A little girl drinks tap water

Fieldtrip to Niger

Round and about in a dusty country

On a field trip with UNICEF to Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world

Since a bit more than a year now GARDENA has been supporting UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, for its worldwide water, sanitation and sanitation projects. In April, Joachim Heppler and Heribert Wettels, both employees of GARDENA, had the opportunity to spend a week traveling to Niger to get an authentic impression of the work of UNICEF in the field.

“This trip to one of the poorest countries in the world was full of impressions that showed us the dimension of the challenges. But it was also full of interesting encounters with dedicated people, who take on these challenges and show a path of hope,” says Heribert Wettels.

A little girl next to a tree

Life in Niger poses particular challenges to girls, such as those from the Matameye community in the Maradi region. According to a Unicef report, only around half of children between the ages of 7 and 16 go to school. More than a third of girls and young women between the ages of 15 and 19 were already pregnant or had children. The birth rate in Niger is 7.3 children per woman - the highest in the world. (Image: Heribert Wettels)

Several small children, one of them leading a bull

In the dry, dusty country, the livelihood of the very young population due to the abundance of children is constantly in danger. One of the biggest challenges is the supply of safe drinking water. So here in the municipality Dokoro in the region Maradi. (Image: Heribert Wettels)

Some UNICEF employees at a water tap

With projects for water, sanitation and hygiene, Unicef supports above all the rural population of Niger, as here in the municipality of Groumdji in the Maradi region. (Image: Heribert Wettels)

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