Community Services in Chad

Currently there are 2,200 children aged 8 and up enrolled in football and volleyball leagues, and there is enormous scope to increase this across the four camps. The football teams meet to play at 7am before the heat of the day.  They play barefoot in the sand, with makeshift goalposts, nets and ancient balls.

Girls are encouraged to play volleyball, a break through for women in Sudanese society.

Sport gives these vulnerable youngsters a sense of self worth and of belonging (to a team), of commitment to a project and to one another, a purpose to their day, and some physical activity to engage them and briefly relieve their suffering.

Above all it offers them some fun, and a chance to experience normal childhood activity in their shattered young lives.

A further 1,600 children are part of 12 youth peer groups, participating in arts, music and drama.

The wider benefits of our programmes are already being felt: they engender a sense of identity and pride as a young Sudanese community group.  Keeping busy and active is also positively encouraging a sense of belonging, particularly important to a generation scarred by violence and turmoil.