The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund

Saving Livelihoods in the Sahel

PWRDF has committed $50,000 to a project in conjunction with the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) through the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) in Niger.  79 communities in the region have selected 3836 households that are the most vulnerable due to the poor harvest this year to participate in the program.  A further 226 households in Niamey, the capital of Niger, will also benefit.

The program will offer Food for Work to over 2000 households over a six month period will enable people to work to contribute to their communities’ long-term food production while also buying food and seed at subsidized prices.  300 households who are in the most need will receive free food, as they don’t have the capacity to work or purchase food even at subsidized rates.  The remaining households will have access to the subsidized seed and food during the period of this work.

Families will also have access to training in the use of acacia in food preparation to improve nutrition.  The program also has a contingency in place to intervene if the Millet Head Miner Moth reappears this year so the pests will not destroy the harvest.

This project will help head off a potential food crisis in Niger, where approximately 6 million people (half the country’s population) are at risk of not having enough to eat this year.  Beginning the work at this point will help to prevent an emergency of the scale seen last year in the Horn of Africa.

PWRDF cannot do this work without your help.  Please support these life-saving projects in Niger in one of the following ways:

On-line
At the  CanadaHelps website you can designate “Sahel Response”.

By Phone
For credit card donations contact:
Jennifer Brown
416-924-9192 ext. 355; 1-866-308-7973
Please do not send your credit card number by email or fax.

By Mail
Please make cheques payable to “PWRDF”, mark them for “Sahel Response” and send them to:
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund
The Anglican Church of Canada
80 Hayden Street
Toronto, Ontario  M4Y 3G2

PWRDF Donations Contact:
Jennifer Brown
416-924-9192 ext. 355; 1-866-308-7973

PWRDF Humanitarian Response Coordinator:
Naba Gurung
416-924-9192 ext. 321

View more stories on: Africa Stories, Emergency Response Stories, Food Crisis Stories
  • Danielle Benoiton, North Bay

    I lived in Niger in 1998/1999. I recall a village chief asking me why there was no more grain with the Canadian flag on it coming to their aid. I told him about the CFGB and that I would try and get some help to them. his village is in the region north of Maradi. I am so pleased to see that you are now working in Niger. My warmest Hausa greetings to my Hausa friends there, Sanou!

  • http://www.facebook.com/pwrdf Simon Chambers

    Thanks for that reminder, Wendy! Donations through the parish can always be designated, although that puts the onus on the parish to ensure that the PWRDF office has a list of all donations that have been designated and what they have been designated for…

  • Wendy

    Perhaps it would be helpful to also point out that a donation made through your PWRDF envelope offering at your local church cxan also be designated for the Sahel response. Some Anglicans visiting the site may prefer to work through their local church so its contribution is recognized.