Chad Relief Foundation

Who are we?

The Chad Relief Foundation (CRF) was initiated in April, 2007 by a group of people in Santa Barbara, California dedicated to improving the lives and prospects of the people of south Chad , with particular attention to the 50,000 refugees from the Central African Republic living in camps outside of Goré and Danamadji.  These are the forgotten refugees for whom there is no media attention, celebrity presence or geopolitical significance.  CRF provides a model of how a few concerned citizens in a very rich country can materially affect the lives of thousands of people in a very poor country.

Board Members: The CRF Board is composed of lawyers, academics, and business and health care professionals.  Board members have experience in relief and development efforts in Chad, the Sudan, Sri Lanka, Rwanda, India, Turkey and Louisiana .  A growing cadre of volunteers supports the Board's efforts. 

Funding: CRF is funded entirely by private individuals, foundations, and businesses.  CRF's entire budget supports specific projects in south Chad .  

Partners: CRF's relief efforts in Chad are accomplished in partnership with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNICEF, CARE International and the Association des Guides du Tchad.

Administration and Fund-raising: CRF limits administration and fund raising expenses to a bare minimum.  The only fund raising expenses are printing and postage. CRF has no paid staff.

What do we do?

Philosophy and Action: The United Nations relief effort is designed, because of financial constraints, to maintain only a minimum level of shelter, nutrition, education and health.  Beyond this level of relief is a wide range of assistance (the unfulfilled wish list of every NGO on the spot) which defines CRF objectives.

CRF projects have provided wheelchair/tricycles for more than 50 physically handicapped people in the camps and surrounding area; a shelter, well and latrine at a border crossing where refugees awaiting transport to the camps had been camping in the bush; a secondary school for children living in two refugee camps and 10 nearby villages; and a program to educate refugees and raise their awareness about the rights of women and children.  Other projects on the CRF agenda include providing solar power to rural health centers, establishing a micro-finance program to enable farmers to purchase oxen and plows, and constructing a sports facility at the secondary school built by CRF and UNICEF.

How do we do it?

Evaluation missions: CRF Board members regularly visit south Chad, always at their own expense; the first four missions took place in September, 2007, March and October, 2008 and February, 2009. The Board members consult about short- and long-term needs with the refugees and their representatives, the NGOs that operate in the refugee camps, and government officials in the area.  On their return to the U.S. , the Board establishes relief and development priorities and determines money raising strategies to finance the designated projects .  

Project implementation: Once a project has been selected, the focus shifts to issues of procurement, transportation, training in operation and maintenance if required, oversight and audit.  Projects are carried out by officials of NGOs in south Chad whom we know and trust.  To date, no NGO administrative costs have been underwritten.  CRF Board members travel to Chad to assure that projects are implemented as planned .

Why are we doing it?

The sad reality is that the “forgotten refugees” of south Chad live in desperate poverty. Many are malnourished –- chronic hunger is a virtually universal complaint -- many have serious health problems such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS.  They live in tents and mud huts that leak, without electricity, paved roads, and few sources of income.  There are only rudimentary medical resources, currently no recreational facilities and only a small proportion of girls attend school. The camps provide potable drinking water and limited sanitation facilities, but these are often underutilized .

An even sadder reality is that young Chadian children die needlessly. Chad has one of the highest child mortality rates in all of Africa .  One out of five children will not reach the age of five.  Malnutrition, malaria, and infectious respiratory diseases are the principle threats.  In almost every case, these killers are preventable. Immunization, better nutrition, and simple procedures for health monitoring and treatment can –- effectively and inexpensively -- revolutionize the long-term outlook for these children.  

At CRF we are convinced that improvements on all of these fronts can and will be made when people of good will organize themselves to make it happen.

At CRF we are convinced that improvements on all of these fronts can and will be made when people of good will organize themselves to make it happen.
 
 For more information on CRF’s projects, consult www.chadrelief.org.