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THURSDAY, MARCH 7th at 8.15pm: Come and support us by going to the theater!

Don't miss the Compagnie du Pamplemousse's play at 8:15pm on Thursday, March 7, 2024

"Le Vallon", a play by Agatha Christie, at Théâtre Saint-Léon, 11 place du Cardinal Amette, Paris 15th arrondissement.

The Compagnie du Pamplemousse will donate the proceeds to us if you go to see the play and mention "Les Amis de Hampaté Bâ"!

For reservations: http://www.comedie-pamplemousse.fr/

We look forward to seeing you there!

Congratulations to us All !

Eleven years of hard work by our charity, to set up an innovative program to empower girls through education, has worked ! We are overjoyed to conclude that our initiative to give scholarships to underprivileged girls who could not afford an education without our help, has turned out to be fruitful for many of our students. The added features of tutoring sessions, computer training, and Home Economic Classes have also provided the girls with an incentive to succeed and to gain confidence in themselves as young women ! We thank the girls for their determination and we thank you, our kind donors,  for supporting the girls’ efforts.

Halima’s Story

Although many of the girls have been successful in their studies, there is one girl who stands out particularly and who has an interesting story to be told.

We are proud to announce the remarkable results of  Halima, one of our first students to be awarded a scholarship to attend our Girl Empowerment Program at Hampaté Bâ School back in 2012 ! And therefore she is our first student of the 2012 starting group, to have received 4 different diplomas over the years, the most recent one being her Bachelor’s Degree with Honors end of July 2023.

This list witnesses her various accomplishments over the years :

• 2012  enters Hampaté Bâ Middle school
• 2016. BEPC Certificate (Brevet end of Middle School)
• 2016  enters Hampaté Bâ High school
• 2019  Baccalaureate Diploma in Literature (High School Diploma)
• 2020  enters ESCAE Business School
• 2022  BTS State Professional Diploma
• 2023. Bachelor’s Degree at ESCAE Communication & Marketing
• (WITH HONORS !)
• 2024. Ready to find a good job or paying internship and work !

Courage to continue in spite of Road Blocks

Halima’s determination to succeed in her studies was extraordinary, considering the many challenges, difficult conditions and odds against her (mentioned below) that she faced during the very last steps in preparing the validation of her Bachelor’s degree (writing the report and preparing the speech).

Her parents normally have very meager means, but worse than that, her dad had lost his job at the start of the year, and so even paying for small bits of food and transport to school posed a problem.

A few months later,  the owner of their housing, asked to take back the place where they were living which had been rent-free.

Her parents had to move the whole family of 7 children to another lodging that was a 2 hour bus ride round trip from Niamey.

It was very problematic to go from the new place to school because the distance was so far and took so long .

The first week that the family had moved into the new lodging, the place was robbed and all their belongings, for example their mobile phones were taken away.

Without a phone, Halima couldn’t be aware of when her exam would take place and was unable to communicate with anyone.There was a group chat on what’s app that specified all the details, but she had no phone any more, so wasn’t aware of the dates, etc.

To top everything else off, the business school had cancelled her candidature since she didn’t show up on the day she was scheduled. But she had no way of knowing the date without her phone and it was vacation time so no one was at ESCAE to answer questions.

Finally the big day of the presentation came and it was raining hard and there were floods, so the majority of her audience was obliged to stay at home, as no taxis were available. Only her family was able to show up.

However, Halima had enough stamina, perseverance and devotion to get through her presentation and answer adequately all the questions of the jury on her report whose theme was “External communication at the incubation center at the University Abdoul Moumouni of Niamey.

After more than one hour, the jury reached a decision and Halima had impressed them with her deep conviction and her excellent Internship Report that she had written and when they handed her back her Thesis, she saw the notation of 15/20 and: “BIEN” written in big letters. What a great result ! Such a good grade ! It was amazing.

The photos accompanying this report show Halima and her family who attended the session. By the smiles on all their faces, you can tell how proud and jubilant everyone was.  She now has a professional degree which will certainly help her find a job.

THE BIG CHALLENGE

A reminder concerning Niger, so as to appreciate Halima’s excellence and the wonderful opportunity she was given when she became a scholarship recipient at Hampaté Bâ School.

With only 7% of girls attending secondary school in Niger, one of the 10 poorest countries in the world, and with a drop out rate of 63%, the challenge is to get more girls into and through secondary education and even higher education and professional institutes.

Our innovative girl empowerment project helps give girls more than just an academic basis. It expands knowledge and strengthens confidence to improve their families’ well-being and fight gender bias. Human values and skills in critical thinking and decision making is accessed. The girls are able to gain an understanding of concepts, skills, attitudes and qualities needed to become agents of effective social change locally and globally

We are counting on our faithful donors to keep helping us support this worthy cause to give courageous underprivileged girls in Niamey an education and the chance to have a better future for themselves and for their families. Scholarships will help girls stay in school. This is so essential.

Halima has expressed to us time and time again how grateful she is for all the support we have given her over the years We wish much luck to Halima in looking for a job and wish her all the success in the world.

Halima is one example, but there are many more!

Thanks for your continued support which is so necessary to keep these girls in school.

Our non-profit, les Amis de Hampaté Ba, is happy to present to you the wonderful accomplishments made in 2023 that we hope will be even better in 2024 !

Equal Opportunities for All

Once again, our efforts to educate young girls from impoverished backgrounds and empower them for their future by giving them equal opportunities, have clearly given amazing results. 

Scholarships continue

In spite of troubling times and political turmoil in Niger, we have continued giving scholarships to underprivileged young girls, enabling them to pursue a quality education at Hampaté Bâ Secondary School.

Dream Big !

The focus of our Organisation is that while receiving regular education, young girls are encouraged over the years to dream big and reimagine their possibilities through our various programs and projects.

After school activities such as tutoring provide an additional support for struggling students. Computer classes allow students to acquire skills that will give them the chance to be up to date and competitive in higher studies, vocational training,  and employment.

Blossom and Thrive

Our objective is to build an environment where young underprivileged girls can blossom and thrive academically and socially irrespective of their backgrounds.

Results that speak for themselves 

After receiving diplomas from Hampaté Bâ Middle School and High School, our scholarship recipients have performed very well in entrance examinations and have been admitted into some of the best universities and vocational training institutes in Niamey, majoring in Law, Health, Business, Finance, Administration, Marketing & Technology.

We are proud to continue giving scholarships and supporting our Alumni in their Higher Education Studies leading to Bachelor’s degree diplomas and Master’s Degree diplomas, and therefore better opportunities for them in obtaining future jobs.  

Here are some success stories of our Alumni in 2023. 

Diplomas received in 2023 leading to new activities in 2024 :

• Halima: BTS & Bachelor’s Degree Marketing. Now doing internship
• Hadiza: Bachelor’s Degree Business. Now admitted in Masters1 Financial law+ paid internship Private Law Firm !!     
• Roumana: Masters2 Degree Humanitarian Law. Now doing internship report for jury
• Adama: Bachelor’s Degree HR. Now hired by internship company!!
• Zalika: Bachelor’s Degree Marketing.Now internship + presentation 
• Nafissa: Bachelor’s Degree HR. Now internship+presentation to Jury 
• Hafsa: Bachelors Degree Marketing. Now admitted to Masters 1
• Atika: Master’s1 Diploma Private Law.Now moving on to Masters 2
• Mariama : BTS diploma IT. Now in IT Bachelors Diploma studies  
• Nana: Scientific Baccalaureate Diploma. Now in Health institute Superior Studies to become Nurse
• Fadimata: National Health Assistant Diploma. Now in Health institute Superior Studies to become Nurse
• Jannat&Nana:BEPC Diploma : now Scientific Bac Track HighSchool
• Haoua, Faiza,Djibo,Ramatou: BAC PRO Diploma: now admitted to 1st year superior studies for Bachelors Degree Accounting
• Charifatou,Samira & Saratou: BEPC Diploma: now admitted to Business institute to become accountant
• Nassyatou: BEPC Diploma : now passed entrance exam and admitted to Health institute to become nurse.

Congratulations to all these dedicated, courageous girls !

Thank you for contributing to this noble, worthy cause. The scholarship girls still need your continued support and are grateful for all your valuable help!

Friday November 18, 2022:  Enjoy an evening at the Theater and support a good cause at the same time: education for girls in Niger

Don't miss the theater play of the Pamplemousse Company, at 20:15 

Have a wonderful evening at the Theatre with friends and family and support a worthy cause at the same time. It’s a “win-win” situation.

"The Power of Fables"  at  Théâtre Saint-Léon, 11 place du Cardinal Amette, Paris 15ème. 

When you reserve, please make sure that you mention on the form that you want the proceeds of your tickets to go to “ Les Amis de Hampaté Bâ”.

Reserve your places by clicking here: http://www.comedie-pamplemousse.fr/

Dear Friends,

You can be proud! Here is the news that you have all been waiting for!

We are thrilled to announce the fabulous news that 68% of our scholarship students in Hampaté Bâ Middle School succeeded in obtaining the BEPC Diploma in July 2018. This is an incredible score as compared to the national average of 55%, especially for students like the ones we support, coming from very underprivileged backgrounds. The BEPC is an important diploma in Niger as it gives students the right to graduate from Middle School and continue on to High School or qualify to attend one of the many Professional Training Institutes.

Our students’ merit is indisputable as they worked hard constantly and made earnest efforts to get this diploma. It is indeed an amazing accomplishment for them, as the majority have illiterate parents and therefore no one to help them with their studies at home.

In fact, a big part of their success story is due to the SPECIAL TUTORING PROGRAM that our Association put in place several years ago thanks to your donations. This program provides our scholarship students with a support system to study after school under the guidance of qualified tutors for major subjects like Maths, French and Physics/Chemistry. We have made sure that the number of students in these classes remains small, never more than 10 –15, allowing them to get individual attention and be able to ask questions and get answers! Without this tutoring opportunity, obtaining their diploma would have been much more difficult, and perhaps not possible at all.

This project has evolved over time. We especially remarked last year that the students’ academic grade level increased noticeably each month and we believe it was a result of our tutoring program. How about some statistics as proof? The statistics are concrete: last year 87% of our scholarship students’ grades moved up between 2 & 5 points during the year in the subjects where tutoring was given. This was especially true of the students who regularly attended the tutoring classes. A student with 8/20 as an average at the beginning of the year, typically ended up with 10/20 and some even reached 13/20 at the end of the year. We checked this out with a total of 30 students, both weak and strong, and the survey showed a gain of significant points and an important rise in grades in the report cards of 27 students out of 30.

Let’s backtrack ….Did we get good results right away at the start of the Tutoring Classes some years ago? Unfortunately not! In the beginning, very few students attended the classes, there was no roll call, and the students were clearly not motivated to stay after school, especially for subjects that were difficult for them. Gradually, the students recognized the worth of remediation tutoring in small classes with clear explanations, they suddenly began to understand the basics of difficult subjects, they felt comfortable with the specialized teachers who patiently persevered and promoted skills development in reading, writing and maths and they were proud to reply «here «to the roll call every single day. The high-level students felt penalized that they weren’t included in these classes, so a special class opened for them.

A Taste of Success! The most convincing proof of this current enthusiasm is the revitalization of the Tutoring program which is helping to turn mentalities and beliefs around. 3eme Students (9th grade) are so impressed with the fruitful tutoring program, that INSTEAD OF STAYING ON VACATION, THEY HAVE REQUESTED TUTORING CLASSES THE WHOLE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER BEFORE GOING BACK TO SCHOOL IN OCTOBER in their two weakest subjects: Math & Physics, They want to get a head start for the BEPC exam in June. Focus is on improvement and understanding. Of course, we agreed!

The Magic Wand of Mr. Gogo : Our Tutoring Program provides excellent pedagogues who encourage each student to improve and reach his potential, One tutor, in particular, Mr. Gogo has supported the students many years, has given them confidence, and found a way to motivate and inspire them in 2 very difficult subjects: Maths & Physics. In turn, the students’ curiosity stimulates him.

« The students promised me I would be proud of their results on the BEPC and when they announced their success, they were jumping up and down and hugging each other » related Mr. Gogo concerning the successful BEPC results.

« We learn, we succeed, we are proud of ourselves, it’s agreeable, it feels good, it’s fun, we want more ! » declared Aminatou, speaking of the tutoring.

« I’m really good at Maths, but Physics is a mystery to me. In tutoring, we can ask many questions, and Mr. Gogo answers them and puts examples on the blackboard. We also correct all our tests afterwards with him. We wait every week for our Tutoring Class and love how he challenges us», remarks Fatimata.

Your generosity and support in providing scholarships and private tutoring for these deserving, impoverished students have served a wonderful purpose and has made their dreams come true to get a quality education leading hopefully to a career of their choice! Please help us continue financing and extending more Tutoring Classes as this is an important key to their success and you can proudly feel you are making a difference.

Thank you so much! 

Parent engagement in school is nurtured when parents come to understand that their involvement in their child’s studies is a key part of what it means to be a responsible parent, when they are confident enough to make meaningful contributions to the school’s efforts and when they realize that the school administration and teachers, as well as their own children, value their participation in the school.

Our organisation, “Les Amis de Hampaté Bâ”, has been encouraging our teachers and administration in Niamey to work more closely with parents in order to identify goals, problems, and potential solutions to create more successful partnerships to assist more students. 

During the first Parents/Teacher Meeting this week, the principal emphasized the importance of good health from a balanced diet and a hygienic environment that enables the students to work better. “Poor health and unhygienic environments are important underlying causes for absenteeism and poor academic performance,” he explained to the mothers and fathers present at the meeting.

The teachers also asked parents to show more commitment towards supporting their children’s learning and treating learning as a priority.  Almost all of the parents present at the meeting admitted NOT giving their children the time for study, homework, and other learning tasks at home. They also said they did NOT control time allowed to watch television, drink tea, chat with friends, and play cards at the expense of doing school work. Mothers recognised the fact that their daughters spent a lot of time helping them with housework. School work came second, and NOT first.

Once again, the principal intervened asking the parents to provide their children with a suitable place to study at home and to monitor their study time. « These practices make your child understand that his/her academic success is a priority for you and that you put effort in monitoring progress towards this goal ».

Parents were also asked to take the lead in fighting violence against children. As corporal punishment is deeply rooted in cultural and social practices in Niger, it is important for the school authorities to explain to parents why the Hampate Ba School has opted for NOT practicing corporal punishment at school. « We want your children to enjoy a peaceful, safe and protected environment from which fear is banished. We cannot achieve this goal if we physically hurt and psychologically humiliate your children.»

The meeting ended with parents thanking the school staff and our humanitarian association , for doing so much for their children.

« We are very grateful to the school and Les Amis de Hampaté Bâ for taking such good care of our children. We have heard what the teachers and the principal have said and will try to give more of our time and attention to the school work of our children to help them be more successful in their studies and have a better chance in life », said a very happy father. 

Your donations help us promote a quality education for underprivileged students. Thank you!

We are so proud of the progress our scholarship girls have made during their years at Hampate Ba Middle School and through the girl empowerment program we have sponsored.

How exciting to see that some of these girls are on the threshold of starting high school now.

 Just four years ago, by the time Nabila was 12, her parents had planned to get her married. « Without education, I knew my life would be just like my mother’s,” says Nabila. With our support, she can now pursue the bigger dreams she has for her future. “I want to run my own business when I am older. I always thought about school and how I could learn a lot there. When I was told that I was offered a scholarship to attend the Hampaté Bâ Middle School, I just couldn’t believe it. I was so happy ! »

Against all odds, thanks to « Les amis de Hampaté Bâ », and their own determination and hard work, Nabila and her friends have not only gone to school and stayed in school, but are amongst the strongest achievers, and, this fall, are starting Hampate Ba’s new high school which is opening in October !

These girls still face challenges in the Nigerien society that their brothers do not, but they are all determined to continue their education, despite the barriers they face. They have gained confidence in themselves and have realized that girls and women are capable of accomplishing many jobs in society, especially with the support of a good education.

This year, they will be receiving after school supplemental instruction in certain subjects to add to what they are learning in school. For the girls, this is instrumental for increased understanding of difficult subjects, such as chemistry, physics, mathematics, and French.

Thank you so much for your faithful support! Because of you, these girls are in school as members of an academic community – trying to reach their educational goals and make their lives better!

Your generosity has saved girls from early marriages and your contributions are making a big difference. We really thank you kindly for continuing your donations so these girls can continue their high school classes.

How about helping them reach their dream and be part of our first graduating class in 2018 !!!