SSAW and PiE Pilot Mission at Abougoudam Refugee Camp

Between 2024 and 2025, the conflict in Sudan triggered one of the most severe displacement crises ever recorded in Africa, forcing millions to cross borders into neighboring countries. Chad, particularly along its eastern border, now hosts tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees, concentrated in camps with structural deprivation, limited access to educational services, and high exposure to collective trauma.

It is in this context that the Pre-Texts in Emergency (PiE) mission takes place at Abougoudam Refugee Camp, scheduled for April. The mission is promoted by SSAW – Support Survivors of African Wars, an organization long active in supporting populations affected by armed conflicts in Africa, in collaboration with the PiE network, which promotes the Pre-Texts Protocol as a psychosocial intervention tool in crisis contexts.

Abougoudam Refugee Camp: An Emergency Shelter at the Sudanese Border

The Abougoudam camp, located on the Chad-Sudan border in the Ouaddaï region, primarily hosts women and children who have fled armed violence, often enduring long and exhausting journeys. Living conditions are characterized by unstable housing and overcrowding, irregular access to drinking water and essential goods, fragile or absent educational spaces, and prolonged exposure to stress, grief, and loss.

In this context, education in emergencies is not secondary—it is an essential component of humanitarian protection, in line with international frameworks on Education in Emergencies (EiE).

SSAW’s Strategic Role: Refugee Expertise and Community Trust

Within the PiE – Pre-Texts in Emergency network, SSAW plays a fundamental role not only as an operational partner but also as a diasporic political and cultural actor. SSAW deeply understands the cultural, linguistic, and symbolic codes of refugee communities, collaborates with local partners, and enjoys trust and legitimacy within the camps, acting as a bridge between humanitarian intervention, education, and community self-determination.

Pilot Mission Objectives

The Abougoudam intervention is designed as a pilot project with clear objectives:

Test the cultural adaptability of Pre-Texts in Emergency in the Chad-Sudan border context
Train local facilitators and community workers
Develop a replicable model to extend to other refugee camps in Chad
Prepare future expansion of the protocol to other African countries hosting refugees from armed conflicts, strengthening a transnational education-in-emergencies network led also by the diaspora

The mission will focus particularly on children up to 13 years old, the group most exposed to emotional, cognitive, and relational disruption under prolonged stress, also involving mothers when present.

Why Pre-Texts in Emergency Works in Refugee Camps

Pre-Texts in Emergency is an educational protocol addressing trauma through creativity and art as key factors in psychosocial health. In refugee camps, where trauma is collective and verbal communication may be inaccessible or unsafe, PiE provides, through the Harvard Protocol (scientifically validated and recognized by the clinical community; Osborn et al., 2023, The Lancet):

Structured, ritualized, and predictable activities that help rebuild routine and a sense of safety
Symbolic and artistic mediation, enabling emotional expression without forced exposure
Reactivation of agency, positioning participants as authors and interpreters rather than passive victims

The Abougoudam mission will specifically target children under 13, while also including mothers when possible.

A Model to Expand

The mission in Chad is not an isolated intervention but a strategic node in a broader vision. Through SSAW, Pre-Texts in Emergency aims to:

Strengthen diaspora leadership in humanitarian processes
Design sustainable and culturally grounded interventions
Extend educational and psychosocial support to other refugee camps and African countries affected by wars and humanitarian crises

Supporting the Abougoudam mission means investing in education as a care infrastructure, capable of protecting, restoring dignity, and reactivating hope in fragile contexts.

The mission will introduce PiE Kits, integrating artistic and educational materials, symbolic games, musical instruments, and essential hygiene, safety, and nutrition items. This holistic integration reflects the view that psychosocial well-being cannot exist without material dignity, nor assistance without education.

CALL TO ACTION: SUPPORT PRE-TEXTS IN EMERGENCY IN ABOUGOUDAM

Supporting this mission means:

Promoting mental health and trauma recovery among children and women displaced by the Sudanese conflict
Providing safe educational spaces even in the absence of schools
Strengthening a diaspora-led, culturally rooted, and sustainable initiative
Contributing to a replicable model for other refugee camps and African countries
Affirming education as a right, a form of protection, and a practice of justice in crisis contexts

Donate now via bank transfer or PayPal on Produzioni dal Basso:

Bank Transfer:
Account Name:SSAW – Support Survivors of African Wars
IBAN: IT42T0306909606100000402921
Reference: “SSAW Mission in Abougoudam Chad”

Or Online via Crowdfunding: Donate on Produzioni dal Basso

With your contribution, we can implement educational sessions and distribute PiE Kits in Abougoudam Refugee Camp.