Our church supports the family of Sean & Carrie Blake, missionaries serving Niger on behalf of Serving In Mission (SIM). Here’s the latest update regarding their ministry.
On May 1, I had the honor of visiting and presenting at Georgetown Presbyterian Church (GPC) in Washington DC. Like many of our faith partners, GPC has been supporting Remember Niger for many years. Without the support of our church partners in the United States, we would not be able to achieve our mission of unifying people and expanding educational opportunities in Niger. Thank you for your support.
Rev. Dr. Camille Cook Howe, pastor of GPC, reminded us in her sermon of Jesus’ call to “feed my sheep”. I am continuing to reflect on her words as I think about the many ways we come together to show God’s love. With your help, I am humbled that we can answer Jesus’ call by coming alongside our Christian partners in Niger to love the most vulnerable children who would not otherwise be able to go to school.
In this newsletter I’d like to introduce you to the Aguie School. This Christian school was established in 2007 and it is now a strong and thriving school community. I encourage you to read about Leahtou, the Aguie school principal. Her strong faith and Christian commitment is one of the reasons the school is so successful. I hope you enjoy reading more about the Aguie School. Thank you for all that you do to make it possible for us to support these dedicated Christian partners in Niger as we work together to provide quality educational opportunities.
Kara VanderKamp
Executive Director
Remember Niger Coalition
Welcome to the Aguie School
The Advanced Bible School of l’Eglise Evangelique de la Republique de Niger (EERN is located in the village of Aguie. Adults from across Niger come to this Bible School to further their understanding of the gospel. For more than a decade the staff and students of the Bible School dreamed of opening a primary school in the village of Aguie to to provide quality education for their children and the children of the village. Through their own efforts, the Aguie Primary School opened in 2007 with 15 students. The school added a class each year until it was K-6th. The first permanent structure was completed in 2011 and the school filled up immediately. A second 3-classroom building was added in 2013. The primary school is now at capacity with 377 students in pre-school through 6th grade.
Remember Niger began partnering with the school in 2012 and through the generosity of our supporters, we provided funding for the construction of the 2-classroom preschool building in March 2018. Every year, 100% of the 6th grade students at the Aguie school pass the national exam and matriculate to middle school.
A Leap of Faith: Aguie School Principal
Leahtou is the principal of the Aguie School. She has grown her Christian school from a small kindergarten to a thriving school community with grades preschool through 6th grade. Leahtou started her career as an elementary teacher in the public school system. In 2007, her church asked her to become the principal of the new school they planned to establish in Aguie. Leahtou relied on her love for God and she took a leap of faith when she left the security of her government job to help make the new school project a reality. The school’s success is a direct result of Leahtou’s leadership. She is invested in each student and communicates regularly with parents who listen to her and implement her advice. She recruits high-quality teachers, supports them well, and sets an example of Christian love, dedication, resourcefulness, and problem solving.
Sponsorships for Aguie Students
Remember Niger provides sponsorships for 50 students to attend the Aguie Primary School on an annual basis. It is our goal to provide sponsorships for 10-15% of the students in any one of our partner schools. This ensures that the most underserved students in the area still have access to high-quality education. The gender make-up of the Aguie Primary School is approximately 50% male and 50% female. .
How Can Your Congregation Help In 2022?
Participate in the Laying Foundation Campaign for Construction of the Aguie Middle School
Remember Niger plans to construct middle school buildings adjacent to the current primary school classrooms to expand the education continuum for students in Aguie. The construction project will be completed in two phases, Phase 1 is a 2-classroom building to be constructed in 2022; and Phase 2 is another 2-classroom building slated for completion in 2023. The anticipated cost of each phase is $29,000.
Each year, Remember Niger raises funds for capital projects with specific partner schools in our Laying the Foundation Campaign. We are excited to include Phase 1 of the Aguie Middle School in this year’s Laying the Foundation Campaign and hope that your congregation will consider giving toward this campaign, which will allow the school to grow its enrollment by 150 students per year. Please contact Kara VanderKamp if your congregation would like to help.
Pray for our students and partners.
Please pray for these requests:
* For the construction of the new Aguie Middle School, that funding will be provided and all workers will be safe during the building process
* For Leahtou, that she will continue to be safe and have God’s hand on her in her leadership role as school principal
* For Aguie students and teachers, that they will learn and thrive according to God’s will and purpose for their lives
Construction on the new Aguie Middle School will begin this summer. Students who graduate from Aguie Primary School will be able to matriculate to middle school on the same campus.
Remember Niger Coalition
430 E 8th Street, #146
Holland, MI 49423