a monthly cash transfer of 15,000 CFA (US $14) to cover food expenses and supplies for school. • The host family: If the school is too far away, the girl will stay with a host family—a carefully selected family (often a relative) who lives near the school. If this is the case, the host family receives the monthly cash transfer (to cover food and lodging) instead of her parents. • The girl: Accepting the scholarship comes with an obligation to attend tutoring sessions and to do well in school. Recipients get 4000 CFA (US $8) every four months to cover hygiene items such as soap and sanitary pads. If she does poorly in school or gets married, the scholarship is revoked.
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“The day I found out I got the scholarship I was so happy. I was here at school when I got the news. I jumped and jumped for joy and then I went back home and told my parents and my friends. Fifty-four other girls from my village also got it, including my best friend Sabra, so we were all really happy. Now all of us live in Gomba with different host families and we go to school. “For me, the best thing about the scholarship is what I can do with the money I receive. I have my own money, which means I don't have to burden my parents or my hosting family by asking them for money to buy uniforms, sports clothes, school materials or snacks. I can use my own money for that. “To keep the scholarship I need to stay here in Gomba and I need to study hard. So that’s what I’m doing. If I succeed in my studies, I will have autonomy in whatever I do. I will also be able to get a job and earn money to help my parents. I will be able to help my brother and my sisters do their homework. And I will also be able to pass on what I have learned to others—to women, and why not even to men? “My goal is to acquire a lot of knowledge. I want to pass all of my examinations in lower and then higher secondary. After that I will look for a job. A lot of girls get married and drop out before they finish school. Not me. If my parents want to discuss my marriage, it should be after I finish my studies and get a job. I don't want to hear about it before then.”
10:46
11:35
11:36 In
geography class the teacher asks me to come up to the blackboard and make a dot to locate Niger on the map he drew of Africa. Then he asks the class if I put the dot in the right place. I did! Schools for Africa Hamamatou’s story 25
SALAMATOU KOUKA District Advisor and Focal Point for Girls Education
With your UNICEF support... Protecting girls in school
12:43 The
Director holds a meeting with the mothers and fathers, host families and other community members. “We still do sensitisation regularly,” he says. “Most parents didn't go to school. So I have to tell them again and again that these girls must go to school and the adults must leave them in peace to study, not just use them to do household work like looking after children, sweeping, fetching water, etc.”
“Before, parents were not very interested in whether their children went to school or not. Now they want to know everything that is happening with their daughters’ studies. This is linked with the scholarship. It has created an increased awareness about girls’ education in general. “When we talk to parents about sending their daughters to school, we don’t talk much about the early marriage aspect. They don't want to hear about it. They usually stop the conversation by saying ‘There is no early marriage here.’ We find it is much more effective to give examples of successful women to show them that if girls go to school they are capable of reaching a high level. We also explain that even if their daughters drop out before achieving the highest level, the gains are still there. Educated girls are more open-minded and they have skills that uneducated girls do not have. For example, they will take better care of their families, their children and their hygiene, and this makes them more attractive when it comes to marriage. Parents like this argument. “Most of the sensitisation we do happens during community meetings. Not many women come to these meetings, and if they do come, few speak. That’s why, after the meeting, we get the women together and let them talk. That’s when we learn about the real issues for girls—like the real reasons mothers don’t want to send them to school. In almost every case the reasons are the same: first, they want their daughters to work and help at home; second, they want them to help earn money for the family by engaging in small scale trade; and third, they worry that their daughters might get pregnant—a burden that would fall entirely on the girl (who would have to drop out of school) and her family.”
“Unwanted pregnancy is a particular concern for parents of girls in secondary education,” says Salamatou Kouka, one of 110 UNICEF-trained ‘focal points’ responsible for promoting girls’ education. “It is among the most common reasons mothers give for not sending their daughters to school. Of course, this happens to girls who are not in school too, but what really upsets mothers is that, if a girl gets pregnant, the man or boy is never punished; it is the girl who must quit school and she is the one left with the baby. She is the victim, but she carries the burden.” UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Child Protection and the Ministry of Education to advocate for a new law that will protect female students in primary and secondary school who get pregnant. The law calls for increased accountability for men and boys and allows the girl to continue in school. At the same time, UNICEF is working closely with Parent Teacher Associations, School Management Committees and other stakeholders to make them clear about their roles in ensuring that girls are protected at school.
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13:25 After 28 UNICEF Niger
lunch, I do my laundry and take a shower.
13:36
14:05
13:25 I
don’t have many jobs to do at my host family’s house. Sometimes I help out a little with the cooking or with the baby or I pound some millet, but most of the time I study. The most important thing for me right now is to get good results and pass all of my exams. Schools for Africa Hamamatou’s story 31
MOUSBAHOU MOUNKAILA Hamamatou’s Host Father
14:33
“When Hamamatou's father came and asked me to host her, I accepted without hesitation. A few years ago we didn't have a college here. The entire village used to send their children to colleges located in other districts. Friends and relatives there used to take care of our children. Now it is our duty to host students coming from other villages. “Being a host father is a huge responsibility. I must take care of Hamamatou as if she is my own daughter. I have to make sure she has a good place to sleep, I have to monitor her studies, make sure she goes to school on time and make sure she has good food to eat. It’s an important job, because we need educated girls. If they pass the final secondary school exam—the ‘Brevet’—they can go on to work as a policewoman, or they can do trade or work at the health centre. They will have many opportunities.” Schools for Africa Hamamatou’s story 33
OUMAR GERBA Hamamatou’s Father
“When I was younger, I didn't realize how important school was. I dropped out during my second year of junior secondary school. It wasn’t going well. I had other things on my mind, so I neglected my studies. Now I realize what a big mistake that was. If I could go back and do it again, I would do it differently. I would study hard. But now it is too late for me. The scholarship program is good because for those of us who dropped out, it is a kind of chance to do things over. I can make things right by making sure my own daughter goes to school and succeeds. “I am proud. The whole village is proud. But I think the best thing about the scholarship is that the girls who receive it must stay in school and study for four years. A girl who has the scholarship cannot afford to miss classes or not come to school. She has to be focused on her studies. She knows there is a kind of commitment behind the scholarship. “Before she got the scholarship some of Hamamatou’s friends from our village were telling her, don’t study. Drop out. Things like that. I told her she must go to school and she must attend classes regularly. Now, with the scholarship, she goes and she is focused without me having to push. “The future for these girls goes in two ways. There are those who would like to do higher studies and go on to university, and there are those who will finish higher secondary and then get a job. For me, it's fine if Hamamatou does the latter. I am concerned that if she does longer-term studies, higher studies, it may be difficult for her to behave correctly in our society. Having too much knowledge in your head can be a problem, especially when it runs counter to our society.” 34 UNICEF Niger
15:36 “When
we were growing up, Mousbahou and I lived in the same village,” says Hamamatou’s father Oumar Gerba. “We were the best of friends -— like brothers. So when the time came for Hamamatou to go to college -- and that college is in his village -- I didn’t think twice about asking him to host her. I am very confident that she's in good hands.”
RASHIDA IBRA Hamamatou’s Mother
16:02 I’m
so happy to see my parents and my baby sister. Her name is Rabiatou. My parents came to Gomba to take her to the health centre and then they stopped in to see me and ask about my studies. Sometimes I miss my family, but it's not unbearable. The biggest thing I miss is that at home I can be very free. I don't have to think so much about what I am doing and if others will think it is okay.
“When I was young I didn't have the opportunity to go to school. There wasn’t a school in my village. I am so glad Hamamatou has the opportunity to go to school. It will make her smart and open-minded. “I got married at 15. So did almost all of the other girls in my village. Without a school, marriage was the only choice. Then, just like Hamamatou, I went to live in another house—my in-law’s house. But because it was in the same village, I could go and visit my family more easily than she can visit us. “Sometimes Hamamatou comes home on the weekend. I miss having her at home. I think about her a lot and I wonder how her studies are going. But I am glad that she has the scholarship. Having it means she will not get married early. Early marriage is not good. It can lead to health problems. For example, you may need a cesarean when you give birth and it is so difficult to have that here. Or you may get a fistula. And the biggest problem with that is that your husband will not help you with it. He will just take you back to your family and leave you there, and your family will have to bear the burden of taking care of you. “If Hamamatou studies and gets good results, she will be able to get a job—maybe in the health centre. Her life will be good, and I will be very happy for that.” Schools for Africa Hamamatou’s story 37
17:43 When I can, I meet up with some of the other girls to talk and sing songs.
Girls deserve equal access to quality education at every level. UNICEF is working with the government, development partners, local education authorities and NGOs to ensure that adolescent girls receive a secondary education. Their wellbeing and that of their families, communities and the country depends on it.
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Photography, writing and design: Kelley Lynch