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Children in Chad |
Children in Chad |
Children in Chad | Children in Chad |
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all about the African nation of the Republic of Chad in a series of pictures, videos
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Children in Chad know that it is unlikely that they will grow old with a life expectancy of 52.52 years (2021) and, should they have children themselves, over 10% will die before their fifth birthday. Worse still, Chad is known as a source of child trafficking both internally ~ where they are used as domestic slaves, as beggars, as cattle herders or to help the fishermen ~ and also externally to countries such as Cameroon and the Central African Republic for similar tasks as well as sexual exploitation. There are also many refugee children within Chad. At the end of 2018 the country was home to a total 659,326 displaced persons, refugees and internally displaced persons affected by the crises in Nigeria, the Central African Republic and Sudan. Despite all of this, life goes on for children in Chad. They typically live in round homes made of dried clay bricks mixed with a cone-shaped roof also made of straw (above). They rise at around 6am with a breakfast often made from millet paste left over from the night before mixed with milk. After breakfast, it's time for children in Chad to undertake their daily chores. Boys will shepherd the family goats and cattle when younger then, when older, help their fathers in the fields with sowing or harvesting. Girls undertake household duties and help take care of younger brothers and sisters, with most Chadian women having 5.65 children (2019), as well as fetching water from the local source. After this work, with the smell of smoke from the household fire still fresh in their nostrils, it's a walk to the nearest village school made of clay walls with a tin roof with classrooms of one teacher with around seventy other pupils. Education for children in Chad is compulsory between ages 6 and 12 with primary education lasting for six years. At the end of this period, the 'Certificat d'Etudes Primaires' determines whether students are promoted to secondary school or go to technical or vocational school instead. Those who are successful in their exam can then attend seven years of secondary education between the ages of 12-19 culminating in the 'Baccalaureat de l'Enseignement Superieur'. The first six years of education is technically free, however ever as, parents are expected to pay for materials and even teacher salaries so when after the first three or so years pass and what state subsidies there are dry up, most children also drop out of school with the most recent figures from 2019 suggesting just 20.56% of children in Chad attend secondary school and they are often the sons and daughters of wealthier city dwellers. (For comparative purposes, the world average in the same year was 79.52% enrollment.). Those who do stay often just receive a basic education of learning to read and write, but some teachers also provide lessons in maths, science, history and geography. On returning home and after more chores, most children in Chad will have a bit of spare time for football or other games such as skipping or hopscotch. By 6pm the sun is setting and it's time for an evening meal of millet paste with sauce then bed by 8pm ready for another day. The video above shows aspects of life in Chad together with projects and programs supporting children in the country. |
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