Niger

OLA Sisters have been present in Niger since 1947 and in August 2006, a young woman from Niger, Alice BOUKARY, made her first profession with the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles. Sr Alice was just the third young woman from Niger to become a Religious Sister. Today in Niger, the OLAs are an international group of 11 sisters in 3 communities.

The church in Niger is mainly recognized through its actions for justice and the fight against poverty. The OLA Sisters together with other Church Groups are involved in the struggle for holistic human development, health, education, and the rehabilitaiton of prisoners.

Niamey: Capital of Niger, the Red City, with its buildings combining both traditional and modern styles. The architects have been very successful in reconciling the old and modern. The drought in Niger accelerated the rural exodus, and the villagers thought when they migrated to urban areas they would immediately find a job in Niamey. The rapid urbanisation has caused housing problems and high levels of delinquency.

The OLA Sisters are in the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help which has been in existence since February 6, 1931. The Diocese of Niamey , similarly, was erected in 1961. Bishop Berlier Hyppolite is the first bishop. In total there are seven parishes in the city of Niamey. The OLA Sisters came to Niamey in 1950. Currently there are five sisters here, Eugenie Kraye Koupoh, Bernadette de Mongolfier, Bernadette Aboya, Odile Lesenne, Réjeanne Dupuis.

The Sisters are involved in many activities including primary school, kindergarten, sewing workshop, school canteen, herbal medicine, vocation promotion, catechesis .... The attendance rate of Muslims and Muslim communities in our activities is 99.9%. Sister Bernadette is involved in educating young women who dropped out of formal education. Sewing, cooking and civil /social education are included in the programme she runs. Many of these young women gain skills that enable them earn their and gain confidence and the ability to mature into responsible parents.

Since January 2007, a service of Herbal medicine has been established by the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles, with one sister and one trained doctor for consultation. The Medical Garden has begun to bear fruit: plants, seeds, leaves are cultivated, picked and processed before being packaged. The leaves must be washed before drying. They are kept whole or powdered. They are harvested early in the morning or late in the evening. Some do not like rain ... All these products are then carefully measured and presented with their recommended dosage ... this work is a real art and a genuine laboratory! Our goal is to help treat people more efficiently and at a lower cost. The dosages, hygiene and packaging requirements are all strictly adhered to. The service is well regulated with a medical doctor on board, involved in the preparation of the medicines and in the administration of them.

Bermo is the gateway to the Sahara. No television and no Internet! Letters arrive from time to time and to make purchases, they must travel more than 100 km on a dirt track. Fortunately, the well water is very good and solar panels have been installed to provide power. There is also a satellite phone. Sister Odile makes transport available to take patients to the clinic in Dakoro, the nearest town. She works with women who work with leather, are blacksmiths, or who are jewellers. Their handiwork is sent to "World solidarity", a group that takes responsibility for marketing the products.

Maradi: A dynamic city on the economic front, it has experienced rapid growth in recent years. As it grow, more and more it resembles northern Nigeria. The majority of the population is Muslim, from differing groups. The parish of Our Lady of Lourdes where the Sisters are situated, was established April 10, 1954. The Diocese of Maradi was established in 2001. Bishop Ambroise Ouédraogo is the first bishop. The OLA Sisters first came to Maradi in 1955. There are four sisters working there: Pascaline Balima, Genevieve Sokpor, Clarisse Merci Nguendotoingar and Anne-Marie Gbaba. They are involved in the following activities: Elementary school, kindergarten, human development, rural activities, catechesis. Two sisters are in training.

Dogondoutchi: A City situated 273 km from Niamey, located on the left bank of Dollol Maouri The climate is typically desert. Various crops are grown locally such as millet, sorghum, groundnut, onion and beans. The people live a basic subsistence life-style and often do not have the necessary reserves from year to year. Famine is not uncommon. The parish of St. Gerard’s, Dogondoutchi was created in 1947. The numbers of Christian remain small with the majority of the population being Muslim. The OLA’s have been in Dogondoutchi since 1993. In 2008 there were three OLA Sisters working there, Sisters Christiane Tarare, Elizabeth Soubeiga and Bertha Yoni. Their activities include promotion of human development, visiting prisoners, Cultural Centre "Waye Kai" (which translates into open mind) Library, group work, primary education, literacy, and various seminars.