Sudanese Refugee Turns Teacher and School Leader in Chad

When war forced Sahra to flee her home in Sudan’s West Darfur region, she lost the life she had built as a teacher and education administrator. But in exile, she found a new way to serve her community.

Sahra is now the head teacher of a primary school in a refugee camp in eastern Chad, where more than 1,000 Sudanese and Chadian children study together.

The school was established in 2024 by Plan International and partner organisations to provide education for children displaced by Sudan’s ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.

Sahra fled Sudan with her parents and three sisters in June 2023. She says she hopes to return home when peace is restored.

> “Illiteracy is very dangerous. I want the children to be optimistic about the future because education prevents them from early marriage and violence,” she said.

The school has 1,059 pupils and 30 teachers, many of whom are refugees themselves. Classes are held in two shifts because of the large number of students.

Children study mathematics, science, history, geography, Arabic and French. However, teachers face challenges adapting to Chad’s curriculum and working across different languages.

Despite these difficulties, the school has also become a place of protection and unity. Sudanese and Chadian children who initially struggled to interact now learn and play together.

For parents, education is about more than academic learning. It provides children with a safe environment away from violence and criminal groups.

However, many children remain out of school, particularly unaccompanied children who lost their parents during the conflict. Families also struggle with poverty, forcing some children to stay home to collect firewood, fetch water or find casual work.

The refugee education system faces severe shortages. Sahra’s school has no electricity, flush toilets or accessible facilities for children with disabilities. Students often sit on the ground or share limited benches.

Teachers and parents are calling for solar power, school meals, healthcare services and more desks.

Humanitarian organisations say the response to Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad remains severely underfunded. The 2026 Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan received only 17 percent of the funding required, leaving an 83 percent shortfall.

Despite these challenges, Sahra continues to lead.

“Refugees have skills, experience, and dreams,” said Kefa Mayange, Plan International’s Emergency Response Manager for Chad. “Like Sahra, we see them as leaders.”

For Sahra, displacement has not ended her dream of educating children. Instead, it has given that dream a new home.