Niger ranks 189 out of 193 countries in the UN’s Human Development Index.1 It is located in Africa’s Sahel region and stands today as one of the most spiritually needy areas of the world. Within the Sahel, our strategic focus countries include Chad and Niger, home to 107 unreached people groups representing more than 33 million people.2 More than 20 million people in rural Chad and Niger lack access to clean water—a core issue at the heart of the Niger water crisis.
Niger
NIGER BY THE NUMBERS
Water Crisis in Niger
28.1
million
population of Niger
12.8
million
people in rural Niger lack access to clean water within a 30-minute collection trip.3
19.8
million
people in rural Niger lack access to adequate sanitation facilities.
27.6
million
people in Niger are unreached by the gospel.4
Niger
The Water Crisis in Niger
Our program targets the highly water-stressed region in rural Niger. The greatest challenges in the region include:
The daily burden of water collection
Existing water sources are widely scattered and, during the prolonged dry season, women and children spend 4-6 hours per day and travel many miles to collect water for their homes.
Finding water at depth
In most locations the groundwater table is too deep for traditional hand pumps.
Disease and poverty
Lack of clean drinking water leads to an increase in preventable diseases that can have serious health effects on children who lack access to medical care. A vicious cycle of disease, poverty, and illiteracy has crippled development. Water shortage has led to conflict, children abused while traveling long distances in search of water, internal displacement, and the spread of communicable diseases.
DO SOMETHING
Fund a Project in Niger
Serve an entire community or school with clean and living water. Projects range in cost depending on the region, project type, and amount of people served.
OUR MISSION IN NIGER
Serving the Unreached
The Sahel region, where Niger is located, is one of the most spiritually and physically underserved areas in the world. In Niger, the Christian Church exists in the extreme minority, and believers often face persecution and isolation. Local churches are frequently overlooked by the broader community, leaving them without support or resources.
As part of addressing both spiritual and physical needs, our partners in Niger work alongside pastors and local churches to respond to the Niger water crisis. By helping provide access to clean water, we support communities in building trust, opening doors for relationships, and creating space for faith conversations in a region where hope is often scarce.
Through our Niger-focused programs, we equip pastors with evangelism training and resources to reach their communities more effectively. Local believers are empowered to lead and multiply these efforts, bringing lasting change where it’s needed most.
CLEAN & LIVING WATER IN NIGER
Our Plan for the Water Crisis in Niger
With your help, more than 210,000 people affected by the Niger water crisis will be served with access to clean and living water in our two target regions, Chad and Niger, by the end of 2028. You can make it possible to see:
520
communities gain access to clean drinking water through mechanized boreholes and piped water systems connected to community tap stands
110
tap stands constructed in schools and connected to completed systems
Local
communities trained to operate and maintain water points
60
pastors, evangelists, and local believers mobilized to participate in WASH programs as an access point to share the gospel with unreached communities
How the Water Crisis Impacts Daily Life in Niger
The Niger water crisis isn’t just about thirst — it’s about survival, dignity, and opportunity.
Every day, families walk miles under the scorching sun to collect water that’s often unsafe to drink.
Imagine giving your child water you know might make them sick.
Without clean water, basic tasks like cooking, bathing, and cleaning become daily hardships. Poor sanitation and lack of hygiene facilities allow preventable diseases to spread quickly — especially in remote villages with no medical support. Cholera, dysentery, and skin infections are part of daily life.
Girls miss school. Mothers spend hours searching for water. Clinics operate without sanitation.
Clean water is not a luxury — it’s a lifeline.
In many communities, the local church becomes a place of refuge, but even these spaces often lack safe water and sanitation. Addressing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is essential not only for physical health, but for spiritual connection and hope.
Water brings more than hydration — it brings dignity, safety, and the chance to dream.
Water, Sanitation, and Health in Niger
The health impact of the Niger water crisis is devastating — and often invisible until it’s too late.
In many parts of Niger, families rely on open wells, muddy rivers, or unprotected sources for water. Without toilets, handwashing stations, or waste systems, diseases spread rapidly.
Unsafe water is one of the leading causes of child mortality in the region.
Children are especially vulnerable. Diarrheal disease, caused by contaminated water and poor hygiene, is a daily threat.
It’s not uncommon for children under five to suffer repeated bouts of illness — sometimes with deadly consequences.
Expectant mothers often give birth in clinics with no running water or sanitation. Communities face outbreaks of preventable illnesses that weaken the immune system and steal away precious time, energy, and income.
But there is hope. When communities gain access to clean water, improved toilets, and basic hygiene education:
- Disease rates drop.
- Clinic visits go down.
- Children grow stronger and stay in school.
- Hope returns.
Water and sanitation are more than infrastructure — they’re the foundation for good health, restored dignity, and long-term change.
Stories from Niger
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is your organization doing to help?
neverthirst is actively addressing the water crisis in Niger by implementing comprehensive water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs in highly water-stressed rural regions. The organization focuses on several key initiatives:​
- Community Tap Stands: Neverthirst constructs community tap stands connected to central water storage towers. These systems utilize solar-powered pumps to distribute water across entire villages, including schools and health centers, serving approximately 500 people per tap stand.
- School WASH Projects: The organization provides schools with improved access to drinking water through the installation of community-scale slow sand filters that treat water, making it safe to drink. Additionally, students and teachers receive training in hygiene and sanitation to encourage behavior change, benefiting 100 to 200 students per project.​
- Local Community Training: Communities are trained to operate and maintain water points, ensuring the sustainability of the water systems.​
- Evangelism Training: Neverthirst offers evangelism training and supports local pastors with resources, empowering local believers to lead evangelistic activities in their communities
Through these efforts, Neverthirst aims to serve over 210,000 people with access to clean and living water in Niger and Chad by the end of 2028.
2. How can I help people affected by the Niger water crisis?
You can help families in Niger get clean water by donating to neverthirst. Your gift helps build water systems that give people safe water to drink. Whether you give once, every month, or support a specific project, your help makes a real difference.
3. Why is clean water such a challenge in Niger?
Niger faces several challenges in providing clean water:​
- Daily Burden of Water Collection: Existing water sources are widely scattered. During the prolonged dry season, women and children spend 4-6 hours per day traveling many miles to collect water for their homes.
- Deep Groundwater Tables: In most locations, the groundwater table is too deep for traditional hand pumps, making water extraction difficult.
- Disease and Poverty: Lack of clean drinking water leads to an increase in preventable diseases, which can have serious health effects on children who lack access to medical care. This situation perpetuates a cycle of disease, poverty, and illiteracy, hindering development.
4. How does poor sanitation affect people’s health in Niger?
Poor sanitation in Niger contributes to the spread of preventable diseases, particularly affecting children who lack access to medical care. The absence of adequate sanitation facilities exacerbates health issues, leading to a vicious cycle of disease and poverty that hampers development.
5. Who is most affected by the water crisis in Niger?
The water crisis in Niger predominantly affects rural populations, where 12.8 million people lack access to clean water within a 30-minute collection trip. Women and children are especially burdened, as they often spend 4-6 hours daily traveling long distances to collect water. This responsibility not only impacts their health but also limits opportunities for education and economic activities.
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