Mariama, a schoolgirl in Niger

Mariama, 11 years old, lives in Niamey, the capital. Unable to follow lessons given in French, the official language of the country, she had to leave state school at elementary level. This often happens in Niger, where the mother tongue of many children is one of the country’s ten native languages, such as Zarma or Hausa. Learning through the medium of French then becomes very difficult and children are unable to continue their education, for lack of appropriate teaching.

I’ve spent two years doing housework at home and going to fetch water from the river.

Fortunately, Mariama’s father heard about the “second chance schools” supported by Enfants du Monde and enrolled his daughter.

These schools provide primary education for children aged 9 to 13 years old, who have left school early or are out-of-school.

In my first school, we were taught only in French. But here, when I don’t understand in French, the teacher can explain to me in Zarma.

Indeed, teachers in "second chance schools" are trained to present lessons in both French and Zarma. In addition, the teaching material developed by Enfants du Monde takes the local cultural context into account in order to respond to local needs. In this way, children can use what they learn in their daily lives. For example, Mariama is studying different methods of purifying water from the wells.