A few months ago I was asked to join a campaign in Niger, a French speaking country in West Africa, and together with Plan Australia I ventured over to Niger to spend time with the locals.
I lived the same way they did, I ate the same foods, and then had the privilege of cooking for 275 hungry people. It was an incredible eye opening experience, and has made me realise how good Australia is.
West Africa is currently faced with a severe food crisis with more than 1.5 million children suffering from extreme malnutrition. To bring the message home to Australians, Plan asked their good friend – Manu Fieldel – to join them on a recent trip to one of the worst affected countries, Niger, where he faced the extremes…Extreme kindness, extreme poverty, and extreme emotion. It is a trip that he won’t easily forget.
On day one of Manu Feildel’s trip to Niger, he travelled from Tillaberi to Ayorou to visit Tabareybarey – a new site for thousands of Malian refugees fleeing conflict at home. Watch Manu as he enters the camp and speaks to those who are seeking refuge and support in one of the hottest, least developed nations in the world.
On day two in Niger, Manu Feildel and the Plan International Australia team travelled from Niamey to Tillabéri where they visited the Plan-supported Malnutrition Case Management Centre CRENI — Center For Intensive Nutrition Recuperation. Here, critically ill babies are admitted with their mothers, and supported through the recovery process.
On Manu’s last day in Niger he travelled to Dosso — where he visited a Plan-supported school and cooked lunch for 275 eager, and hungry, students. It’s no surprise that since the School Feeding Program started, attendance rates at the school have rocketed to over 98%, although on the day Manu visited about 130% turned out as children from neighbouring villages walked miles to see one of Australia’s favourite television chefs!
To find out more about Stop the Hunger and Manu’s trip to Africa, please visit the Plan website.
Plan urgently needs financial resources to continue its existing activities for the Malian refugees living in this camp including the creation of education programs. You can help feed hungry children in West Africa by donating to the appeal.
