Niger, Africa...


In a country so poor as Niger, where the illiteracy rate is very high, the education of children, and more especially girls, is of a paramount importance. Whence this will of Bishop Jean Marie to educate the youth through Fraternite Notre Dame, in order to fashion them into responsible men and women, well integrated in society.

All very beautiful in their marine blue and white uniforms, our little (still few) pupils are very glad to attend school; hard working, very interested and quite eager to learn, some of them even asked to come on weekends!

At the health center, the period for malaria was very intense: a host of patients have come to solicit our help and care, for a large number of them find it hard to afford medical attention, rather it is more of a luxury!

Just imagine a situation where the quasi-entire large family gets sick at the same time, the whole salary (if actually there is) will be spent on medical care and medicine. How, then, could they feed everyone after this?

Many of our patients are children, babies suffering from severe malnutrition, such as these 1 ½ year-old twins, whose weight is barely over 2 lbs. each, or this 10-month-old baby girl of only 7 pounds!

Each case is different, and we try to help the family with a little food, some clothes, children's vitamins, milk when we have it… We see so much misery and suffering in Niger, that we cannot do otherwise than working to the limits to relieve it, even if just a little, according to our abilities!

At the orphanage, our little family got richer with 5 new-born babies: some were born just a few days earlier, others, a few hours!

Today, 20 children aged 1 month-7 years share a family life with us, with its joys, its concerns, and its happiness of growing under the eyes of Mary, Mother of Jesus.

Let us also mention here our leper friends, to whom we offer care and food provisions. Having to survive with no resources at all, a majority of them is reduced to begging in the streets.

Each time we bring them food, clothing, it is for them a real feast day!

There has been 6 years now, that the members of Fraternite Notre Dame in Niger attempt, through modest means and encouraged by the advice, support and example of the Most Reverend Bishop Jean Marie, to help this so captivating people from Niger, a country rated the poorest in the world. And each day that God has made, we entrust this country to Mary, Mother of Niger.