ASGN (the Association to Safeguard the Giraffes of Niger) has used grants from the Wildlife Protection Foundation in the UK and from the Zoo de Doue in France to set up a successful micro-credit scheme. The scheme helps women to develop and run small enterprises which in turn mean that their menfolk no longer need to leave their villages to find work, but can become tourist guides and also help with the conservation and protection of the giraffes which are a rare but not endangered species in Niger.

The main purpose of ASGN is to protect the giraffes and their habitat while improving the well-being of the local community. The success of the micro-credit scheme is a major step forward in helping to achieve this goal.