The Sudanese refugees exiled in eastern Chad are a remarkable community beginning to take ownership of their future.  That's the view of Louise Jarvis, who has completed her time as Cord's Programme Manager in Gaga Camp.

"Six years on from the Darfur crisis the Sudanese remain a resilient and intelligent people who are determined to survive the ordeal of upheaval and of living this uncertain existence," said Louise.

"What Cord is doing is equipping them to have a dialogue with the outside world, to be their own people wherever they eventually move to, be it back to Darfur or elsewhere."

Louise cited the example of the schools' parent associations who, where possible, are meeting up with their counterparts from all four camps where Cord works under the auspices of UNHCR."One school needed the wall around its compound rebuilding. Parents took the initiative to construct the wall themselves, rather than rely on the aid agencies; so other associations decided to follow suit," she explained.

"Along with the flourishing camp market, it's just one small example of the way in which the Sudanese are moving from vulnerable dependency to self reliance."

Louise praised Cord's Chadian national staff as key to the continued success of Cord's programme.  Not only are they culturally close to the Sudanese, they also provide a continual and loyal presence as the backbone of our team.

Gaga camp's literacy programme is gaining pace, with evening classes for young brides and mothers, for those who are late arrivals to the camp or who have only recently registered for schooling. Training classes for the teachers and for year 8 pupils who are ready for further study are also proving extremely popular.

‘The eagerness and determination of the children is incredible," added Louise. "One young boy was keen and ready to do his exams, but when he put his hand in his little schoolbag made from some old plastic sheeting, he got badly bitten by a hidden scorpion. Luckily he survived, but he was devastated not to sit his exam."

"Equally the sight of a hundred children all squashed tightly together sitting on the floor, trying to balance paper and pencil on their knees and copying exam questions off the blackboard will remain with me," she said. "Despite the lack of space and equipment they were so serious about succeeding, my heart went out to them."

Cord is currently beginning a programme of rebuilding and repairing classrooms and latrine blocks in our 21 primary schools throughout the refugee camps of Gaga, Farchana, Bredjing and Treguine. After six years of constant daily use and withstanding the intense 45 degree temperatures and driving winds and rain of the wet season, many schools - built as temporary structures - have crumbling walls or have collapsed completely.

With little sign of peace in Sudan, the 35,000 pupils will need schooling for the foreseeable future. Class sizes of an average 100 children also need to be addressed. Some 80% of funding is being found by major donors, but Cord has to meet the shortfall.

To see the extent of the problem visit www.youtube.com/corduk

When Tuhn Sreyning was 13 her parents took the tough decision to stop sending her to school.

With four children to support and their rice and cashew crop providing insufficient income, they needed her to stay at home, doing the housework, cooking and helping on their farm, herding livestock and clearing grassland. Also to them these duties were more important than their daughter’s education.

As things improved Sreyning, who lives in Khmaeng village in Ratanakiri Province, went back to school and now at 17 she has graduated from the fourth grade of primary school.  In her free time she is still expected to help out around the house.

Sreyning has joined the Indigenous Youth Development Project (IYDP) which has encouraged her parents to understand the importance of education and to get involved themselves. She herself says she has learnt a lot and grown up quickly; much has changed. She spends her time working with the village elders and has learnt to weave.

Currently, Sreyning studies and works at home and in her free time weaves sarongs and scarves to sell at the market, contributing about 50,000 riels a month to the family’s income.  The IYDP initiative is just one way Cord’s local Cambodian partners, Non-Timber Forest Products, are helping to engage young people in new activities and training. After her own experience Sreyning is  encouraging other young people  in her village to take up that offer.

Cord has partnered in a joint venture with Tearfund UK to expand the huge success of our innovative Toilet Twinning campaign.

The potty idea with a deadly serious message has seen twinners from 12 countries matched with latrines deep in rural Burundi, where Cord has a programme of rehabilitation for thousands of Burundians returning home after years of civil war.

To date, some 1,425 toilets have been linked, supporting sanitation for families and schools across the remote hill villages of Giharo commune, and all trackable via Google Maps. The campaign has already raised more than £149,000 and is set to expand into Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and hopefully to Haiti.

“Toilet Twinning was a world first and we have achieved a great deal in the past year,” said Cord Chief Executive Brian Wakley.  “By joining with Tearfund we are confident that we can highlight the need for basic sanitation to an even wider audience, and in doing so support both charities in their work with the world’s bottom billion - those who remain the poorest in the world.”

To learn more about Toilet Twinning visit the website at
www.toilettwinning.org.