Through generous gifts from our supporters, the people of Guidan Gado, Niger, will receive seeds, livestock, and other help to lift them out of severe poverty
Samaritan’s Purse launched a campaign on July 10 to raise $85,000 to transform the village of Guidan Gado by providing these desperate people with improved seeds, livestock, and other basic necessities.
God provided abundantly, and through the generous support of our donors we were able to meet that goal in only two days. In just 10 days we raised $153,489—enough to not only give a future and a hope for all 1,400 villagers in Guidan Gado, but will allow us to expand our programs to reach others who are physically suffering and spiritually thirsty throughout the surrounding area.
This money will give people like Auta the ability to stay in the village without starving. Her children and grandchildren will be able to grow crops, raise animals, and provide for themselves for the first time in several years. An ongoing drought caused an exodus of young men from the village; with the ability to grow food, they will have the opportunity to return to their families.
Most importantly, we will be able to tell the people about the promise of eternal hope. Although proclaiming the Gospel isn’t forbidden in Niger, most of the population is Muslim. The work provides opportunities to talk about Jesus Christ.
“Almost all of their needs—malnutrition food insecurity, lack of water—will be addressed,” said Ayouba Hassan, the Samaritan’s Purse director of programs. “God is using Samaritan’s Purse to save lives, physically and spiritually, in Guidan Gado.”
The chief of Guidan Gado, Mahaman Chaibou, said his hope is that the changes in Guidan Gado will not just affect his people but that the benefits will also spread to surrounding villages.
“Thank you for your generous support that will allow us to touch the lives of the people of Guidan Gado and many small surrounding villages through vegetable, improved bean and millet, and tree seeds distributions, livestock distributions, the establishment of animal fodder banks, the training of a para-vet, health and nutrition education, and the construction of shallow boreholes,” said Brittany Breedlove, the Samaritan’s Purse program development officer in Niger.
Although our original plan was to provide seeds, livestock, and a few other necessities, the extra money will allow us to expand the programs and do more training sessions. With the construction of boreholes, the people of Guidan Gado will finally be able to have clean water without waiting for hours at a broken well.
“These activities will better equip beneficiary families to combat the daily hardships that they face, physically transforming their lives,” Breedlove said. “Yet, the biggest change that I anticipate is a spiritual awakening as the community of Guidan Gado is saturated with the Gospel and a tangible demonstration of Christ’s love.”
