Chad: Yacoub Adam Abdallah

Night guard and literacy teacher - Gaga Camp

As told by one of our Education Staff...

At the beginning of Cord’s teacher training programme, I was asked by my assistant if I would allow one parent to sit in and observe. I happily said yes.

Little did I realise that the man did not miss a single session.  I thought he was a teacher too. I was too busy concentrating on teaching the teachers how to teach, to prepare and present lessons to the students.

When the parents’ committees and the school directors decided to replace six teachers who had gone back to Sudan, we started the recruitment and held a qualifying test.

I was taking pictures of the new teachers for their ID and was surprised when told that one of them was a night guard. It was then that I noticed Yacoub. I was estatic. Of the 29 applicants who took the test, Yacoub was number 4 in the top ten.

He finally reached his objective and now enjoys the admiration of his colleagues. I am very proud of him.

Stories like this are what motivate us to continue in spite of the extreme conditions we are in. The likes of Yacoub inspire us to go on, motivate us to hang on and energize us to bear all.

Ecole Djabbal-Marra, Gaga Camp.

It is the most beautiful, well kept and well managed school. It is interesting to note that since it was the last school we opened in the camp, it has the least qualified teachers to teach. But the effort exerted by the teachers and director is more that what everyone could expect.