Education in Chad

with Sudanese Refugees

Cord is proud of its achievements in having reCord attendances at its schools in the refugee camps of Eastern Chad, alongside a significant increase in the number of girls who now attend. Education is held in high regard by the Sudanese, so that our classes have to run on a shift system to meet the demand.

Cord run 19 primary schools offering schooling for 21,000 children aged 3-20.We employ local Chadians and 450 refugees who we have trained as teachers in maths and arabic, and who are recognised as being amongst the best in the region.

Our Secondary School programme is proving highly popular and successful, whilst extra mural English Language classes – eagerly attends out of hours by more than 400 students-- are seen as the road to freedom for those hoping to go on to further study and, hopefully, to university in Southern Sudan.

Adult Literacy classes in Gaga Camp are helping 1,800 young adults improve their numeracy and literacy skills, sadly depleted by years of conflict and turmoil.

In some cases a shortage of basic classrooms means that some children endure the relentless sun to sit outside in the sand for their lessons-a situation Cord is trying hard to address.

Creating extra classrooms, made of natural materials, is one of our priorities for 2008. Cheap, cool and able to withstand high winds, the hangars can be built in three days for just £110.00  (nick pix here of hangar ex Anne/newsletter..

Despite the impact and success of our programme in Chad, there is a constant need toprovide sufficient basic materials - exercise books, pens and pencils, blackboards, mats to sit on, text books for secondary study, geometry sets, water buckets… and of course classrooms.

with the Chadian Community

We also run an outreach programme in 19 local Chadian villages, where the needs are great and where the people find themselves vulnerable to attack from rebel militia. 

In 2008, by working with local Parents’ Associations, we will step up this scheme by maintaining village schools, giving teachers training and basic equipment. Girls will be encouraged to enrol by providing soap as an incentive, with small clothing grants for the poorest families.  Pre school children will be given a slate and chalk, a toy and a mat to sit on.

Small school gardens will be developed, with Cord providing seeds, a way of transporting water

and manuals on growing crops.

Adult literacy classes and training for mothers will run alongside general nutrition and hygiene courses.