Note: this first blog post is rambling and all over the place but you should have expected that from me.
First, I would like to thank my friend Maddie Ruth for her (indirect) help. She participated in the SALT program in Chad four years ago and wrote a wonderful post about the purpose of her blog. I would like to echo many of her thoughts here. As she did before me, I am sharing this Ted talk and if you plan to read more of my blog posts, I would please ask that you watch the whole thing.
In the talk, the Nigerian author Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie explains the detrimental effect of allowing one story to dominate the narrative for diverse peoples. I hope that those of you reading will keep this message in mind as I launch into my journey through only one country of 54 that make up the African continent.
In truth, even the country-level is too broad a brush with which to paint. This blog is going to provide a fragmented, blurry, and likely contradictory view of Chad that is nowhere near the whole reality. That’s because my story will be exactly that: my story and moreover, a story about me. My experiences will be undeniably filtered through my own lens as a middle-class, white, American Mennonite in a foreign country. My own ideas, beliefs, and preconceptions will color my view and lead me to represent only my (one) story about Chad.
Furthermore, there are likely to be aspects or experiences that reinforce common stereotypes about Africa and Africans, but I hope to make room for more nuance. Maddie said it best when she laid out her own intention:
“What I want is to make your worlds bigger with this blog, rather than box those people in.”
My purpose working with MCC is to build bridges, maintain partnerships, and serve others. I would be taking one step forward and two steps backward if I blindly perpetuated negative stereotypes about the people I am trying to serve.
As most of you probably know, I graduated from Indiana University this spring with bachelor’s degrees in International Studies and Economics. After training for four years surrounded by academics, I must admit that I have caught the itch for analytical writing. I am setting out this blog both as a space for me to share my experiences, and also a place where I can process and explore the Chadian context in a more academic sense.
One of the ways I am preparing for my departure in August is by reading several books on Chad’s history and politics. I have already purchased ALL the books Amazon offers on Chad. Now, before you call me crazy, let me explain that there were only two. Not much work has been done to provide English-speaking audiences with a window into the country. Thus far, North Americans have relied on a single story of Chad.
Luckily, both books have extensive bibliographies and my parents were generous enough to give me a kindle for graduation. More reading is in store!
Thanks for reading to the end (don’t forget to watch the Ted Talk!!) and be on the look out for the next blog post!
Reflections 