The Victims of the Zinder Riots

On January 16th 2015,  rioters took to the streets of Zinder (Niger) in protest of the Charlie Hebdo pulications and burned down the churches, the French Cultural center, a school as well as stores and homes of numerous Christian families in the city.

Those families now stand without anything. They escaped with their lives but lost all their belongings. The rioters broke down the walls of their houses and stole everything of value, then set fire to the rest. Animals were burned alive and several people had to be rescued by their neighbours from the burning houses.

The aim of this campaign is to raise the funds needed to help those families get their lives together again. We are still unsure of how many families have been affected, but we know of 8 families and we suspect more. Niger is the poorest country in the world and no insurance will cover their loss, nor can their own church provide them with any assistance as it has been burnt down too.

These families stand without anything. They have neither clothes, food nor a roof over their heads. Although we cannot undo the damage that has been done to them for an offence they did not commit, we can however help them rebuild their lives and recover their future.

My heart bleeds for these families and I cannot rest until they are OK. Please pass this around and help us give them their lives back!

With all my heart,

Esther Garvi
Zinder, Niger

For more info about the riots in Zinder:

"Niger rioters torch churches and attack French firms in Charlie Hebdo protest" - The Guardian (published the 17th of January 2015)
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/17/niger-protesters-burn-churches-charlie-hebdo-protest

"Five killed in anti-Charlie Hebdo riots in Niger" - Mail Online (published the 17th of January 2015)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-2914480/At-two-churches-burned-Niger-Charlie-Hebdo-protests-rage-AFP.html

"Charlie Hebdo protests: Five dead as churches and French flags burn in Niger riots over Prophet Mohamed cover" - The Independent (published the 27th of January 2015)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/charlie-hebdo-protests-five-dead-as-churches-and-french-flags-burn-in-niger-riots-over-cover-9985195.html