Chad

Providing Education for Refugee Children from Sudan

Mission Cecilia à Adré

2025

1,500

refugee children benefit from quality education

50%

girls in school

240

trained teachers and trainers

Chad is experiencing a major humanitarian crisis, with conflict, forced displacement, food insecurity and health emergencies affecting more than a third of the population. In April 2024, since the resumption of war in neighbouring Sudan, nearly half a million Sudanese have fled the fighting and reached eastern Chad, putting further pressure on this already vulnerable country.
The Aboutengué camp, located in the Ouaddaï province, is in eastern Chad, about 50 km from the Sudanese border, in a secure area. Sixty per cent of children there are currently out of school, seriously compromising their future and, by extension, that of their community.

To address this issue, and with the support of the local NGO Association des Femmes pour l’Appui aux Initiatives de Développement (AFAID), we provide young people aged 12 to 17 in the Aboutengué camp with a safe and appropriate learning environment, enabling them to resume or continue their education. Particular attention is paid to gender equality, as girls face many obstacles to their education. The project promotes their retention in school, in particular by meeting their menstrual hygiene needs, in line with Chad’s National Strategy on Water, Hygiene and Sanitation.

Souleymane Ouedraogo, Country Director, Chad

Thanks to this project, hundreds of refugee children from the Aboutengué camp and children from host communities will be able to return to school in a safe and suitable environment. By providing them with quality education and tailored support, we are giving them hope and a future.

Visite de Cecilia au Camp d’Aboutingué à Adré

Our Impact

Adapted learning: Students are grouped according to their age and level, with targeted learning content that respects their culture and religion.
Teachers, including refugees, are recruited and trained to ensure high-quality education.
Equipped infrastructure: Learning spaces are built or renovated according to the needs of the students. Teaching materials in Arabic are made available, and each student receives an individual school kit;
Community support: Existing local structures are strengthened to monitor and supervise children’s education. Awareness-raising campaigns are conducted among families and leaders in the camp to encourage school enrolment, particularly for girls;
Health and hygiene education: To support girls’ enrolment in school, they receive menstrual hygiene kits and appropriate training. Access to drinking water and hand washing facilities is facilitated in schools.
Child protection: Mechanisms are in place to identify and support vulnerable children, particularly those separated from their families. A complaints management mechanism and training on the prevention of sexual abuse are also in place to ensure a safe environment.