Interview...

RAMADJI.com

Interview with Nathalie Losson, Executive Director of Caring For Kaela (CFK), an international Children 's Organization doing humanitarian work in Chad.

(c) Interview by Armel Ramadji Doumnande, Dec. 30th, 2006       

Nathalie Losson, is the Executive Director of CFK, an international children's organization conducting humanitarian work and helping the most vulnerable in Chad. RAMADJI.com has spoken with Nathalie on various issues related to her work in Chad.  Read the interview.

Could you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background?

My name is Nathalie Losson. I'm originally from Belgium but have been living in the States for almost 18 years. My background is in Psychology and Economics of Poverty. I've spent most of my career working with juvenile delinquents, drug addicts and individuals with mental illness, helping people help themselves.

 You're the Executive Director of an International Children 's Organization called Caring for Kaela which does humanitarian work in Eastern Chad. Could you tell us about your organization?

CFK is not yet operational in Chad but the initiatives we are building are looking to empower the lives of destitute children in Chad and enable individuals to become the solution to their own problems. We base our concept of poverty on the assumption that the poor are poor largely because they live in networks of relationships that do not work for their well-being (i.e. suffer under relationships that are often oppressive and disempowering). In seeking to empower people our goal is to help people become less passive in the face of their own oppression and become the primary actors in their own development; participation thus becomes empowerment. It's a bottom-up approach where the poor must take part in meeting their own needs and actively work to restructure the system that has shut them out. We serve as an ally and advocate for those in this struggle.

In seeking to empower people our goal is to help people become less passive in the face of their own oppression and become the primary actors in their own development; participation thus becomes empowerment.

As a Christian organization, God and man's relationship to God is a pivotal part of our organizational philosophy, our lives and our conduct. We'd like to see ourselves as shifting the traditional development framework from a management of resources by objectives approach to a vision and values approach; a vision of where we want to be and the values by which we do our work. The question we pose to people is: are we caring for the relationships and resources that God has placed in our lives in a way that honors and glorifies God.

We, as a human race, have strayed from our original identity, as children reflecting God's image, and from our original vocation as productive stewards of the relationships and resources that God has placed in our lives. To reach a point of being able to live together in just and harmonious relationships we need to start acting like we know who God is and start managing what he has entrusted us to His glory.

What's in the name of your organization? Does it have a particular meaning?

The name of our organization is Caring Kaela (CFK); it bears the name of my god-daughter, Kaela; a child who's had an extremely difficult childhood because of the environment she was brought up in. The organization was born out of the pain I felt from my powerless in the face of her suffering and grew from having to accept that I would not be allowed to raise her. This forced me to find alternative solutions to impact her life. CFK was created with the child at its heart and the goal of strengthening the parents and the community to better care for vulnerable children.

we feel that education is the key to unlocking an individual's dreams, strengthening the family and recreating the community.

What are your areas of intervention and why those particular areas?

Our primary area of intervention is education. That's a pretty broad field but we feel that education is the key to unlocking an individual 's dreams, strengthening the family and recreating the community.  Educational interventions can be tailored to the particular needs of each child and can range from short-term technical training for drop-outs, health and nutritional education, literacy, and civic education to community development.

Our goal is to utilize the strengths and resources the community already possesses and build on those.

Since when have you been in the business of humanitarian work?

My career in humanitarian aid started in 1995, in Africa in particular since 2002.

When was your first trip to Chad and what memories do you keep from your stay?

My first trip to Chad was in 2004 with Doctors without Borders (Medicines Sans Frontieres – Belgique). I keep in my memory the relationships I made with people despite the nature of the work that kept us locked up in our offices shuffling paperwork for days on end. I found time to escape and find out about those whose country I was visiting.

Why were you in Chad?

I was the admin/fin for two refugee camps located in Iriba; 30,000 refugees in all. I managed the back-base for MSF-B, now MSF-Luxembourg, and coordinated the flow of information, finances, and human resources between their headquarters in N'Djamena and the camps in Iriba. I was based in Abeche.

To tell you the truth, the thing that most impressed me as soon as I landed was how people were dressed; the men in djellabias and women in veils. Coming from a post 9/11 background the looks of people conjured up all types of stereotypes.

What impressed you the most when you first arrived in Chad?

To tell you the truth, the thing that most impressed me as soon as I landed was how people were dressed; the men in djellabias and women in veils. Coming from a post 9/11 background the looks of people conjured up all types of stereotypes. I had yet to discover the stereotypes I conjured up. We live in difficult times and our respective governments do not make it easy for people to come together and connect. It didn't take long to get used to it and see people as people.

CFK wants to start working in Abeche in the Easter part of Chad. Why this particular area of the country? Any particular reasons?

When CFK was created our Board of Directors had to decide on a location for our first outreach initiative; we narrowed it down between Ghana, where most of us had worked and Chad, from where I was just returning. The Board did not need much convincing to realize that on several indexes Chad fared much worse then Ghana and for that matter most other African countries. Abeche was selected because of the relationships I had already forged in that city. Additionally it offers multiple resources from which to start.

Even though once I met people they opened their hearts and their homes up to me like westerners could never do, the initial contact for the most part was based on distrust.

What are the difficulties you encountered in doing humanitarian work in that area?

Even though once I met people they opened their hearts and their homes up to me like westerners could never do, the initial contact for the most part was based on distrust.

Once you got off the main roads, some kids had never seen white people from up close or even touched one, and that caused quite a bit of commotion.

Communication was also difficult; not so much the language but somehow things often got misunderstood and an agreement of one sort could quickly become something else by the next day.

When I returned to Chad with CFK I worked with a young man who had such a talent at navigating all these social rules and network dynamics that all doors would open and I experienced very little of the mistrust and difficulty in communication that I did when by myself.

Security is a definite concern. But what can you do, that's why the country needs help. We're moving cautiously and taking precautions.

Is security a concern for a humanitarian worker in Eastern Chad?

Security is a definite concern. But what can you do, that's why the country needs help. We're moving cautiously and taking precautions. 

I think Muslims in that region respect God-fearing people a lot-more then is given credit to them.

How difficult or easy is it for you, a Christian woman, to work in a Muslim region like that of Abeche?

I think Muslims in that region respect God-fearing people a lot-more then is given credit to them. What most dislike are atheists and those who conduct themselves according to the whims of their own pleasures, submitted to nothing but their own needs.

Sure, I've had a soldier grab me in not so savory places, another hold me for questioning. It helps to know people to get you out of these jams. But the biggest threat I've felt was from teenagers.

Have you felt or faced any threats?

Sure, I've had a soldier grab me in not so savory places, another hold me for questioning. It helps to know people to get you out of these jams. But the biggest threat I've felt was from teenagers. It will be quite a challenge to build bridges and form connections with them as we build our program. We've also traveled through the city at night and come across bands of thieves. But again, who you're with makes all the difference. The type of work we're looking to do calls us to seek out the most marginalized children and will place us in the midst of danger, but its not fear that will turn us away. These children deserve an opportunity.

People are always a little surprised when we say that we're not going to do anything for them but help them help themselves. For our work to be sustainable, the development process cannot be dependent on us. Participation in your own success is empowerment.

How receptive are the locals vis-à-vis your work?

I can't say we've experienced any type of resistance from local organizations thus far; most have been very receptive to us. You usually get a laundry list of needs when you approach people. Getting the community to see themselves as their own agent of change will be the challenge. People are always a little surprised when we say that we're not going to do anything for them but help them help themselves. For our work to be sustainable, the development process cannot be dependent on us. Participation in your own success is empowerment.

Relationships are key in Chad but you have to take your time. I tend to value the human connectedness between individuals a lot more then I do the outcome of any project we may put in place. To me, the goals do not justify the means, and it's often more about the journey you take than about the destination you seek to reach.

What is the relationship you have with local authorities?

Because of our connections with Chadians from the US Diaspora, we were able to get our foot in the door a lot easier. Because we are one of the few in that area who target Chadians they were a lot more receptive.

Do they make your work easier or more difficult?

That remains to be seen.

What are the pressing issues in the region of Abeche and how are you trying to tackle them?

Our analysis of the economic and educational barriers faced by people in Abeche revealed several priorities. As you know we interviewed well over 200 people in that city asking them what their needs were and those of their community; our research revealed that at the individual level meeting basic needs was still a daily struggle even in such a big town as Abeche. Humanitarian organizations have driven the cost of living through the roof and most people are being left behind, unable to meet daily demands. At the community level corruption, the need for infrastructure and the lack of employment opportunities were most often cited as hampering the growth of the city and the development of the people.

As far as the educational system; drop-out rates and children repeating grades were major factors in education not making a significant impact on literacy and economic development. There are multiple explanations why children do not complete their primary and secondary education, most of them are economic. Leading reasons were often the lack of resources of the family and the need for the child to earn money; education delays the immediate need for additional resources and reality shows that education does not always lead to the long term benefits it claims to have, particularly because of the lack of employment opportunities for graduates. Few resources are also available to assist orphans with their education.  

For adults, business development is key to the any outreach that will decrease poverty. For children, our outreach will include a system of case management and advocacy to identify and prevent drop-outs. We also plan to offer short-term technical training for those unable to commit to a full year of school encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit of young people through education, micro-financing and small business development.

But more importantly our outreaches also focus on character development as part of our initiatives looking at how people manage relations and resources. 

Since our exploratory mission, insecurity and hostilities have increased which has added another dimension to the problem of poverty reduction. L'UFDD briefly took over the city in November and food was raided from the WFP. So prior to us being able to implement any development activities, security will have to be restored in the region. CFK is working very hard to mobilize the international community to take a look at the Chadian component in the Sudan crisis. We are pushing for all parties involved in the Chadian conflict to end the violence and meet for a National Peace Forum. Massive popular education on civil rights and responsibilities under the constitution will also be an important component in moving the country out of its poverty trap.

We'd like to teach children tolerance and recreate a new identity of Chadian unity. Children are the seeds of a new nation. We have to re-create experiences in which children of different religions and ethnic groups come together and experience each other in a way that makes them feel better about themselves and each other.

What are the highest priorities in Abeche?

For us it is to give the next generation of Chadian children opportunities they've never had before. We'd like to teach children tolerance and recreate a new identity of Chadian unity. Children are the seeds of a new nation. We have to re-create experiences in which children of different religions and ethnic groups come together and experience each other in a way that makes them feel better about themselves and each other. In essence reformulating how they perceive and interact with each other

CFK does work with the most vulnerable of the society, children. What are the challenges children face today not only in the area of Abeche but in Chad in general?

I think the biggest challenge faced by children in Chad today is the climate of violence and racial and religious oppression that they are growing up with. Many in the South are still living with their oppressors deciding whether they shall live or die, whether their business will thrive or their farms produce. The challenge for this generation is to give the next generation the opportunity to recreate their identity around common roots, history and purpose. For that to happen there is a past that needs healing, mistrust to overcome, public amends to be made and true forgiveness to be given.

A united and democratic Chad is not every Chadian's goal; and there lies the challenge. The only way for reconciliation to work is if all parties are equally vested in the success of this strategy. Even for young Chadians today who've embraced the ideology of democracy the concept of a plurality of opinions co-existing within a single system is still difficult to swallow. Tolerance of the opposition only goes as far as it fits one's own ideal of development.

What projects are you currently working on?

There are several projects we are currently working on. The first one is peace-building.  Armed rebellions as a means of challenging the status quo should be a thing of the past; these methods are offensive to anyone who values human life. We are fighting very hard for a National Peace Forum to re-establish some sense of stability and order in the country. Second, if democracy is ever going to take root in Chad, people must be educated about their rights and responsibilities under the constitution. In collaboration with Chadians from the US Diaspora, CFK created a project for massive popular education on the concept of democracy and freedom of expression. The project gives young Chadian artists an opportunity to express themselves on today's current events in Chad using their art as vehicle for social change. This project promotes the use of non-violent forms of civic engagement and involves youth in the development of their country utilizing their talent to educate others on the themes of peace, unity, and reconciliation in Chad. Individuals must realize the role they must play in the development of their own country and actively participate in restructuring the system that oppresses them.

Once security has been re-established, we can start building the national education system and develop rehabilitation centers that will ensure youths a safe place to grow and a proper education. The Center serves to coordinate the activities needed to nurture orphans and vulnerable children back to health as they transition into a new home environment and case managers become the advocate for the child with the external community. Local resources are utilized to care for the needs of the children in turn strengthening the communities where we operate.

Where do you find money to fund your projects?

Currently, individual donors.

It's difficult for donors to want to invest in a country as unstable as Chad but there are bold ones out there. As I've said, security needs to be established before development can really take root. Unfortunately until people are educated about and believe in alternatives to violence, peace will only be temporary.

How difficult it is to raise money to fund the projects?

It's difficult for donors to want to invest in a country as unstable as Chad but there are bold ones out there. As I've said, security needs to be established before development can really take root. Unfortunately until people are educated about and believe in alternatives to violence, peace will only be temporary.

You work closely with the Chadian diaspora here in the DC/VA/MD area.  How is your work related to what the Chadian diaspora is doing?

The Chadian Diaspora has taken me in like their daughter and has become a strong collaborator in our initiatives.  Chadians here have committed themselves to improving their country and as much as people are helping to uplift their own people their work is right in line with CFK's philosophy. Who best to resolve Chad's problems then Chadians themselves?

We are supporting the efforts of Chadians in the US and in France who are calling for dialogue and pushing for a National Peace Forum that will move the country towards a true democracy.

How can the Chadians in general and the Chadian diaspora of the United States help your organization be successful in the gigantic and wonderful work your organization is engaged in?

We need people who are action driven and have the time and willingness to lay the foundation of a new nation. This means being bold enough to try out new solutions and go against the grain. None of us can do it alone and all of us have a part to play. Turn over your skills to the greater good and lets see how far we can go!

Collaboration; it is all of our responsibilities to act when over 1 billion people (1 in 6 people around the world) live in extreme poverty, when 800 million go hungry each day, and over 100 million children don't have access to primary education.

How can people help you and your organization succeed in your mission to protect, save, and give hope to the most vulnerable of the Chadian society?

Collaboration; it is all of our responsibilities to act when over 1 billion people (1 in 6 people around the world) live in extreme poverty, when 800 million go hungry each day, and over 100 million children don't have access to primary education.

Extreme poverty in this day and age should have been eradicated and it's a shame that so many of us can continue living in such luxury allowing children to starve for lack of basic resources. We all need to roll up our sleeves and get to work each in our own circles; aren't we done studying the problem and talking about the solutions; it's time for action. For those people and organizations already involved in this fight, coordinating strategies and collaborating with others is crucial. For people who are unable to get to the trenches and do the dirty work, their financial support is critical. Every one has a responsibility in this. As Christians, we've been mandated to reach out to the nations; there is no excuse for churches not to get involved in this battle for equality and the fight against injustice.

For Chad; it may seem rather utopic for me to wish that people would stop viewing violence as a means out of oppression. Violence is what Chadians have done for decades and it hasn't worked; has it brought democracy or prosperity to the country yet? so why are we here again? It's time to flip the script and try something new.

I am very hopeful about what my generation will accomplish; the history books will tell the story.

each one of us will one day have to stand in front of God and give an accounting for our actions. Let each man bear his own burden.

What do you think about the political, social and economic situation in Chad right now?

You are asking 'une étrangère', a foreigner to your country to judge and make an opinion about this mess. There are people much more qualified then I that can give you a better answer.

But I will tell you this; each one of us will one day have to stand in front of God and give an accounting for our actions. Let each man bear his own burden.

It's going to take an exceptional leader to stand up for the good of all Chadians and take this country to its new destiny.

How do you see the end to the sufferings of people of Chad in the light of the continuous fighting going on right now and the lack of dialogue and reconciliation that is hindering the country?

It's going to take an exceptional leader to stand up for the good of all Chadians and take this country to its new destiny.

Despite the mounting violence, there are Chadians who refuse to arm themselves and are working in the direction of dialogue and reconciliation; it's a matter of time and helping this movement gain strength, numbers and momentum. I'm always afraid of people ready to pick up weapon to solve their problems because in the cross-fire of their Kalashnikovs it could be your mother, uncle, or sister hit with a bullet. Is that a cost you're willing to pay? For thousands of Chadians that is already a price they are paying now and for many this is fuel for the hate and frustration that will start the next war.

Do you have a word for the Chadian people in general and the Chadian Diaspora of the United States in particular?

To those Chadians I have met in the Diaspora and at home fighting for the betterment of your people, you have most impressed me and I'd like to encourage you in your struggles; you have chosen to sacrifice your safety, time, and self when so often the comforts of life and the difficulty of the problem would push most to give up and move on. The task you have undertaken is colossal but it doesn't take masses to change the world. Your perseverance will determine the success of your endeavors.

This fight is not a sprint but a marathon and only those who will endure to the end will be able to glean the fruits of their labor.

A last word for our readers?

Because my story started with Kaela, I'd like to leave you with a small update on how she is doing; she's now 8 years old. Her mother has disappeared but her father has taken an active role in her upbringing and she is doing well.

RAMADJI.com and LALEONLINE thank you for this opportunity to speak with you.

If you would like more information about CFK go to www.caringforkaela.org