Niger

Irene lived in Niger in West Africa for 3 1/2 years as a Peace Corps Volunteer. During her first two years, she lived in a small village named Bele Kwara, about 70 km southwest of the capital (Niamey), where she worked as a health extension agent. In her third year, she worked with the National Guinea Worm Eradiation Program, moving to a small town about 180 km northwest of the capital. During her entire time in Niger, she lived in a mud hut/house and did without electricity or running water!

Yet, she was much better off than the Nigeriens around her. Niger ranks at the very bottom of the United Nations Development Program's Human Development Index - 174th of 177 countries. Only 3 in 4 children live to reach their 5th birthday, only 15% of adult women are literate, and only 13% of the rural population has adequate sanitation facilities and 36% has access to safe water (source: UNICEF).

Irene recently went back to visit Bele Kwara, nine years after she left. The pictures of Bele Kwara posted here are from that recent visit in mid-2007. The young children had not yet been born when she lived there! And the children that she knew then have now grown up and have children of their own!