Because exile should never deprive a child of their identity
In camps and villages across eastern Chad, UNICEF and its partners support the government in ensuring that every child has access to birth registration.
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As she prepares to say goodbye to the Red Cross staff she had just been speaking with near the child-friendly space in Farchana refugee camp, Nafissa offers them a warm, grateful smile. In her arms, two-month-old Amna Issa Hassan sleeps peacefully, already holding something precious that far too many children are still denied: a birth certificate, the proof of a legal identity.
Originally from Adikong, in Sudan’s West Darfur province, Nafissa fled the war nearly two years ago with her two eldest children. The journey to the Chadian border was long and harrowing, overshadowed by the constant fear of attacks by armed groups. Now, in Farchana refugee camp in eastern Chad, she strives to rebuild a life of dignity for her family, despite the difficult living conditions.
During her prenatal consultations, Nafissa learned about TASDJIL (“registration” in the local Arabic language), an initiative supported by UNICEF and several partners to simplify and speed up birth registration in Chad through a digital tool that is simple, intuitive, and perfectly adapted to the realities of the field.
Thanks to this innovative mechanism, Nafissa was able to obtain her baby’s birth certificate easily and free of charge, an administrative step that was once long, complex, and almost inaccessible.
A few days after giving birth, the staff at the Health Centre referred me to the National Commission for the Reception and Reintegration of Refugees (CNARR). From there, I returned to the Health Centre to register Amna. Two days later, her birth certificate was already available.
The one-stop birth registration desk it is now transforming the lives of many families. In just a matter of minutes, it allows for the free issuance of a birth certificate for every child, whether they were born in the maternity ward, came for routine vaccination, or were identified by community workers because they had never been registered.
People truly appreciate the service we provide. And what is particularly important is that this system does not benefit only Chadian children; we also issue birth certificates to children from refugee communities. There is no distinction; no child is left behind.
In the camp, Hawa Ibrahim, a Red Cross facilitator, informs families about the TASDJIL system. She goes door to door, explaining to parents the importance of registering their children’s births and the simple steps they need to follow. She also regularly leads meetings of the Learning and Practices Follow-up Groups (GASPA), which bring together pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers to discuss health, nutrition, and child well-being. These gatherings are also an opportunity to remind each woman of the fundamental importance of a birth certificate. For mothers who come to GASPA with children who have not yet been registered, she directs them to the One-Stop Birth Registration Desks.
We encourage women to participate in the GASPA sessions so we can raise awareness about birth registration, prenatal consultations, and child feeding practices
Thanks to the collective efforts of partners and communities, 3,235 children have already been registered since the opening of the civil registration office in the Farchana camp. Established in January 2024 in Farchana by the Chadian government through the National Agency for Secure Documents (ANATS) in partnership with UNICEF and Technidev, and funded by the U.S. Department of State, the German and Swedish Cooperations, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, and UNICEF, this centre welcomes parents every day, each arriving with a simple wish: to ensure their children are officially recognized and protected.
