In Niger, children are living at the crossroads of hunger, conflict, and poverty. Food insecurity and malnutrition are daily realities, and armed conflict continues to disrupt families and communities. For too many children, poverty means more than the absence of income; it robs them of nutrition, education, safety, and dignity. GNRC Niger has therefore made it a mission to keep children in school and fight child poverty through a school feeding program and community-led agricultural initiatives.
Every weekday, vulnerable children are provided with free meals that not only fill their stomachs but also keep them safe in classrooms and secure in their learning journey. As schools reopen on October 1, 2025, the program will expand to reach 200 students, primarily girls, starting from October 15. For these girls, a plate of food is more than nourishment — it is protection from early marriage, child labor, and the silent pull of dropping out. It is a step toward breaking cycles of poverty and building brighter, more secure futures.
The four pedagogical gardens that support the program add resilience and hope, teaching agricultural skills, diversifying diets, and making the initiative more sustainable. In this way, GNRC Niger responds to the global call of Sustainable Development Goal 1 — ending poverty in all its forms everywhere. It is a reminder that poverty is not only about material lack, but about lost opportunities and compromised dignity.
As affirmed in the Abu Dhabi Declaration of the GNRC Sixth Forum, building a hopeful world for children means ensuring that they grow up in safe, secure, and sustainable environments. By answering the call of the child in Niger, GNRC is demonstrating that grassroots, faith-inspired action can transform lives. And yet, the work cannot be done alone; it is an invitation for partners everywhere to join in building a just and compassionate world where no child is left behind.
