Pencils for Kids reaches a meaningful milestone!
The Dov Institute opens its doors to students on October 14th 2024!
We’re thrilled to share that this October marked the ground-breaking launch of agricultural training at the Dov Institute, Niger’s first training center dedicated to transforming agricultural and educational practice in the country. It’s taken ten years in partnership with Eliminate Poverty Now, from conception to fruition and lots of hard work to get here. And we’d love to share a few of the highlights with you.
When we say the Dov Institute is ground-breaking, it’s not overstated. It’s the first in the country to offer a degree in horticulture and to emphasize the business of farming. Our curriculum differs radically from conventional teaching in Niger. Our learn-by-doing teaching methods are largely unknown in the country. Our facilities are first rate.
In orientation week alone, our 14 students (9 men and 5 women) “met” Dov Pasternak courtesy of his book, learned of his philosophy and his approach to agricultural development. They visited Farmers of the Future (FOF) sites we had established, and talked with the women whose lives have forever changed. They met with our FOF Technicians and learned about both the rewards and challenges of the job. And they toured large commercial farms and heard directly from the Managers and Owners. They also got their hands dirty in the gardens with plenty of hands-on activities.
By design we’re starting with a soft launch and a small initial cohort. We need time to work out the bugs and ensure our graduates find good paying jobs after graduating. The 14 men and women who entered the program this October are strong students, passionate about agriculture and eager to capitalize on the unique opportunities the Dov Institute offers. They are pioneers, laying the foundation for the institute’s future success. Twenty years from now we expect they’ll be thriving, maybe even famous with incredible stories to tell about those early days at Niger’s premier agricultural training centre.
Look at what these students said after their opening weeks:
Here is a link to a recruiting video we made to attract top students (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvn_Fi_3aIY). It is 2+ minutes long, narrated in French with English subtitles, and worth watching.
There’s more information available also on our blog.
We set out to create Niger’s pre-eminent agricultural training center. Your support has made it possible and is more important now than ever to continue its growth and build its reputation.
Scholarships for Girls
We continue our Scholarship for Girls program, the first ever program we started 18 years ago. Hundreds of girls have received scholarships for one or more years during this time and 50 have graduated and gone on to post-graduate studies and are now working in their respective professions.
Five years ago, we decided to tutor the same ten girls from junior high through the end of secondary school and follow their progress. The 10 girls we have now sponsored for these past five years, all started their Seconde level in the 2024-2025 school year, their first year of Secondary School. We will keep everyone posted on their progress!
Of the ten girls, 7 are in the Literature stream and 3 are in the Science stream. Their names are:
Seconde A : Literature
- Nihade Idé Hamani
- Fatimé Zada Kindo
- Nana Karima Salah Dan Nomao
- Zeinabou Moussa Hamidou
- Zouleyha Halirou
- Malika Badjio Adamou
- Oumoulker Boureima Hassane
Seconde C Scientific
- Nafissa Idé Saley
- Salamatou Mounkaila Soumana
- Rafiyatou Oumarou Moussa
The Cooper Sewing Centre celebrates its 16th anniversary
The Cooper Centre, founded by P4K with generous support from the Cooper family, is a sewing program in which girls pay their own tuition, and participate in examinations that are accredited by the National Sewing Association. The goal is to give girls and women, who are no longer in school, a second chance to get a profession. P4K started this program with only four girls in 2008, helping them acquire an income-generating skill. They are learning embroidery, sewing, knitting, and dyeing and also take courses in numeracy and literacy. Students pay a yearly fee to help cover the costs of the teachers.
436 girls have enrolled since the Cooper Centre opened.
122 girls have graduated from the Centre since its inception.
Six of these girls graduated in 2024 and they are now working to earn an income!
This year 35 girls enrolled in our first-year program!
This year 25 girls are in their second and final year of the program.
The Cooper Centre is thriving in very difficult economic times, and continues to offer hope for the students’ futures.
Thank you for your support!
Pencils for Kids continues to be a volunteer-run organization and we are proud of the programs and services that we are able to deliver. None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the unwavering support of our Pencils for Kids community. Your ongoing contribution to P4K has an impact every day on the life and the future not only of the children and women of Liboré but the many students now attending the Dov Institute from other regions in Niger. Your support will be felt for generations to come.
We remain a fully volunteer organization with no paid staff. 97% of your donation goes directly to sustaining highly effective education and training programs for the people of Niger.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
or as they say in Niger,
FOFO! FOFO! FOFO!