Life Skills and Peer Education for Chadian Youth

General Secretary Anne Babb and Programme Officer Daniele Polini experienced during their field visit to Chad from 24 January to 2 February 2017 a week full of activities, interesting and welcoming people, workshops and meetings.

Their visit to the alcohol- and drug prevention programme „Life Skills and Peer Education“ which is implemented with the Blue Cross Chad, has confirmed its positive impact since 2013. Teachers and caregivers are witnessing social empowerment and a decrease of the consumption of alcohol and tobacco among participants. It has become clear during the visit that focusing on Gender Based Violence problematics in the new project phase is highly important. Gender problematics are widespread and many girls emphasized how enriching the classes are for them and showed real urge to talk about gender-specific problems. They range from social and professional discrimination to child-marriage and sexual abuse and pointed out the personal importance the programme has for them.

In order to improve the quality of the programme further Daniele Polini held several successful workshops on social accountability, local partnerships and fundraising. General Secretary Anne Babb had meetings with the local representative of the WHO, the African Development Bank, the Interior Ministry, Health Ministry, Family and Social Ministry, the Supreme Islamic Council and the Head of Evangelical Missions in Chad as well as the Mayor of N´Djamena in order to sensitise and inform stakeholders in those institutions about alcohol and drug problematics.

So far the participating stakeholders are very supportive of the project and report positive changes and the motivation to keep going and developing and broadening the project activities further. In order to make behavioural changes sustainable the Government of Chad has involved several of its departments and civil society to support the preparation of an Alcohol Law during the past years. Anne Babb met with the various committees established herefore and reports huge advances. If everything goes well the law could possibly be passed in 2017, due to the joint expertise of Blue Cross Chad, the involved ministries and IBC.

In a country with the highest alcohol consumption in the world (if abstainers are excluded) it became once more clear, how important the work done by the Blue Cross and its partners is.

We thank all the people who welcomed International Blue Cross and especially the Blue Cross Chad for its hospitality and guidance throughout the visit! Donors and supporters, we need your support in order to continue this work that gives hope for future generations. Thank you for your generous donations!