Chad Relief Foundation
233 E. Carrillo Street, Suite C
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
USA
Tel. 805 969 5521
chadrelief@cox.net
Mission Statement
The Chad Relief Foundation (CRF) is an independent, non-governmental, private organization whose objective is to provide assistance to refugees from the Central African Republic in south Chad and to the local population surrounding the refugee camps.
Santa Barbara is an area rich in financial, human and organizational resources. For instance, it is the home base of Direct Relief International, Safe Water International, Can Do, and Everyday Gandhis. The University of California, Santa Barbara has graduate programs in environmental and international studies and a chapter of Engineers without Borders.
As a first step toward meeting its objective, CRF conducted an exploratory mission to Chad in September, 2007. The mission made several visits to Amboko, Gondje and Dosseye camps, traveled to the CAR border to witness the refugee intake process and discussed the situation of people in need in south Chad with refugees, government officials, camp administrators and representatives of the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, CARE, UNICEF, Africare, COOPI, ADRA, IRD, ACRA and the US Embassy.
The most pressing needs identified by the exploratory mission range from one-time provision of items such as wheelchairs, secure border crossings, solar flashlights, school materials, recreational equipment, cash for micro-lending, tractors, children’s clothes and equipment for garment making to longer range projects concerning the transformation of agricultural practices, providing psychosocial assistance to the victims of violence and supporting institutions of law, governance and human rights. CRF is involved in negotiations to complete the wheelchair, border crossing and solar flashlight projects and is exploring the feasibility of providing assistance for each of the other needs.
