Photo by RET

Article by RET Germany in Niger

TILLABERI, NIGER – Since 2021, RET Germany in Niger has been working to promote girls’ access and retention in quality primary and secondary education and women’s socio-economic empowerment for inclusive and peaceful development in the Tillaberi region, north of Niger’s capital Niamey.

Ramatou Tondi, a young girl from the royal family of the village of Bolel, located in Burkina Faso, is one participant from this far-reaching program. Her father, Tendi Pavu, is the chief of Bolel village, while her mother is a housewife and Moringa vendor, providing the family with a steady income. While Ramatou lived in harmony with her family and childhood friends, she has faced tremendous adversity in her studies.

Photos by RET.

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When she was a CE2 student at a primary school in Bolel, her peaceful life was shattered when her school was attacked by armed bandits. They ransacked and burned it to the ground, forcing Ramatou’s father to seek an alternative for his daughter. He transferred her to a nearby village for her safety, but this village also suffered an eerily similar attack by armed bandits – also resulting in the burning of the school.

Despite these hardships, Ramatou’s father, convinced of her abilities and willingness to learn, decided to once more find a new school. He entrusted his daughter to a teacher at the SSA/P centre in Tamou, Niger, where she is now pursuing her studies.

Multiplier Effect: According to the World Bank, every year of secondary school education is correlated with an 18% increase in a girl’s future earning power.

Additionally, these better educated women tend to be healthier, participate more in the formal labor market, earn more, give birth to fewer children, marry at a later age, and provide better health care and education to their children.

Ramatou is a bright and very studious student, in spite of the trauma caused by the attacks she suffered. Speaking three languages, she was able to adapt quickly to her new environment. She particularly excels in mathematics, reading, and nearly all the subjects taught at the SSA/P center.

Thanks to the support of SongES and RET Germany, she was able to continue her studies in safe conditions, and her remarkable results have allowed her to be transferred to CE2 class for the 2023– 2024 school year. Ramatou is grateful to her father, her teacher, as well as SongES and RET Germany, for their unwavering support.

And despite the challenges she has faced, she remains hopeful for the future. Her dream is to become a teacher and return to teach the children of Bolel who can no longer attend school due to insecurity. In this way, she hopes to contribute to the education of children in her community and to build a better future for all.

To help girls like Ramatou in Niger – and support the education of others around the world – consider making a donation to RET today.