Africa considers soaring birth rate
It's already one of the world's poorest countries.
For Niger, the daily struggles of the country's poor show the delicate balance between limited resources and one of the highest birth rates on the planet.
Rabi Dare Diallo is a retired teacher in Agadez
SOUNDBITE: RETIRED TEACHER RABI DARE DIALLO saying (French):
"In a class where there are for example 50 pupils, or 60, or even more than 100 in the same classroom, the teacher will not be able to manage the class and teach them, so that they can learn something. Before we wouldn't have more than 23 in a class, between 15 and 23, which means we can easily manage this number of children."
Education is one of many issues facing a world awaiting the birth of its seven billionth resident -- expected, according to United Nations' math ... sometime next week.
Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the UN Population Fund is calling the milestone a "call to action."
(SOUNDBITE) (English) DR BABATUNDE OSOTIMEHIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE UN POPULATION FUND, SAYING:
"We should invest in health and education of the world's 1.8 billion young people, and make them entrepreneurs who force us to sustainable development. This will yield enormous returns in economic growth for generations to come."
The population hit six million in 1998 and reports estimate the population could hit 10 billion by the end of the century.
Deborah Gembara, Reuters.
For Niger, the daily struggles of the country's poor show the delicate balance between limited resources and one of the highest birth rates on the planet.
Rabi Dare Diallo is a retired teacher in Agadez
SOUNDBITE: RETIRED TEACHER RABI DARE DIALLO saying (French):
"In a class where there are for example 50 pupils, or 60, or even more than 100 in the same classroom, the teacher will not be able to manage the class and teach them, so that they can learn something. Before we wouldn't have more than 23 in a class, between 15 and 23, which means we can easily manage this number of children."
Education is one of many issues facing a world awaiting the birth of its seven billionth resident -- expected, according to United Nations' math ... sometime next week.
Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the UN Population Fund is calling the milestone a "call to action."
(SOUNDBITE) (English) DR BABATUNDE OSOTIMEHIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE UN POPULATION FUND, SAYING:
"We should invest in health and education of the world's 1.8 billion young people, and make them entrepreneurs who force us to sustainable development. This will yield enormous returns in economic growth for generations to come."
The population hit six million in 1998 and reports estimate the population could hit 10 billion by the end of the century.
Deborah Gembara, Reuters.
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