Farewell 2020 | A Message From Our Executive Director
As 2020 comes to a close, I want to take a moment and express my gratitude to everyone who is a part of our mission.
In many ways, this was an impossible year. But our worldwide movement of supporters and our Sudanese program partners gathered our resolve and pushed back against the challenges the world threw at us. Here are just a few of the highlights:
Nearly a year after COVID-19 began spreading around the globe, there are still zero reported cases in the Nuba Mountains and Yida Refugee Camp. The Nuba region is particularly vulnerable to health crises, as access to quality healthcare is limited to a single hospital and a string of community clinics.
Teachers at the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools in Yida Refugee Camp are serving more students than ever before. 1,300 students benefit from the schools every day, and another 600+ from other schools in Yida have received testing support.
The team at Mother of Mercy Hospital has had a banner year. The number of people coming for care is up roughly 60% due to better freedom of movement brought on by reduced regime violence. A COVID-19 ward is being built right now, just in case.
Our supporters — now spread out across 48 U.S. states and 17 countries — rallied together and raised more support through Soirée For Sudan and Eden’s Run 5K than ever before, despite both annual events going virtual.
The core of our international movement — The Renewal monthly giving family — has grown to their largest size in our history.
These are accomplishments you can be proud of as we press ahead into 2021. Here’s a glimpse at what lies ahead:
Rebuilding funding for the teachers and students in Yida. Get ready for a refreshed monthly giving campaign, new videos, and more!
Moving forward with a new school at Mother of Mercy Hospital to train midwives, clinical officers, and eventually nurses. A plot of land has been given to the hospital by the community, and they hope to start construction soon.
A matching campaign to help us rebuild our Endowment Fund. As many of you know, this special fund helped get us through the spring and summer of 2020, when giving plummeted and our critical events were cancelled and postponed.
A plan to return to safe, in-person events. We miss seeing many of you face-to-face and hope that the vaccine rollout will give us some clarity soon.
It’s been an exhausting year, but I take comfort in knowing that we have so many friends and supporters. Because of you, we are in a position to continue our mission of building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through these innovative programs.
As 2020 comes to a close, would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to Operation Broken Silence? There are some special benefits for giving right now, which you can see here.
I hope you have a safe and joyful holiday season. Like many of you, I’m excited for what lies ahead. Take care.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
