Women building a sustainable future: fighting back the desert, amid Niger’s refugee and climate crises |
In the dusty plains outside Ouallam, a town about 100 kilometers north of Niger’s capital, Niamey, rows of lush greens sprout from the soil in neat plots. Adding contrast to the arid surroundings, women in brightly colored shawls walk between rows, inspecting water pipes and adding a splash of water to any specimens that appear thirsty. .
© UNHCR / Colin Delfosse
A Malian refugee in Ouallam, Niger.
‘We are happy to work together’
The approximately 450 working women in this land are drawn from three distinct communities: some are locals, others have been displaced by conflict and insecurity elsewhere in Niger, and others the rest are refugees from neighboring Mali.
“We all did this together with different communities: refugees, displaced people and the local community of Ouallam. We are happy to work together,” said Rabi Saley, 35, who settled in the area after fleeing armed attacks in his hometown of Menaka, 100 kilometers north of the Mali border. , said.
The produce she grows – including potatoes, onions, cabbage, bell peppers and watermelons – helps feed her seven children and provides income by selling the surplus at the local market. Since its inception, the market garden project has also helped thousands of refugees and internally displaced people reach the town smoothly.
Katima Adamou, a 48-year-old woman from Ouallam who has her own plot nearby, recalls: “When we learned that they were going to settle here, we were scared and unhappy. “We thought they would make our lives impossible, but instead, it was just the opposite.”
© UNHCR / Colin Delfosse
A Malian refugee grazes vegetables at a market garden in Ouallam, Niger.
Adapting to a changing climate
Political instability and frequent attacks by armed groups in Mali and Nigeria have pushed 250,000 refugees, most from Mali and Nigeria, to seek safety in Niger, while violence inside the borders The country’s borders have forced an additional 264,000 people to internally relocate from their homes.
Meanwhile, climate change is pushing temperatures in the Sahel up to 1.5 times the global average, and 4.4 million people being forced to relocate across the region are among those suffering the devastating effects. of droughts, floods and resource depletion.
In the market garden of Ouallam – an initiative launched in April 2020 by UNHCRUnited Nations Refugee Agency – the women learned to care for their crops using drip irrigation to reduce evaporation and conserve scarce water.
An added benefit of the project is its role in helping Nigeriens adapt to a changing climate. By cultivating a large swath of formerly degraded land near the town and planting trees, they are helping to stop the desertification that threatens much of the country.
© UNHCR / Colin Delfosse
A woman stacks new bricks at the Ouallam brick factory, in the refugee and refugee camp in Niger.
Building blocks for sustainable development
In another part of Ouallam, further promotion of community inclusion and environmental protection comes from a less likely source. The town’s brick factory employs 200 men and women – refugees, domestic migrants and locals – to produce stable earthen bricks.
Made by combining soil with small amounts of sand, cement and water before compacting and drying in the sun, the interlocking bricks reduce the need for cement mortar during construction. Importantly, they also eliminate the need to burn large amounts of scarce wood or other fuel used to fire traditional clay bricks.
“These bricks are then used to build homes for those supported by the UNHCR – refugees, internally displaced people, as well as a segment of vulnerable host communities.” Elvis Benge, a temporary resident of UNHCR in Niger, explains.
“Ultimately, refugees and those who receive them are the engines of change and can support themselves and ensure the resilience of their communities,” added Benge.
Back in the market garden, with her new neighbors facing daily survival challenges and epochal crises beyond their control, Ms. Saley stands around the fruits of her labor. yourself and reflect on a job well done.
“We became a community – I even got married here!” she speaks. “Women bloom, like trees!”
This story is part of the multimedia United Nations News series featuring women take the lead for a more equitable, sustainable future, published before this year International Women’s Day on March 8th.
