A Welsh teenager was so moved by her experience in visiting a Medecins Sans Frontieres project in the world’s poorest country that she has set up an online account so that people can finance the project.
18 year-old Ysgol Dyffryn Teifi sixth-former, Siriol Teifi visited Niger in West Africa in February 2007 to see for herself the situation 16 months on from the terrible famine of Autumn 2005.
Back in November 2005, Siriol raised £2000 for Christian Aid’s Niger appeal by fasting for a week at school.
Last month (February 2007), she visited the Medecins Sans Frontieres Centre -'centre de nutrition de Médecins Sans Frontières à Maradi' - in Maradi, Niger and found that the problem had not gone away. Back in Wales, she said:
"Malnutrition and famine has become a chronic problem, even a way of life for the young childrenof Niger. Many do not make it to their fifth birthday."
"Children in Wales look forward to all sorts of treats in life. In Niger, children and their parents hope for life itself. MSF are achieving a breakthrough in Nourishment Programmes for the Under-5’s in Niger. There are 3 wards at their Nutrition Centre which I visited in Maradi."
"In the first ward, I witnessed children who were in danger of dying at any time. In the second ward were children who were responding positively to the treatment, and in the third ward were children who were well enough to start playing and look forward to going home and life itself. The staff told me that it was seeing many of the children making it from Ward One to Ward Three which inspired them to continue their work. It’s my great hope that we in Wales can finance this unit."
Siriol has set up this webpage and an online account with justgiving.com so visitors can make donations online to Medecins Sans Frontieres with all the funds raised going to the Project in Maradi in the name of the people of Wales.
Siriol appeared on S4C’s nightly magazine programme Wedi 7 on Thursday 15th March 2007, and later that evening a 15-minute documentary film of her visit to Niger was shown on Hacio. She was also interviewed by Marc Griffiths on Radio Cymru on the 21st of March 2007.
Siriol has been emailing friends and family to donate online, and will be organising collections at community meetings and Church Services before stepping up her campaign at the Urdd Eisteddfod in nearby Carmarthen and the National Eisteddfod.
View the video below for some background information:
Contact Siriol on - Email: siriol@cymorthniger.com Mail: Siriol Teifi, Dolwerdd, Llanfihangel-ar-arth, Pencader, Sir Gâr, SA39 9JU. Phone: 01559 384378.
Last month (February 2007), she visited the Medecins Sans Frontieres Centre -'centre de nutrition 
