On February 12, 2026, Solthis officially marked the completion of the AZANTCHI and LAHYIATA projects in Niger during a workshop bringing together institutional partners, health professionals, mentors, and project teams. These two initiatives, carried out in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, have contributed to sustainable progress in the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women, adolescents, and young people, particularly in the Niamey and Maradi regions.
“Let’s hope that this strategy will be sustained for the benefit of all, contributing to the reduction of maternal and perinatal mortality.”
— Gao Zaharatou Issa, national mentor teacher for the AZANTCHI project
Beyond the quantified results, these projects have helped to strengthen the capacities of national actors and embed innovative practices within the Nigerien health system.
LAHYIATA: empowering adolescents and young people
The LAHYIATA project aimed to improve access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), while contributing to the fight against HIV and gender-based violence.
In concrete terms, this resulted in:
– More than 200 health workers trained
– 84 young leaders and 40 teachers mobilized and equipped
– 16 self-care workshops organized for 4 cohorts of 40 adolescent girls (aged 10–19)
– 25 young girls supported towards economic empowerment
In the supported structures, service quality scores have improved significantly, rising from 70% to over 90%, for example. Beyond the indicators, this translates into stronger life trajectories, better knowledge of rights, and an increased ability to take action for one’s health.
AZANTCHI: institutionalizing mentoring in reproductive health
The AZANTCHI project aimed to integrate mentoring into the health system on a sustainable basis as a lever for continuous improvement in the quality of maternal and neonatal care.
Key achievements:
– 30 mentor midwives selected and trained in Niamey and Maradi
– An updated and harmonized national mentoring system
– Regular on-site mentoring missions to support teams
Mentoring was based on a practical and collaborative approach: observation in real-life situations, personalized advice, strengthening of technical skills, improvement of protocol mastery, and promotion of respectful, patient-centered care.
Thanks to this technical and educational support:
- Midwives gained confidence
- Practices were harmonized
- Teams are better equipped to meet the needs of women and newborns
This dynamic made it possible to correct shortcomings, learn “by doing,” and embed concrete changes in behavior and quality of care.
The completion of the projects marks a milestone, but also a new challenge: ensuring the sustainability of the good practices resulting from their implementation. A dedicated video highlights the central role of mentoring through testimonials from mentors and health professionals, providing concrete examples of the changes observed in the field.
Watch our video on mentoring as part of the AZANTCHI and LAHIYATA projects :