This year, 287 students including 153 girls and 134 boys in the Republic of Chad were able to continue their education without fear of being forced out of the classroom due to a lack of ability to pay their school fees or purchase mandatory school uniforms and necessary school supplies.
In 2023, working with our longtime partner, Hope International Foundation (HIF). that number was “only” 183 (99 males and 84 females), but thanks to the supporters of Bread and Water for Africa®, this year, the number of children and youth we could serve increased by more than 100, including nearly doubling the number of female students.
HIF founding president and CEO, Esther Ndichafah, describes the school fees support program in Chad as “an educational support program that provides financial assistance to orphans and destitute children in general.
“This assistance involves paying full tuition fees including exam fees for general examinations when necessary and assisting to provide uniforms for those who are in need based on our assessments.”
Over recent years of supporting Chadian students, HIF, which is headquartered in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Esther has seen the tangible and positive results when students are able to focus on their schoolwork and continue their education without interruption.
Among the outcomes, Esther notes the program has “reduced the dropout rate among underprivileged children in our target communities; increased involvement of underprivileged children in our school’s improvement programs and improved morale and self-motivation among beneficiaries.”
She explained that the students range in age from 5, ensuring they get off to a great start in their academic life, to 21 for those who complete their secondary school education and are provided with assistance in university and/or technical education and certifications for their chosen career path.
“They are selected through mostly on-field assessment by our resident volunteers based on criteria such as degree of vulnerability and socio-economic status,” says Esther. “Through personal interviews with beneficiaries, they provide the data we need. We get more information from their guardians to complement. The Program Officer also goes to the field when necessary to carry out audits and reconstitute lists to comply with the standards.”
Among these nearly 300 promising students on the pathway to success and self-sufficiency are:
Christine Alnoudji – a Form 1 (8th grade) student at Complexe Scolaire Loo-Teenkor in Lolo. “I thank Hope International Foundation and Bread and Water for Africa® who have paid my school fees. I still count on your support and thank you very much.”
Israel Allahdigum – a Form 4 (11th grade) student from the village of Dobiti. “I am very thankful to the organizations who have helped us the orphans of Dobiti. It is worth noting that the aid offered to us has greatly helped us. We would like to persevere in order to succeed to satisfy those supporting us.
Kevine Dande – a 25-year-old third year midwife student at the American Shiloh Evangelical Institute. “I am grateful to Hope International Foundation and Bread and Water for Africa®, and in particular to mummy Esther in Yaoundé who helped me financially in my studies. I am immensely pleased with their assistance, and I am still counting on their support to complete my studies so that I can become one who can help pregnant women and take care of orphaned children like me. May God grant you a long life! May God bless you.”
Mathais Sanodji – a Form 4 student. “I would like to thank the Bread and Water for Africa® and Hope International Foundation, in particular Madame Esther, who has supported me by enrolling me in the CEG (College D’enseignement General) de Bekoura. I am counting on them to help me become either a teacher or a nurse to help orphans like me. Thank you.”
As for Esther, she wants to ensure the supporters of Bread and Water for Africa® understand how the school fees assistance program has transformed the lives for hundreds of children and youth in Chad, saying:
“It has given them a brighter future. So far some have graduating from higher institution and will soon work to earn their living without this program, they would not have had these great achievements.
“The whole community of Lolo and its environs have been salvaged by this program that has over 200 of her children on roll for scholarship.”
