As part of COP29, which ended on November 22, one of our teams focused on the ‘Tangamo’ project (meaning “resilience” in Zarma), implemented by Pathfinder International Niger in collaboration with the Socialist Women’s Federation. This project aims to strengthen the resilience of women and youth against the impacts of climate change, in the Tondikindia community (Tillabéri region), with the Niger Farmers’ Groups Union (FUGPN-Mooriben).
The project selected 55 women, with 11 women from each of five villages (Haini, Simori, Maourey, Folo, Sofani, and Fandou Béri), as determined by the Damana municipal office. Each woman received 50,000 FCFA to engage in livestock and market gardening activities, and they were also trained in community life.
According to Seyni Karimou, an animator from the Damana Kokari Union, a member of the Mooriben Federation, the project allowed the village women to become familiar with gardening, which some had never practiced before, while others were deeply involved in livestock. According to Zakou Harouna, Pathfinder Niger’s Deputy Country Director, the Tangamo project integrates community health and income-generating activities aimed at improving the quality of life for young women and girls affected by migration or their spouses’ migration.
Haini Simori Maourey, a village 49 km from Damana, is one of the beneficiaries of the Tangamo project. The village chief, Harouna Yollé, stated that he donated land to support the initiative, quoting, “The project had requested land for a borehole for the benefit of the population, and seeing no volunteers, I decided to give my five-hectare plot located 500 meters from the village.” For example, to retain migrant women and young women in the village and make them resilient to the effects of climate change, Pathfinder established eight water basins and a borehole connected to a California network.
Zakou Harouna, Pathfinder International Niger’s Deputy Country Director, pointed out that both groups of women are at high risk of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, sexual violence, divorce, and other challenges, whether due to their own migration or that of their husbands.
The village chief, Harouna Yollé, said, “The project allowed women to stay in the village, raise livestock, and cultivate the land to benefit from the resources.” Tangamo is envied by surrounding villages, with women gathering moringa every morning to prepare meals for their families, providing great relief. According to the village chief, the harvests are consumed simultaneously but also sold for the benefit of everyone.
Amina Amadou, one of the direct beneficiaries, shared her experience at the Pathfinder garden: “Pathfinder’s Tangamo project prevented us from leaving the village by offering local employment. Since then, trained women have not left the village for cities to find domestic work.”
Dr. Yaro Asma Galy, Country Director for Pathfinder International Niger, reminded that Pathfinder aims to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations against the impacts of climate change through its climate and health strategy, which is based on three axes: strengthening flexible health systems, addressing the humanitarian impacts of climate change, and promoting climate resilience.
Through youth, the initiative aims to foster a new generation of innovative climate leaders. This is exemplified by the Tangamo project, which serves as a community health strategy against climate change and has yielded encouraging results through the empowerment of women. Harouna Zakou, Deputy Country Director for Pathfinder International Niger, explained that climate change particularly affects natural resources and vulnerable rural households in Niger. It thus impacts food security and particularly affects women. On a rural level, “climate change locks women into a vicious cycle of malnutrition and seasonal migration due to dwindling livelihoods.” If a woman is in a migration situation, like young girls moving for domestic work, they are exposed to gender-based violence, especially economic or sexual violence. He continues to stress the specific impact of climate change on women and children, both in terms of daily income and access to quality healthcare.
“Pathfinder International Niger also implemented this program in the Agadez region, targeting Woodabe women, pastoralists affected by climate change, in the Aderissanat department, where the organization has continuously mobilized communities.”
For all these reasons, Dr. Yaro Asma Galy, Country Director for Pathfinder International Niger, calls on their partners to support scaling this innovative strategy. “Climate change is something we are all experiencing today and is one of our authorities’ priorities. Therefore, I invite all actors to unite their efforts in empowering women and youth leadership against climate change.”
Pathfinder is a world leader in the field of health. The organization works in collaboration with state structures, community-based organizations, and NGOs at all levels to ensure that everyone, including those affected by poverty, conflict, climate change, and natural disasters, has access to basic health services.
Since 2014, Pathfinder has developed numerous health programs in Niger. In response to this situation, Pathfinder launched an integrated health program that addresses climate change resilience issues, aiming to provide a comprehensive social service package to improve the living conditions of rural women.
