[NIGER] NIAMEY , May 20 2013 (IPS) - A decade ago, less than a third of school-aged girls in Niger were in class. Today, though significant cultural and religious opposition remains, nearly two-thirds of girls are enrolled in school.

“Back in 2003, we had only 15 girls at my school, out of 150 students. Now, we have 103 girls out of a total of 175 students,” said Ibrahim Sani, who has taught for 17 years in the town of Agadez, in the northern part of this West African country.

Between 2001 and 2011, Niger’s overall rate of enrolment for girls rose from 29 to 63 percent, according to the Ministry of Education. (via IPS – It Takes a Village to Educate a Girl | Inter Press Service)

[NIGER] The effect of food insecurity on children’s health is obvious; children, particularly those under age 5, are vulnerable to life-threatening malnutrition.

Less obvious is the devastating impact of the crisis on children’s education. When there is not enough to eat, school can quickly become an afterthought.

This is the scenario now facing countless families in the Sahel region of Africa, where a food crisis is looming. Particularly at risk are children in Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad and localized areas of Senegal. (via UNICEF - At a glance: Niger - Food shortages force children to drop out of school in Niger)