16-04-2018 | di COOPI

Niger: art, education and rights

«Art, sports and cultural events are actual instruments capable of reducing tension while enabling children to learn in a protected and positive environment. They are activities that indisputably complete the children’s educational process and help them overcome the traumas and stress experienced - and that they continue to experience - in Diffa Region». This is how Beto, cultural activist and president of the Arène Théâtre Company, defines his active involvement in the Region.

The activities that Beto carries out, within the framework of an educational project implemented by COOPI in Diffa Region and funded by AICS (Italian Agency for Development Cooperationt), are the result of a consolidated collaboration between COOPI and Arène Théâtre.

The project allowed to produce ten sketches on children’s rights which will be broadcast on the radio throughout the Region, and which according to estimates will be listened to by at least 4,000 recipients.

After writing the contents of the sketches, Beto translated them into the three local languages (Houssa, Fulfuldé and Kanuri) and recorded them, in collaboration with a second partner, NGO Alternative Espace Citoyens (Alternative Citizens’ Space), a civil society organization greatly active in Niger in disseminating and raising awareness on human rights.

Owing to Alternative’s training, COOPI teachers and personnel learned how to enliven the sessions devoted to the sketches in emergency classes and schooling centers attended by the children and adolescents benefitting from the project.

On the occasion of the Universal Children’s Day, the actors of Arène Théâtre performed several of the sketches and livened up the day with a choreography and sport competitions.

The weekly radio program addressed to boys and girls talks about their rights and creates moments for reflection and debates on fundamental themes devoted to education and the development of principles for an active citizenship.

Vincent Moussa, COOPI person in charge of artistic activities, organized a series of meetings on artistic creation not only for children and adolescents, but also for adults. In fact, the parents were provided with fabric, paint and pencils and were encouraged to express their ideas on rights and to share their opinions and views on a fundamental theme for their children’s future.

In a context such as Diffa’s characterized by emergency and continuous insecurity, it means a lot to be able to offer children a “light” moment of entertainment and the possibility to share opinions constructively.