Physical Health Chad Project #16176

Life Skills and Peer Education for Chadian Youth

by International Blue Cross

Project Report | Jan 8, 2016
Chad comes to Scotland!

By Mischa Rychener | Fundraising Officer

Eloi, Project Coordinator, in Scotland

In October of last year, our awesome Project Coordinator from Chad left the dusty streets of N’Djamena behind for his first journey to the European Union to present at the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance Conference in Edinburgh. Upon surviving London's transportation system and some minor challenges of our digital European world, he found his way to more than 20 participants from Blue Cross member organizations around the world who came together as he took the stage. He was there to present Blue Cross Chad's momentum in creating a new alcohol policy in his country.

Why is a national alcohol policy so important to our Life Skills project in Chad? General Secretary of the International Blue Cross tells us "We must lobby for new policies to protect citizens, especially youth, from access and exposure to alcohol and drugs in their local communities. IFBC work in policy advocacy is the backbone of its successful interventions. For bottom-up community action to create policy, we aim to mobilise the local Blue Cross together with the project”

In test studies carried out by Blue Cross Chad, children were able to purchase alcohol 100% of the time in local shops. Prevention projects like this life skills intervention in Chad go a long way at empowering youth to make informed, good decisions to lead a healthy productive life. However, it is also essential that we advocate to creat policies to protect their choices; policies that limit their exposure to drugs and alcohol outside the doors of the schools and in their communities.

We are so proud of the work that Blue Cross Chad has done and as one of the students tells us: “What we want we can get there and you have to follow her dreams to achieve it.” Salma, Lycée Ibrahim Mahamat Itno High School

Thanks for your continued support and we look forward to sending you more updates throughout the year!

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Oct 8, 2015
Peer educators on the loose in N'Djamena!

By Mischa Rychener | Fundraising Officer

Peer educators camp, summer 2015

We are so pleased to share some updates with you about our exciting project in Chad. This summer Blue Cross Chad held a camp to train 80 new peer educators. Peer educators are an important part of the project, their dedication and enthusiasm is what makes the students engage, participate and ultimately change their behaviour. Peer education is based on role modeling and the ability of young people to become leaders and agents of change through empowerment and support.

One of the participants of the training told us:

“I am 17 year old female high school student in Amriguébé 2ndU3. Speaking of the training, I really learned things that are very important for me as a girl. Take for example the issue of sexuality, my parents never had to discuss this matter with me once while today I'm 17 already. So as peer educators trained by Blue Cross, we can fully play our roles in service to others for their awareness.”

Antoher participant told us: “ I am 22 years old I am student at Modern High School in Djougoulié class 2ndU5. .The modules on the topics discussed in this training are very useful for us young people so that everyone in his life can change their behavior. Actually, this training was an honor and a learning moment I will never forget in my life because we referred to the various problems that occur in Chad and indeed only concern youth. Consider the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and risk behavior for HIV / AIDS – the most affected are young people. Many thanks to Blue Cross Chad for this training really allows us to raise awareness among young people in the districts and schools. This is our duty as peer educators to really put this training into practice with others so they feel the result.”

Last year, the peer educators were especially successful at creating after school-clubs within almost all participating schools. The clubs are managed by the learners themselves, including the setup of democratic structures. Each club has elected a board and works in the manner of an associational structure. It has the possibility to access micro grants from Blue Cross in order to implement own projects. The clubs then report back on their activities and are financially accountable to Blue Cross. The experience of “small-scale” democracy and leadership, as well as micro project management and accountability, is proving extremely positive for the young people who gain leadership and management skills. In the Chadian context, this approach is ground-breaking.

We look forward to sharing more updates from the field with you and thank you for your continued support to keeping these youngsters in Chad drug and alcohol-free!

Peer educators camp, summer 2015

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Jul 13, 2015
"Life skills lessons bring a lot!"

By Madeleine Bolliger | Project Officer

Life Skills Lessons in School

Dear valued supporter,

In this report we are excited to share some updates from N’Djamena!

During the past quarter, BC Chad has continued its activities in schools and with motorcycle taxi drivers at full speed, reaching out to more than 12’000 learners in 7 different high-schools as well as to taxi drivers of 7 different sites. At the same time the project has been busy designing a baseline study. The baseline was successfully conducted during the month of May in all seven participating schools as well as motorcycle taxi stands. It was also conducted in seven “control schools” (schools not yet participating in the programme) as well as “control taxi stands.” The control schools all have an interest to join the programme at a later stage.

According to the project coordinator, Eloi, the project was welcomed by all schools: “I was surprised by the welcome, especially at the control schools. I have for example in mind a girl’s-only-school where the manager asked us to come and start the programme next year. Even the regional delegate asked us: ‘why do you limit yourselves to only seven institutions’? There are great expectations.” Statistical information about youth alcohol and drug consumption is scarce in Chad and hence we are eagerly expecting the results of this survey in August.

Chad has highest per capita consumption of alcohol in the world if abstainers are excluded. Besides this, the spread of substance abuse among the young motorcycle taxi drivers represents an additional threat. Actually, alcohol use as well as the use of a prescription drug called Tramadol are rampant among this group and lead to frequent road accidents putting at harm the drivers as well as the clients.

These facts are the reason why we help the Blue Cross of Chad to implement a large prevention programme in the capital city of Ndjamena. The Principal of Djougoulie Modern high school told us:

“We used to punish unrulypupils, butthe Blue Crosshas complementedthis withmethods other thansanctions.Their life skillssessionsbring a lot. At firstthe studentswere not interestedbut seen the importance ofvarious topics thatare debated, now they are more and more motivated andhave changedtheir behavior.Those who smokedat schooland those who came toschooldrunkabandonedthese badhabitsevenif they maybe still doitin secret.Blue Crosshas really helpedthe students ofDjougouliemodernhigh schoolto change their behavior.“

Thank you for your continued support!

Thanks for your support!

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