This gift in action
Niger is one of the world’s poorest countries. Combinations of low rainfall, flooding, poor harvests, high food prices and lack of pasture have all contributed to the regular food crises that have hit the country over recent years. And amongst poorer rural communities, where most families rely on subsistence farming and livestock to survive, high levels of malnutrition are commonplace.
Oxfam’s response to the food crisis has been wide ranging including providing food, help for herders and cash support. We distributed cereal and subsidised the cost of both food and animal feed. We provided veterinary care and where animals were beyond help, we bought them from the owners. Oxfam also initiated ‘cash-for-work’ projects, cash transfers and vouchers. The aim was to improve living conditions, reduce the impact of emergencies, and help ensure that poor farming and herding families always had enough to eat.
Faced with major flooding in 2010, our voucher distribution scheme made life a little easier for families in Flinigue.
One of those families to benefit was Zeinabou Gimba’s. The vouchers enabled them to buy the items they needed from specified stores in the area. Unlike distributing food directly, the vouchers gave people a choice of what to buy and helped to regenerate the local economy. Said Zeinabou: “There were days when we had nothing to eat at all. But these vouchers were a big help for my family enabling us to buy things like rice.”