The Niger River flows quietly and serenely through the city of Niamey, the capital of the Republic of Niger. Early in the morning and late in the evening, fishermen in their long, wooden canoes drift with the slow current of the river, throwing their nets into the muddy depths to supply the local markets with all varieties of fish. Many individuals wade up to their chests in the river casting smaller nets in hopes of a catch to take home to their families.

The river is the life's blood of this landlocked country of 13 million people. Niger is gradually being subsumed in the north and west by the vast desert plains and sand dunes of the uninhabited stretches of the Sahara Desert.

The country is bordered on the north by Algeria and Libya, to the east by Chad, to the west by Mali and Burkina Faso, and to the south by Nigeria and Benin. But none of these borders mean much to the average Nigerien, who easily crosses back and forth over these geographical inventions to visit with families and friends from their tribes.

The largest ethnic group is the Hausa who mainly live in the southwest of the country, and is also the major ethnic grouping in northern Nigeria. The next largest ethnic group is the Djerma-Songhai, which also has many cousins along the border in Mali. The Gourmantche tribe can be found in the southern part of the country, and then there are the nomadic or semi-nomadic tribes who wander through the dry hinterlands of to the north and west, doing their best to live from the land.

The average annual income is about $700 per capita. Much effort these days is put into exploring for oil and minerals, hoping that this will create more wealth and development possibilities for the country. Niger also has one of the largest uranium deposits in the world, but recently the price of uranium has dropped, revealing a need for a more diverse economic structure.

The country is basically subtropical, but to the south of Niamey it rapidly becomes tropical, especially along the flowing river banks of the Niger River. The desert tribes are well known for their distinctive turbans and long, flowing robes. At times in parts of Niamey, it feels like a Lawrence of Arabia is coming at you from every direction. This impression is backed up by the large number of camels in the city, most bearing huge loads of goods being hawked by their owners along the road side.

The country is 80% Muslem and 5% Christian, with the remaining 15% being devotees of animistic religions. The Christian influence came mainly from the French colonial period, which ended in 1960 when Niger became independent from France. There is virtually no religious stife in the nation with everyone basically taking a laissez-faire attitude regarding each other's beliefs, and most people would prefer this live-and-let-live attitude to continue in spite of the politicization of religion in other parts of the world.

Medically speaking, the biggest challenges for the population are the prevalence of malaria, poor nutrition, and its high infant mortality rate, the hightest in the world. Tuberculosis is also a problem, particularly in the less economically developed parts of the country. Leprosy has been so drastically reduced in Niger that the Ministry of Health is optimistic that it will be completely eradicated in the next few years.

However, a major problem that still exists is the social attitude toward people who have been cured of leprosy. They still cannot find jobs or places to live in society at large. Many people have been rejected by their families. To hilight this problem, foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa visited Niger on 7-10 August as the World Health Organization's goodwill ambassador for leprosy elimination.

Mr Sasakawa met with Niger's Prime Minister and Minister of Health, as well as other public health officials, to appeal for help in educating and changing public attitudes toward people who have been cured of the disease, but who still suffer from discrimination and prejudice.

He visited the Koira Tegui village on the outskirts of Niamey, which is mainly made up of former leprosy patients, who are now cured of the disease. About 110 families live in the village, along with other physically handicapped people.

The village held a celebration to welcome Mr Sasakawa, who they see as a supporter of their human rights effort to be treated as equal citizens in society. There was music, dances by the village women and children, and even a traditional wrestling match to entertain Mr Sasakawa and Nigerien officials who accompanied him.

Chairman Sasakawa meeting with a person affected by leprosy

Mr Sasakawa, clad in turban and local traditional clothes, spoke to the village people, saying he saw them as "brothers and sisters" and would continue to work for their full acceptance in society. The most emotional moment of the celebration came when he walked into the gathered crowd and shook hands with many people whose hands had been badly disfigured or left as fingerless stumps by leprosy.

People smiled with joy, and there were many joyful tears shed by elderly men because they were treated in such an open hearted and accepting way by their visitor. Mr Sasakawa also delighted everyone by spontaneously jumping up and joining in one of the dances with the village performers.

As a final act of goodwill on the last day of his visit to Niger, he invited Koira Tegui village elders to take part in a press conference that he conducted with the Minister of Health, summarizing the impressions he had received on his visit to Niger. For the elders, it was the first time they had been invited into such a "luxurious" environment as a Western style hotel.

If nothing else, this writer was impressed with the way that Yohei Sasakawa is walking the walk about opening doors to those members of society who have recovered from leprosy.