The fundamental goals of the africaction foundation are centred on the promotion of basic education in Africa, particularly in the country of Chad.  We believe that it is time to sound the alarm about the current state of education in central Africa, as it is evident that school-age children in this region do not have access to quality schooling.  As the global community is figuratively becoming smaller and smaller and technology is helping us to learn about conditions in other areas of the world, we aim to raise awareness about this serious situation among the peoples of the world.  It is our hope that they will help us to respond before it is too late for a generation of central African children. 

Today, at the dawn of the new millennium, only about 35% of school-age children in Chad have access to a base level of education.  Furthermore, a large number of those children who are registered for primary education end up abandoning school before they have developed even the necessary skills to be able to read, write and count.  The country’s illiteracy rate amounts to nearly 60% of the total population, with women making up two-thirds and individuals living in urban areas making up three quarters of this percentage.

As demonstrated by these statistics, it is evident that the educational system in Chad is in urgent need of improvement.  As articulated to the international community at the World Forum on Education in Dakar, an action plan has been developed that aims to make access to quality education a reality for all before 2015.   The fundamental objectives of this plan are as follows:

1-Provision of basic education for all,

2-Equality between the sexes,

3-Reduction of the rate of illiteracy by 50%,

4-Improvement of the overall quality of education,

5-Development of programs that relate to building necessary life skills, and

6-Development of educational programs that focus on early childhood.

These objectives, coordinated by the Organization of United Nations for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), were established to firstly underline the seriousness of the educational situation in many developing countries.  Secondly, they are intended to mobilize concerned governments and other actors to engage in this worthwhile cause and increase their collaborative efforts to initiative real change.

The philosophy of africaction is based on careful research and informed perspectives, including the contributions of UNESCO.  We believe that all children, male and female, should be provided with a basic level of education that is culturally appropriate and practical for their life circumstances.   In addition, youth and adults who were not able to reach their desired level of education or who are in need of skill upgrades should be provided with opportunities for formal training that will help them to acheive their educational goals.  Therefore, the objectives of africaction are focussed on three essential pillars:

1-Improvement of the quality of basic education in the region,

2-Development of joint cultural and linguistic programs, and

3-Shared ownership among all implicated partners in the progress and revitalization of the educational system and the resulting new opportunities.

In addition to the lack of financial, material, and human resources that is hindering the quality of education in Chad today, children in this society often are not motivated to continue their schooling due to its inappropriate structure.  The national didactic system, which was originally instated by a colonial regime, has become outdated and archaic.  Its methods are often difficult to follow for many pupils because this colonial system does not take into account numerous cultural and intrinsic factors of the society, and teachers are not appropriately trained for the context in which they are working.  As a result, communities are generally disinterested in participating in the development of public schools.

The objectives of africaction are based on a reforming vision to change the current system of basic education.  Our new conceptualization of the educational system is centred on the creation of a cooperative partnership that includes both the state and the local community.  This arrangement allows the members of communities to participate in educational reforms through the aegis of locally elected advisory councils.  By employing this new idea, people will gain a genuine democratization of the system of national education.  We hope that this systemic change could lead to modifications of national curricula, including instruction in local languagues, and a reshaping of teacher education, as directed by a new, appropriate didactic philosophy.  This vision of effective and inclusive educational reform will hopefully lead to a brighter and richer future for the children of central Africa.