Binta* recently hosted her grandchild’s baptism at her home. Guests from the family, the neighborhood, and various communities gathered. Some brought millet, others rice or spices, and some gave a few bills—each contributing what they could. Without this support, Binta wouldn’t have known how to celebrate this special day.
On the Run
Binta is a widow and the mother of eight children. For the past three years, the family has been living in a refugee camp in the Tahoua region of Niger. Armed conflicts in the country forced them, like countless others, to flee their home village—in search of safety, food, water, and new opportunities.
They have lost their livestock, which was once their livelihood. All that remains is the worry about making ends meet each day.
The family has no steady income. Two of the youngest daughters work as domestic workers in the nearby town of Tchintabaraden. Their duties include doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning. They are paid in food: mostly millet or rice.
Binta ground the millet they brought home yesterday into flour and used it to cook porridge—lunch for the whole family.
“That’s my daily challenge. How do I feed everyone?”
Binta prepares millet porridge for her family
In this context, security does not mean having plans for the future or savings. Security means having enough to eat today.
Water for Everyone
Security here also depends heavily on water. The Tahoua region is very dry, and water is scarce. The existing infrastructure is overburdened and not designed to serve the number of people who urgently need it—both locals and refugees.
“Niger is a very hospitable country that is open to people seeking protection and safety from war and violence.”
However, as the number of refugees rises and infrastructure becomes overburdened, the potential for conflict also increases. The strain on resources can lead to tensions between different communities.
That is why humedica has improved the existing water points. As a result, the residents of the refugee camp once again have reliable access to clean water and can transport it home in canisters.
Binta’s family also received a water canister, which makes their daily lives much easier.
Binta fills the pot with water—her family once again has a reliable supply of clean water
What Water Aid Actually Does
In the Tahoua region, clean water means less stress in daily life and greater security for families who have already lost so much.
Support from humedica helps to
- make access to clean water more reliable,
- improve overburdened water points,
- transport water safely home,
- reduce tensions over scarce resources,
- and provide relief to locals and refugees alike.
In this way, aid in Niger combines practical support with an important contribution to peaceful coexistence.
Peaceful Coexistence
Dialogue formats, mediation, and community agreements help address emerging conflicts early on and build trust.
Oumar* has been living in the settlement near the city for three years. He serves as a sort of board member for the refugee camp and looks after the community’s needs. When tensions arise between different groups, he mediates so that the conflict can be resolved peacefully.
To this end, Oumar received training from humedica and the local partner organization ADKOUL on peacebuilding and conflict prevention. Today, he is part of the conflict prevention committee and serves as a liaison between the refugees and the authorities.
“When there are problems, I’m the point of contact. The entire community has appointed me as their representative,” he says proudly.
Oumar makes sure people's needs are heard
Solidarity as Protection
The baptism of Binta’s grandchild was a particularly clear example of how community and mutual understanding can provide a sense of security. People from different ethnic groups came together, helped one another, and planned the day together.
“Everyone, big and small—everyone who could, gave me their support. We live together. I am a widow with no sons, but the community has not abandoned me.”
In a region where so much is uncertain, that very thing becomes an important source of security: solidarity.
How Humedica Helps in Niger
Humedica supports people in Niger where basic needs and peaceful coexistence are closely intertwined. In the Tahoua region, this primarily means improving access to clean water, relieving pressure on overburdened infrastructure, and strengthening local structures for conflict prevention.
Together with its local partner organization ADKOUL, humedica is helping refugees and host communities live together more harmoniously. After all, aid has a particularly lasting impact when local people are involved and take on responsibility.
Armed conflicts force many families to flee their home villages. They seek shelter, food, water, and a new future. In the process, many lose their means of livelihood, such as livestock or fields.
When many people depend on scarce resources, conflicts can arise. Dialogue formats, mediation, and trained facilitators help to address tensions early on and find peaceful solutions.
A donation can help improve access to clean water, provide water canisters, and strengthen local structures that promote peaceful coexistence. In this way, it offers practical help to families in their daily lives.
Support the People of Niger Now
For families like Binta’s, help often takes a very concrete form: a canister for clean water or a functioning water source. With your donation, you support humedica’s work in Niger and help give new hope to people living in precarious situations.
*Name changed