Voices of Peace in Chad

Voices of peace is our regular update from our staff working in the field.

Meschac Bondo, Cord’s Programme Coordinator in Chad, is Congolese. Having lived through years of war and atrocities in his homeland where he worked with Food for the Hungry, he chose to leave the DRC to support the Sudanese refugees from Darfur living in eastern Chad. Meschac wanted to help them overcome the difficulties of surviving in a country of refuge and to experience management in a predominantly Muslim country, with the challenge of integrating different religions into the fragile world of the camps and the workplace.  Here are his thoughts.

In the life of every man the ideal is to live in a world where peace prevails, a world full of love and good sense and mutual understanding. Peace is what our God wants for each of his children.

A person who has nothing to do is ready to accept any offers that come and is easily manipulated. That’s why dealing with the protection of children through education prevents them embracing violence or being misused.

I believe that the education programme CORD is implementing in the camps is key to achieving peace in the world; that it is easier for an educated person, versed in ethics and taught balance to better identify problems and to make sound judgements before taking any action. We are convinced that all the children that we are supporting in the camps will be the future catalyst for peace when they return to their home land. They will be choosing to open a dialogue in conflict situations rather than to fight.

Travelling through the camps as I do now is for me a time of observation; to note what needs doing in the near future, share new experiences and often to encourage the children to study effectively for the future management of their country. Sometime travelling is so stressful because we frequent places full of insecurity and that’s where we feel the power of God’s protection.
While I go around the camps it’s easy to see that the refugees hold Cord and its staff in high esteem.  ‘Cord is our Father, our Mother and our Brother, who opened our eyes among the blind’ is what they say. It’s through these statements that I feel the importance of Cord being here.

What impresses me most with the Sudanese is that they agree that education is an important part of development. The parents understand that the fact they haven’t had any schooling is a social problem everywhere. That‘s why they say they are pushing their children to attend school; at the same time they are making themselves literate so they can integrate socially.

I also visit the neighbouring Chadian villages where, although on a much smaller scale our help is a huge support. Of 14 existing schools, nine are new thanks to Cord’s help in supplying, through our sponsors, the iron sheets and cement and in some cases the school equipment.

The villagers are really motivated to progress because they are very enterprising where education is concerned, despite a reduction in help from the Chadian government. There is a shortage of staff, with students across three or four levels being taught by one teacher. Even so the villagers are very grateful for all that we do, and say millions of thanks.

My hopes?  That one day the Sudanese can return home, to work and contribute to the reconstruction and development of their country. It’s a truth that no nation is free in a land of refuge; even if they have good ideas or willingness to invest, they can’t apply them as easily because they have limited access to certain facilities.  I hope that peace is established soon and that the Sudanese refugees can return to practice freely what they are trying to learn in the camps.

For now I hope that peace prevails so that Cord can continue to assist the refugees and the local communities. With the wind blowing against the dictator in Africa today, I hope that Chad will be spared so that donors continue to finance the needs of the people here.’