At Niger’s School for Husbands, the Lesson Is ‘Space Your Children’

August 14, 2014

(NPR) – The school for husbands is in session in Niger. It’s part of an effort to bring down the world’s highest birthrate: more than seven children per woman on average. That’s a major problem in a country that depends on agriculture but has only a limited amount of land that can be farmed — much of Niger is desert — and ever more hungry mouths. The current population of 17 million is expected to double in 20 years if the birthrate stays at its current level.