Life in Chad: surviving on 2 000 francs a day
For many households in Chad, a daily budget of 2 000 francs represents the line between survival and deprivation. When divided among five or six family members, this sum shrinks to roughly 375 francs per person. In practical terms, this means meals stripped of essential nutrients long before hunger sets in.
Proteins disappear first from the family plate, followed by vegetables. What remains is whatever can be consumed to merely fill stomachs. Nutritional balance vanishes completely. Adults and children alike grow weaker, their bodies denied the building blocks needed for growth and health. The people of Chad are not just hungry—they are surviving on empty calories, clinging to resilience as their only lifeline.
The silent burden on women
While the entire family suffers, the harshest weight falls on women. As primary caretakers, they manage household budgets daily. When food prices surge, it is the woman who absorbs the first blow. Her distress echoes through the home, affecting every member. Fathers see the evidence in empty plates and restless nights, yet the cycle continues unbroken.
The local market has become a daily battleground. Complaints about rising prices are met with scepticism—until shoppers return home with less food than expected. Authorities have attempted interventions, but results are fleeting. Prices climb again, leaving families to reset their expectations downward. No lasting solution has emerged.
Rural despair drives migration to cities
Chad possesses over 33 million hectares of arable land across 1.28 million square kilometres. Yet hunger persists. The cost of living crisis hits urban centres hardest, where nearly everything must be purchased. But rural communities face their own struggles: fields trampled by wandering livestock, failed harvests, and a justice system that rarely intervenes. Faced with such pressures, many abandon farming altogether, hoping for better in towns like N’Djamena—despite the city’s own instability.
Disputes between farmers and herders further cripple local food production. These conflicts disrupt the supply chains that could stabilize prices in urban markets. Both groups need protection, not division. Without it, the cycle of scarcity will only deepen.
Stagnant wages, soaring costs
The minimum wage has remained at 60 000 francs CFA since 2011, even as living expenses have doubled. In N’Djamena, even a modest room now costs 20 000 to 25 000 francs. Rent, utilities, and basic services consume most of a worker’s income, leaving little for food or health.
The sociologist proposes actionable solutions: subsidising agricultural initiatives, improving water resource management, and implementing regular market price monitoring. Leaders cannot ignore the crisis any longer, he insists. They travel, observe solutions abroad, and return to a nation still waiting for change.
«They are hungry too,» he says. «But seeing is not enough. Doing is what matters now.»
