The Central African Republic -- a country of hope and despair. By Dave Slater

The contrast between hope and despair was the one aspect of life in the CAR that touched me the most. Despair is the first emotion you experience, due in part to the differences for somone who is coming from America. It then sinks in even deeper as you see thousands of brick huts with thatched roofs, some of which don't even have a door to cover the doorway.

Dirt floors are the norm everywhere and you have to assume that the people must be cold at night. You then find out about the limited availability of good, clean water. Most water is taken from nearby streams that are also repositories of other things since the overwhelming majority does not have the luxury of outhouses or latrines.


(a typical dwelling place in the CAR)

Good and varied nourishement is lacking. The main food is gozo, made from manioc roots. Health care and education are scarce due to lack of funds and professionals, and to top it all off, AIDS is devastating the country.

As depressing as that may appear, there are pockets of hope that can grow through missionary assistance and dedicated CAR citizens. Even though most people live in dirt floor huts, they are very friendly and respond to our waves and handshakes with smiles and enthusiasm. ICDI is drilling wells in villages to secure clean water. At these villages there is a marked decrease in water born deseases that have affected the children in the past.

Another mission has started an Agri-forest Research Center, where fruit trees and certain vegetables are available to villagers to plant and take care of in order to supplement their diet. Nutrition programs are attached to health clinics to teach mothers what good nutrition is and why it is so important to keep children healthy.

Schools and clinics are being built in order to educate children, who are CAR's future, to to help keep the population healthy.


(a village well, the difference between life and death for hundreds)

It is important to note that while these programs use outside funding, the work is largely done by CAR citizens in order to teach leadership skills and to encourage local owenership in the program.

Evangelism ties this all together as CAR workers in these places of change are touched by the love of Jesus and pass on the salvation they have in Christ to others, in order to take their country from despair to hope.



(on left, Dave Slater)