Beloved, we count on your help!

In Chad, we have five missions is: in Baibokoum in Bam, in Moundou and two in Gore. All these places are located in the southwestern part of the country. Moundou has about two hundred thousand inhabitants. It has been said , that is the capital of southern Chad.

Christians, half the population of Chad (the other half are Muslim), live in four parishes in which diocesan priests work.

We, the Capuchins, we work in the only one existed in the country- center for the disabled. Under the pastoral care we have a regional hospital and prison. Only two people work in the hospital: the doctor and his assistant, who has no medical education and became a “semi-skilled” to the profession of a surgeon.

We are trying to help a large number of young people in Moundou, who came into town because of the opportunity to continue their education in local secondary schools and at the University of Bonne Homme. A lot of young people have came from surrounding villages. They live with someone from their family, with friends or rent a space to sleep. No one cares for many of them. They have to steal often, to get something to eat. This raises some other pathologies. Laxity of morals, despite numerous attempts of prevention and awareness, leads to the fact that over 40% of young population are infected with diseases that are decimating them at a very young age. They have no prospects of a better life. They have no correct pattern of behavior. They have been drawing in criminals’ groups. We meet these young people later in the crowded jail.

State education in Chad is very low. Schools do not have suitable premises. The staff is not well-educated. The teachers are the people who passed the exam, but do not have to preparation for the profession. They are very badly paid by the state and in many cases corrupt. Classes are very numerous and there are no teaching materials. School books are very expensive and hardly available. In addition, you have to pay if you like to go to school. There are also private schools, but only for those students whose parents earn really good money. Generally speaking, the level of the education is very low. This year, only 10% of pupils passed a high school exam and got the diploma in Tchad.

There is no bookstore in Tchad, you can not buy books, newspapers or magazines. Few libraries are very purely furnished. There are no places, that could offer any cultural activities to young people. There are only primitive cinema, which shows bad action movies. Young people spend their time in filled with very loud music, numerous bars where they can drink beers and other alcoholic beverages..
There are no easy and quick solutions to the problem. But we are trying to help the young people, who try to find the other, better forms of spending free time.

We want to open a center for youth on the estate, where there 4 large school are. In the project, which can be done “ by many for many “, we want to create a place where young people can meet and spend time creatively: to use the library, play sports, watch valuables movies, play the music..

Already we have built three buildings there. In one there is a large room for meetings and a smaller one, which can accommodate a library in the future. The second building is designed for a chapel. And there are rooms in the third one, where a few young people can spend some time during the school year. We have already built the buildings. Now we need to complete them. I know that our director of the secretary office fr. Benek has a lot of great ideas, so I hope that we would be able to finish the project. We need help in equipping and opening of our Capuchin, St. Elizabeth Youth Centre in Moundou.

I would like to send my greetings and thank you all who support in a moral, spiritual and material way our work for young people. Thank you and I can assure you that all donors would be remembered in prayers in our new Church community.

Fr. Andrew Angel Barszcz, OFMCap