Chad

MAF’s work in Chad

Chad, Africa’s fifth-largest nation suffers from inadequate infrastructure and internal conflict. Poverty is rife, and health and social conditions compare unfavourably with those elsewhere in the region.

Chad’s post-independence history (from 1960) has been marked by instability and violence stemming mostly from tension between the mainly Arab-Muslim north and the predominantly Christian and animist south.

MAF began operating in Chad in 1966 but had to close operations in 1979 due to fierce fighting and civil war. In 1981, MAF reopened operations and has been flying there since, working in close partnership with the local church to support mission and church work.

MAF’s operating permission is part of the permit granted by the government to the Entente des Eglises et Missions Evangéliques au Tchad (EEMET) – the evangelical Church of Chad - and allows MAF to serve all church groups and non-government organisations.

Vast distances and no paved road system make overland travel time-consuming and potentially hazardous.

In April 2006, rebel forces advanced on the capital in an attempted coup to overthrow President Deby. With continuous shellfire and gunfire around the city, MAF evacuated personnel from other mission organisations along with MAF wives and children to neighbouring Cameroon. As the situation calmed, staff returned but following further unrest in December, MAF families prepared to move temporarily out of Chad. From January 2007, MAF operated with a skeleton staff of pilots and engineers to cover the flying until staff could safely return later in 2007.

In January 2008, rebels again advanced on the capital. MAF evacuated to Cameroon. As fighting continued in N’Djaména, staff returned to their home countries.

In March 2008, the Country Director and one of the pilots returned to Chad for a week to assess the situation and determine if and how MAF could resume operations.

In May 2008, MAF operations resumed.

Brief facts about MAF in Chad

Operations are based in the capital, N’Djaména.
There are two aircraft in the fleet - 1 Cessna Grand Caravan and 1 Cessna 206.
There are 4 international staff families and 12 national staff.

Ministry support by MAF flights in Chad

Church work
Medical teams
Missions
Bible translators
Church leadership training
Development work

Organisations regularly served by MAF

Africa Inland Mission (AIM)
AirServ
Baptist Mid-Missions (BMM)
Bethanie (orphanage in N’Djaména)
Cooperative Services International (CSI)
Eglise catholique (Catholic Church)
Golden Hills Church
Grace Brethren International Ministries (known as MEF in Chad)
Lutheran Brethren
Mines Awareness Group (MAG)
Red Cross
SIL (Summer institute of linguistics)/Wycliffe Bible translators
Tchad pour Christ (Chad for Christ)
TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission)
UNHCR

The Chad operation also flies into the Central African Republic

Demographics

Chad has the 8^th lowest Human Development Index rating in the world

Population: 10,111,337 (UK:61 million)
Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (UK: 11 births/1,000)
Life expectancy at birth: 47 years (UK: 79 years)
Population under 15 years: 47% (UK: 17%)
High infant mortality: more than 1 in 10 die at birth (UK: 1 in 200 die at birth)
Population below the poverty line: 80%
HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: 4.8% of population (UK: 0.2%)
Literacy rate: 25.7% (UK: 99%)

Infrastructure

Vast distances and no paved road system makes overland travelling time-consuming and potentially hazardous

Area of the country: 495,755 sq miles (UK: 94,525 sq miles)
20,754 miles of roads, but only 166 miles of paved roads (UK: 241,104 miles – all paved)
55 airstrips of which 48 are unpaved

Economy

Chad’s economy has long been handicapped by its landlocked position, high energy costs, and a history of instability. The country relies on foreign assistance and capital

80% of the population employed in agriculture (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing)
Main exports include cotton, gum arabic, cattle and oil

Environment

The broad, arid plains of Chad pose environmental dangers:

inadequate supplies of drinkable water;
improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution
desertification, largely due to ill-managed deforestation

Climate

In the south, the climate is tropical but the sahara desert stretches across the north of this large country. Resultant natural hazards are:

Hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds in the north
Periodic droughts
Locust plagues

Religion

Although officially a secular state, the government favours Islam over Christianity

Muslim: 53%
Catholic: 20%
Protestant: 12%
Animist: 7%
other: 6%