Chad: in Sarh, women's solidarity pushes back the scourges of the rains

In Sarh, southern Chad, the first showers of the season have not gone unnoticed.

At a time when most people are preparing to face the inconvenience of flooding, a group of committed women are choosing to act, rather than suffer. Coming from different social backgrounds, they are mobilizing through the community organization Djraykinan, which means "Let's help each other" in the local language, to prevent the devastating effects of the rains on their living environment.

On June 24, 2025, at dawn, many of them found themselves armed with brooms, rakes, wheelbarrows and gloves to clean the streets, clear blocked gutters and sanitize the city's most at-risk areas, notably around the central market and in certain neighborhoods.

All united by a sense of duty and the desire to protect their community. "We can't wait for the authorities to do everything. It's our city, our health, our children. So we're taking action," says Maïmounna Motbeyalbaye, a shopkeeper and active member of Djraykinan.

These women didn't just clean up; they also raised awareness among residents, explaining the dangers of throwing garbage into the gutters and the direct consequences on public health: water stagnation, mosquito proliferation, malaria, cholera...

Sidothè Bételoum, representative of the Sarh town council, who attended the operation, praised the exemplary nature of the action: "These are model citizens. By standing up for the cleanliness of their town, they show that change starts at the grassroots. These actions deserve to be supported and replicated. "Through their concrete actions, these women demonstrate that cleanliness and urban resilience are a shared responsibility.

Sarh can count on them not to sink beneath the waters or the garbage.

Source: www.alwihdainfo.com/