This past week 200 new soccer balls from One World Futbol arrived in Libore, Niger donated by P4K’s Soccer for Kids program run by Mike Mitchell. Through Mike’s incredible efforts the money to purchase 100 of these balls was donated, and the remaining 100 were generously given by the One World Futbol organization itself. THANK YOU ONE WORLD FUTBOL!!!  DHL was also generous with its shipping and enabled us to get them to the children of Libore in record time.  These are the most amazing balls — always inflated, never needing air. INDESTRUCTIBLE!!!!

Hamani Djibo holds up the new soccer ball and a “thank you” to One World Futbol!!!

Pencils for Kids is excited about the progress of our Farmers of the Future pilot in three schools – read about our community outreach efforts in the blog of our partners Eliminate Poverty Now, titled “Expanding the Community Reach of Farmers of the Future”!

Third year students design and sew beautiful dresses

We also visited the Coopers Sewing Centre and the girls are doing so well — there are separate areas for each of the three levels, and literacy and numeracy training as well.  The Cooper store continues to sell clothing made by the girls, and fabric and sewing notions, which helps to support the Centre.

The Cooper store and the manager who runs it!

In addition, as of 2012, the girls all pay a fee to enter the Centre.  Chairs made by the Handicapped Centre are rented out as part of a chair rental business and this income helps to support the Sewing Centre and programs. It has come a long way since we purchased four sewing machines a few years ago and is well on the road to self-sufficiency.

New site for the future Cooper Centre – Robin and Hamani

P4K also helped them purchase a tract of land for the future home of the Cooper Center – a centre that will be the home to the Cooper store, the sewing centre, to fabric dyeing, soap making and cooking in the future.  A true community centre and training place for women.

Cooper students also have literacy and numeracy training 

Robin, Chef du Canton and Amadou Madougou, former Mayor and former Minister of Education at the FOF launch ceremony

Had a terrific trip to Niger last week, primarily to officially launch our Farmers of the Future program.  I was joined by John Craig from Eliminate Poverty Now, and Dov Pasternak, the renowned agricultural scientist who created this program.  Although we have been working on this program for the past two years, it was time to officially launch it in public. 400 people showed up at Gueriguinde Zarma, the village where one of the three sites is located. The idea of the program is to teach primary level children in grades 4-6 how to view agricultural as a business and not merely as a way to subsist. This past year we have built full curriculum in seven subjects, and trained the teachers, working alongside the Ministry of Education officials. The hope is to pilot this program for the next two years and monitor and evaluate it to see if it accomplishes the goals we have in changing the mindset of the younger generation from subsistence agriculture to market oriented agriculture. The Minister of Livestock and Minister of Education participated at the launch ceremony along with a member of the Prime Minister’s cabinet. It was well organized and beautifully done.

Farmers of the Future young girls sing and dance at the ceremony!

FOF – sign for the official launching ceremony

Young children from Bangou Banda school in Libore attend the ceremony!

Children at the launching ceremony for the Farmers program

Farmers of the Future launch – young girl gives grafting demonstration to Ministers of Education and Livestock

Invited guests and officials visit the garden and see the drip irrigation