Pictures of Chad are difficult to come by. Enjoy some of the shots taken in April 2011 and share them with your friends!
Photos of Chad
Photos of Chad
 His excellence, Mr. Michel Reveyrand-De Menthon, French ambassador to Chad, visited Moundou on the 16th of May. One of his objectives was to meet with non-governmental organizations in order to discover their projects, and listen to their concerns. He met with representatives of each NGO to analyze different ways France can cooperate to encourage economic development in the region.
Among the NGOs invited to present their projects was ENVODEV. Yanice had the opportunity to talk about the different projects we are currently working on. One point that was praised by the ambassador and the other organizations was the fact that our projects respond to environmental and sanitary issues while offering poverty relief through economic activity. There are various NGOs working in southern Chad, but there is very little collaboration. Yanice´s meeting with the French Ambassador and organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, African Development Foundation, International Development Enterprises, and the Red Cross, was a great encouragement to us. It not only gave us a chance to have a voice with very well renowned NGOs but also build contacts that can help us in the future. Yanice has been invited in early June to represent ENVODEV at the French Embassy in N´Djamena. This will give us an opportunity to get registered there and have access to more resources and information about Chad. We are thankful that the French Ambassador has taken interest with our organization and is seeking ways France can bring financial support to ENVODEV.  ENVODEV responding to the Chadian plea. When ENVODEV was established in Chad last year, local authorities in Mbaikoro and Mbaibokoum welcomed our projects as great news. When we explained our intentions regarding sanitation (composting project) and energy (eco-charcoal), they urged us to succeed and to get Chadians working on these projects as soon as possible. During my last visit to Chad, after our team worked with the team in Doba, Mr. Emmanuel Nadingar (the Prime Minister of Chad), came with the Environmental Advisor to the Prime Minister along with Mrs. Toupta Bougena (Minister of Health) to learn more about our eco-charcoal. They met with Mark Heath and Philomène, and actually had a meal cooked on our own eco-charcoal as they learned about the fabrication process. In Moundou, I met with a delegate of the Ministry of Community Care, and explained the health and environmental impacts of our charcoal and compost projects. These encounters are a big step forward for ENVODEV. Chad is difficult country to penetrate and the hardest phase for any organization is simply to start. ENVODEV has received unanimous support from the Minister of Health and from the Prime Minister of the country. We are strongly encouraged to develop these projects as the government is soon going to crack down even harder on wood consumption in Chad. Local authorities´ role in projects As ENVODEV continues to promote its projects, local authorities have committed to facilitating our efforts as much as possible. Last year, after talking to the local representative of the state in Mbaikoro, the prefecture immediately gave ENVODEV a large piece of land to develop our activities. Authorities in Moundou, Doba, and Mbaibokoum have expressed their intent on assisting the progress of our projects in similar ways. Yanice with Ambassador of France to Chad Yanice will be meeting with the Ambassador of France to Chad today at 5 P.M. (local time) to present ENVODEV´s projects. The ambassador has heard of ENVODEV and would like to understand the nature of the projects. We are encouraged by the interest shown by the French authorities. Momentum is growing and Chadians at all levels are bringing their support. As the need for our projects to grow becomes all the more urgent, we need your support more than ever. Consider making a donation, and take part in projects that reach some of the most disenfranchised people in the world. David P. DeArmey International Director david.dearmey@envodev.org Just received notification from Yanice that he is back in Moundou. Half way to Ngaoundéré, Yanice received a phone call from the French Consulate in Moundou, inviting him to meet the French Ambassador on Monday 16. Yanice had to leave Amadou along the way and catch a bus back to Moundou for preparatory meetings today with the French Consul.
Amadou, on his side, made it safely to Ngaoundéré, and is getting the vehicle fixed today. This is a great opportunity for ENVODEV to be known not just by national authorities, but also by French authorities. France plays a significant part in Chadian affairs and its support could be a real help to us!  I was able to talk to Yanice Akono this morning. He is currently driving our old Toyota Hilux from Moundou to Ngaoundéré (Cameroon) to get it completely fixed. Yanice´s brother, Amadou, is travelling with Yanice. Amadou is a professional mechanic. He came to Moundou to spend time with his brother, but also to help with our car situation. Amadou was able to fix the car enough for it to drive safely to Ngaoundéré. Getting the car repaired in Cameroon is cheaper, and safer. This will allow us to consider selling it once it is fixed in view of buying a new vehicle. Ideally, ENVODEV would like to get the Hilux repaired, and get a second one as a back-up vehicle. In the future, activities will obliges us to have a second car. We will keep you posted on Yanice and Amadou´s travels to Cameroon.
One of Chad´s greatest resources is rice-straw. It is almost completely destroyed after each rice harvest even though it represents an enormous alternative to wood charcoal. Instead of cutting down trees to use as fuel for cooking, rice-straw can be carbonized and pressed into charcoal briquettes ENVODEV calls Eco-Charcoal. It is ecological and economical. See how it is made. It was great visiting Patricia´s new workshop and see the progress she´s made. She now has 4 apprentice and a new sewing machine. At the inauguration ceremony back in March, she found a name for her sewing center: Atelier Fleur de Lis (Lily Flower workshop). Patricia takes this name from a passage in the Bible that reflects the attitude that guides her:
¨And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was not dressed like one of these.¨ Matthew 6:28-29 Exciting news! I was able to spend time with the Groupement Espoir, our partner group in Doba, to do extensive work on the eco-charcoal project. We were finally able to find a systematic technique to make charcoal briquettes (eco-charcoal) from rice-straw.
Philomene Solmen, director of Groupement Espoir in Doba brought together 6 women to work with the ENVODEV team that came to Doba from the 2oth to the 23rd of April. Yanice Akono, ENVODEV´s national coordinator, and Kevin Bandedje, who is currently doing an internship with ENVODEV went to Doba with me to oversee the activities. Philomene gathered rice-straw, Yanice organized the work site, and Kevin served as an interpreter as I oversaw the overall activities and recorded all important data. The women hardly spoke French, and Kevin was able to communicate with them in Fulbe, Arabic, Mongo and Ngambai. After 3 days we were pleased to find a consistant way of making rice-straw based charcoal, and now ENVODEV is organizing the implementation of the technique beyond Doba and will be conducting training courses for Groupements* across southern Chad. If you would like to contribute to our efforts, make a donation, and we will be sure to keep you posted on all the progess we make. If you simply want to stay informed, register for updates under the Get Involved section on our website. The eco-charcoal project will generate economic activity, job creation, and a solution to Chad´s severe deforestation. Thanks for your support! David De Armey International Director *Groupements: A legally recognized association of people who unite efforts in any activity. |
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