Life Skills and Peer Education for Chadian Youth

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!