Rain for the Sahel and Sahara

Valentine's Day Gifts? We Got 'Em!

Julia — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:54:09 +0000

West African leather items, exotic and beautiful Tuareg jewelry, and more..

archive.constantcontact.com/fs050/1101527247841/archive/1109244505575.html

Bombino in Concert for RAIN at The Music Hall

Julia — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:53:07 +0000

Just Announced: Bombino to rock Portsmouth April 5th!

Portsmouth audiences will have the chance to see rising international music star Bombino and his group in a rare U.S. performance at The Music Hall to benefit RAIN! Soul of the Sahara will be the second time Bombino takes to the stage to raise funds and awareness for nomadic communities in West Africa.

Also on hand will be RAIN founder Bess Palmisciano and Ron Wyman - director of "AGADEZ - The Music and The Rebellion," the documentary featuring Bombino.

Soul of the Sahara will be a special stop on the AGADEZ album world tour, which has received many accalodes, including being among NPR's 50 Favorite Albums of 2011.

Tickets are $35 ($25 S/S/M) and can be purchased at The Music Hall Box Office, by phone at 603.436.2400, or online. Order your tickets today!

"His desert rock and roll guitar had the audience cheering. It is the new sound of Niger. Bombino brings a message of peace to the world and is an example of the spirit of changing guns for guitars." – Afropop Worldwide

With special thanks to Bombino and his group, Modiba Productions, Cumbancha Records, Ron Wyman and The Music Hall.

For more about Bombino, including song tracks, photos and vidoes visit: http://www.cumbancha.com/bombino.

Filed under:

RAIN News Winter 2011-12 is Here!

Julia — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:02:11 +0000

Read about all the progress of the Arlit mentors, how RAIN and Goviex are revitalizing Gougaram, and a special tribute to our wonderful Chair and friend, Roderick Richards.

Above, Roderick, second from right, in Agadez, April 2011.

myemail.constantcontact.com/RAIN-News-Winter-2011.html

Filed under: Niger

Give RAIN for the Holidays!

Julia — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:54:45 +0000

Need help checking off your list? Click here to give the gift of RAIN.

Filed under:

Back to School in Niger: Nomadic Parents Struggle

Julia — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:04:29 +0000

A dispatch from Bess in Agadez.

Foudouk girls at the Agadez compound.Right up the street from the RAIN Agadez office is a compound with a few run down adobe buildings. It has been rented by the parents association from Foudouk to provide a place to live while they attend grades 6 - 12 in Agadez. The children and their parents walked 12 hours to get here. For a month in advance of their arrival, mothers ventured into the sparse bush every day to find fallen branches to use as cooking fuel to cook food for the children. They paid for a truck to deliver the wood to Agadez. They've rented space in a barren, one room building in which the 34 children store their UNICEF-supplied book bags and sleeping mats. There are no rooms for sleeping. UNICEF donated some old tents, but so many components are missing, and the children are unable to erect them. Parents take turns traveling to Agadez in 2-week shifts to look after all the children. When I was there on a weekend afternoon, the two mothers 'on duty' were washing and plaiting hair for a line of children waiting their turns. All were hunched along a wall as there are no trees to provide protection from the Saharan sun.

In addition to their contributions and efforts, it costs $30 US to pay school tuition and buy books. In a country with a median income less than $300, this is a large sum. RAIN has donated food.

Fewer than 40% of Niger's children enter 6th grade. Those that do are often overcome by obstacles - half drop out in their first year. Help RAIN help the "Foudouk 34" beat the odds!

Filed under: Niger

A Message from Bess in Niger

Julia — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:45:29 +0000

To: RAIN Partners and Supporters

A Message from Executive Director Bess Palmisciano in Niger

AGADEZ - October, 2011

Right now, the world news of Niger is all about former Libyan officials hiding somewhere in the desert. The true story, though, is in the food crisis here. Last year we had excellent rains, and this year the season started well. However, the rains were not consistent. Crops and grasses began to grow, then died. Now we have large areas in crisis. In the south, crops have failed, while in much of the north there is not enough pasture for animal herds.

I have traveled a bit in the Agadez region and seen the problems for myself. November is approaching, and still nomadic schools are not open because there is no food for the students. We have asked the World Food Program for help, but they are not giving to schools this year - all their efforts are focused on crisis response. We don't argue with responding to the crisis, but the school food program is so effective -- giving food to schools provides assurance of it getting to the most vulnerable -- Niger's children.

Here is some of what I've seen in the past couple of weeks.

• Ingall, a town in the western part of Agadez, has a middle school meant to serve the region's nomadic children. Of the 265 children enrolled this year, 40 dropped out in the first week, because this state-run boarding school has no food and no dormitories. They have gone home to their families, who are likely not able to provide for them.

• Nomadic communities with middle school age children are bringing them to Agadez in hopes of finding a way to provide for them there. We are working with a group of 40 students from Foudouk and Teyiss. I visited them a few days ago. Here is their story: The children spent 12 hours walking to Agadez. Parents are taking turns coming to Agadezin two-week rotations to care for the children. They have contributed the funds to rent a place for the children to stay. Mothers spent a month in the bush gathering firewood so the children would have cooking fuel. The space rented by the parents provides only one room for all the children to share. They've come to Agadez with mats and their school bags, but little else. They are asking aid organizations to give them some tents to sleep in. RAIN has pledged to provide food for the school year.

Stories such as these are too numerous to relate. RAIN can help with providing food to the most needy schools. Having this food will not only provide relief to children and families, it will allow education to begin. With schools open we stand ready to install school gardens for long-term hunger solutions, ready for mentors to teach practical skills, ready to provide health education.

We hope you will support RAIN in responding to this crisis. We know sustainable programs are the path to better futures; those efforts need to be built with people who have the strength and encouragement of daily food.

Please feel free to share this message with others who might help.

- Bess

Filed under: Niger

RAIN and The Prem Rawat Foundation School Food Aid in Agadez: One Year Later

Julia — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:27:20 +0000

In 2010, RAIN and The Prem Rawat Foundation teamed up in response to the drought induced food crisis in Agadez - read more of this TPRF blog article about the positive impact for our nomadic partner communities!

www.tprf.org/en/grants-database/360-nomads-in-niger-one-year-later

ABOUT THE PREM RAWAT FOUNDATION

The Prem Rawat Foundation was created in 2001and is a U.S 501(c)(3) public charity based in California. Founder Prem Rawat created the foundation with the mission to facilitate dignity, peace, and prosperity around the world. TPRF has funded over ninty grants in thirty countries across five continents.

For more information, visit www.tprf.org

Food distribution in Awiderer, Agadez region.

Filed under: Niger

RAIN Kicks Off 10th Anniversary with "Stars Over the Sahara"

Julia — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:49:03 +0000

Wow, what a way to celebrate our 10th Birthday!

Stars Over the Sahara, our 10th Anniversary celebration hosted by Dan Philbrick at Three River Farms in Dover, NH, was a great success! RAIN friends and supporters enjoyed African music, purchased Niger crafts, and laughed along with New Hampshire’s favorite writer and humorist, Rebecca Rule.

Rule served as RAIN’s auctioneer, cheerfully coaxing donors to bid on tickets for Dancing with the Stars, vacation home rentals and objects of art, as well as “bidding” to support RAIN’s education and community cooperative programs in Niger, West Africa. Everyone had great fun, and together raised more than $80,000 for RAIN’s programs.

Over 200 guests enjoyed fare provided by Jumpin’ Jays, Tulsi Restaurant, and Take Away Café. Guests also visited the RAIN Constellation of Programs, learning about artisan cooperatives, market gardens, and mentoring programs along the way. RAIN’s new Niger Country Director, Halima Hamza Malam, was on hand to talk about efforts on the ground in Niger. The evening was punctuated with joyous West African drums by the Black Bear Moon Rhythm Ensemble.

Stars Over the Sahara would not have been a success without our friends and supporters. We would like to thank the following event sponsors: Tom Haas, Joanne Lamprey, Liz and Rod Berens, John Ahlgren and Bess Palmisciano, Kirsten and Hunter Brownlie, Martha Fuller Clark and Geoffrey Clark, Lelia and John Lamson, Opus Advisors, PAX World Fund, QHT, Inc., Samonas Realty, Art of the Future, Patience and Tom Chamberlin, Robert Gray Construction, Susan and Charles Lassen, Janet Prince and Peter Bergh, Chelsey and David Remington, Harry Schult, Emilie and Dick Spaulding, Ann and Peter Tarlton, Susan Hirshberg and John Wall, Katie and Doug Wheeler, William Renaud Jr. Trucking, Inc., Appledore Real Estate, Nancy and David Borden, Joan and Frank Graf, Leslie and Peter Homans, Ree and Firoze Katrak, Zenagui Brahim, David T. Parent, Kathy and Roderick Richards, Allison Reedy and Shane Smith, the Stanhope Group, Naomi and Jeff Vanderwolk, R. Peter Taylor and Betsy and Frank Wilczek. Members of the Rotary Club of Exeter volunteered at the event, and the Club donated $1,000 to RAIN’s Niger programs.

Special thanks also to Dan Philbrick, Rebecca Rule, Phineas Press, Tom Bergeron and Lois Harman, Bruce Doty, John Seavey, Jay McSharry, Tulsi Restaurant, Smuttynose Brewery, South Street & Wine, Zakanaka Day Spa, Julie Driver, Donna and Perry Pratt, Leonard Seagren, Charter Weeks, Susan Heckaman, Event Committee Chairs Lee Lamson and Kathryn Ferguson, Ann Tarlton, Kathy Richards, Harry Schult, Brooke Howell, Donna Blumenthal, Stephanie Beck, and Ree Katrak.

Filed under:

New tote bags are here!

primal — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:04:04 +0000

Beautiful Tote Bags from the Wodaabe artisan cooperative

RAIN is excited to announce that the bright, beautiful, colorful tote bags featuring hand embroidery by Wodaabe women in our “Metier Chance Vivre” cooperative are now available to buy!

Contact us to order!

The tote bags sell for $40 each. 100% of proceeds go to the women, who donate 50% to the care, feeding and education of their children in school.

Filed under: Artisan Cooperatives Niger