ABOUT

The Sara Association is a religious organization, which aims is to share the Gospel of Christ, encourage Christian women, and positively impact the socioeconomic status of the most vulnerable women and girls in the community. Through its various educational and lucrative activities and programs, the organization contributes to the reduction of poverty among women and girls in Niger.

Vision of the Sara Center:

Improving the standard of living of women and girls- providing holistic assistance to young women and girls. The vision of Sara-Niger association is the salvation of women and girls and the socioeconomic development of women and girls in Niger

Mission of the Sara Center:

To contribute to the education, edification and development of the women and young girls. SARA-Niger's mission: to raise awareness and mobilize Christian women and girls to share the Gospel.

Impact of the center on the community:

Socioeconomic and spiritual impact - the center has helped to raise the standard of living of more than 130 women and girls by training them in the fields of sewing, soap making, knitting, literacy; and equipping each woman with a sewing machine and starter materials to allow them to start their own sewing business. Our latest survey (2020) found that most of these trained women have had their lives and that of their families transformed and are become economically independent.

We receive feedback that the message of evangelism or the advice received at the center led to a big change in the lives of many of the participants, their testimony and that of their parents. Before receiving training at the center, many married women were viewed like a burden for their husband who took care of all expenses alone, but now with this training the women have be able to open their own work shop and they no longer dependent on their husband alone or their parents for financial support.

All of the married women even contribute to the household expenses; they sew their own clothes and that of their children, reducing the family expenses. Two of the center graduates, are currently volunteers at the center to help us in recognition of what they received. We have an average of 50 women going through our program each year, and divided into 3 class levels

Our strength:

Our center is exclusively run by a team of dedicated volunteers. Our association is a non-profit organization and its resources come from membership dues, the proceeds of its activities (sale markets, fundraising) and donations. Our accounts are transparent to those who support us.

Our Programs:

Sewing program: An average of 53 women and girls attend sewing classes five days a week, taught by professional seamstress and volunteer sewing assistants. In three years, the program enables participants to master sewing skills, graduate from the program and receive a sewing machine and sewing kit to help them start a small business.

Literacy: Twice a week, literacy classes are taught by Sara center facilitators and volunteers. the program enables participants to learn basic alphabetization, basic notion of entrepreneurship, Material and supplies are distributed by Sara Center.

Basic first aid Course.

Housekeeping/cooking sessions

Each year, we bring more young women on the path to self-reliance, by offering them at the end of their program, a sewing certificate, a sewing machine and mentoring.

How to volunteer:

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with us. Please complete the interest form and let us know, through this message, your talents and what activities you are interested in participating in.

Our events:

Expo/sale
Contract orders

Our partners:

Association des Missions et Eglise Evangelique du Niger
Madala Association
Cure Niger
Purse Samaritan
SIM Niger

Our Needs:

New computers for the program, because we want to start the building of our own center on a land purchased few years ago as we have outgrown our current location (we are currently renting our current location, and it would be more sustainable for us to get our own center.

Open a woman owned and operated Restaurant as another entrepreneurship opportunity for the women in our community.

New sewing machines to replace the ones we use for instructions (we have been using these machines since 2005)