School supplies

Back-to-school shopping is a familiar annual ritual. Stocking up on pens and pencils, notebooks, etc., we’ve all done it and many of us probably didn’t enjoy the experience. In the refugee camps in Eastern Chad, children from Darfur only wish they could go on such shopping sprees. There is an ever-present threat of shortfalls of basic school supplies, which could interrupt their education. Help us prevent this from happening by establishing an emergency fund for more than 24,000 students.

Our on-the-ground partner CORD tells us that gaps occur in the funding of basic school supplies, and in-kind donations from other aid agencies sometimes arrive late. We are talking about pens, pencils, notebooks, chalk, erasers, sharpeners — low-cost, but high-importance items in a school. How can we let this continue to happen? Aren’t these children facing enough obstacles already? As long as they have schools and teachers, we should make sure that basic supplies never run out.

Unlike the other items on the Chad Wish List, there is no fixed goal for fundraising for this. We simply want to provide a fund that can only be used for school supplies and will always be available in case a shortfall occurs. CORD estimates that there are more than 20,000 students in its educational programs in Bredjing, Treguine, and Gaga Camps, 4,000 in nearby Chadian villages, and additional learners in literacy and informal English language programs. Each of those probably needs two pens, two pencils, a sharpener, and a notebook. Check the cost of these supplies at your local store, and let that guide your giving. Imagine how much chalk schools in your county would use for teaching 24,000 students. Give as little or as much as you can, but please give something to ensure that education can continue in the midst of this crisis.

Earmark your donation for “School supplies.”