An Update From Our Executive Director

Hello supporters,

It’s been a few weeks since we provided an update on our work in light of the coronavirus pandemic. A lot has happened since then, but we’ve made modest headway. Now that our footing is more certain, I want to provide you new information and some insight into how we are moving forward.

Sudan & Our Mission

Most of you know that we have downsized to survive the pandemic’s economic fallout. Our mission remains steadfast, but we’ve instituted a 60% budget cut across the organization, reduced staff hours and pay, and departed our offices.

Meanwhile in Sudan, COVID-19 is spreading faster than the disease is in most other countries. The infection rate is doubling every 10 days. The actual number of cases is certainly much higher. 30 years of extremist regime rule has left Sudan with a decimated healthcare system and limited testing capacity.

Right now, there are no reported COVID-19 cases in the Nuba Mountains and nearby Yida Refugee Camp. This is one of Sudan’s liberated areas, where armed rebels have pushed genocidal regime forces out of large swaths of the region. There are no ICU beds or ventilators in the Nuba Mountains. The rebel government has sealed off access to the region and shuttered markets and main roads. A major coronavirus outbreak in Nuba, where decades of regime oppression has created poor humanitarian conditions, would be catastrophic. Prevention is the only option. 

It’s been a hard few weeks for sure. But there are rays of hope.

Since mid-March, Operation Broken Silence has not had a strategic plan, something we traditionally rely on. This was a purposeful decision. As the global pandemic unfolded, we needed the freedom to move quickly and make immediate progress against the chaos.

Our leadership’s focus has been growing the core of our movement: The Renewal. I can now report to you that this decision is leading to positive results. The size of our monthly giving family is growing at its fastest rate in our history. We still have a long road ahead, but we are trending in the right direction.

What Comes Next

Operation Broken Silence will not have a strategic plan for the remainder of 2020. The scientific consensus seems to be that the world will experience rolling outbreaks and shutdowns until there is a widely-distributed vaccine. We will be hit with more financial shocks and programming challenges in the months ahead. Our annual series of high-impact summer Brand Partnership events will most likely not be taking place. Embracing these hard realities is how we will come out stronger on the other side.

Last night our Board of Directors approved what we’re calling our Rebuilding Guide. I want to emphasize that this is a guide, not a plan. It sets benchmarks for when we can make decisions on accelerating funds to programs, return staffing to pre-pandemic levels, and rebuild our emergency cash reserves. Even when these benchmarks are met, we may decide to temporarily hold back on moving to the next phase if macro-economic, security, or health conditions appear unusually unstable in this already unstable time.

In the coming months we will see waves of generous donations that are followed by periods of giving famine. We’ve already been through two of these cycles. This is why our leadership’s focus will remain on growing The Renewal family.

Our goal remains 200 new Renewal members on the Do Justice campaign. Reaching this goal is at the core of our Rebuilding Guide. More monthly giving will cushion incoming financial shocks on our Sudanese partners. This may be the hard thing to do, but it’s the right thing to do. If you aren’t in a position to give monthly, you can help by spreading the word online.

Operation Broken Silence will be around for the long haul. For our staff, working here is our dream job. The world has become a more difficult place, but we believe in the strong connection between all of the teachers in Yida, ourselves, and you: our wonderful movement. We can't express enough how much we appreciate your support. 

Onwards, 

Mark C. Hackett

Executive Director

Operation Broken Silence