The Unlikely Fate of a Budumas Boy

My father gave me a piece of advice on his deathbed that sounded very much like a mission, and he said: This situation of poverty and marginalization is untenable. Go and be a change agent for our community, be a transformational leader, and advocate on behalf of the Budumas.

The Budumas tribe is one of the most marginalized ethnic groups in the Lake Chad region. Adam Tchari was born into this tribe in Tchongolet, a remote village located 15 Kilometers from Bol. Like most members of his tribe, he grew up in poverty and faced constant harassment and discrimination together with his family. When his father, a poor a farmer, spoke these final words to him, it was the tragic result of not having access to public services as a member of the Budumas tribe. It seemed like Adam’s fate was sealed.

From the tender age of 11, Adam started volunteering in Bol to change the status quo and so when a group of community leaders decided to create Radio Kadaye, a youth-led community radio station that gives voice to under-resourced communities across the region, Adam jumped on board.

Fast forward seven years, Adam is the Director of Radio Kadaye, giving voice to under-resourced communities across the region. He is also likely the youngest Radio Director in the region and uses this platform to channel critical grievances of the communities, especially the Budumas, who continue to face marginalization, unfair land distribution, and social isolation.

V4P is empowering me to become a leader who can shape public opinion and provide youth with guidance to resist violent extremism and develop a narrative of social cohesion.

Young and educated — Adam took the opportunity to graduate from university in N’Djamena — he decided to return to his community in Bol. It is there, he says, that he found his voice and his purpose.

Recognizing that youth like Adam are critical partners for peace and social cohesion, V4P will train more than 200 young community leaders via tech camps in Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

EAI supported Adam through leadership training, communications, reporting, and advocacy training. In 2018, Adam was part of the State Department’s International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) where he was recognized for his outstanding leadership and dedication to his community.

A previous version of this story can be found on Exposure.