Children from Tarna village in southern Niger peeking into a grain silo. Much of the non-desert portions of the country - the Sahara Desert makes up more than 80% of the country - is threatened by drought and desertification. Food shortage is just one of the many problems faced by Nigeriens. Photo: AFP
When Husseina and Hussaina’s mother, Aisha a Nigerien, went into labour, the family had to take out a loan to pay for the ambulance to take her to the nearest hospital, 72km away. It was only after the 14-year-old had given birth to her first baby that doctors realised she was carrying twins. (The nearest ultrasound scanner was 200km away, in the capital, Niamey.) Aisha had a caesarean section but died as they delivered the second baby.
The twins’ aunt, Fatima, took care of them as their father was looking for work abroad. She worried for the babies’ survival. Already in debt due to the drought and the ambulance fees, she did not have the money to pay for their vaccinations or to buy enough milk powder. “Even my goat doesn’t produce enough milk,” she says. “All that is left for me is to ask God to feed and clothe them.”
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