Farewell 2021
As we prepare to enter a new year, I want to express the sincere gratitude of our team and Sudanese partners to you: our wonderful supporters.
This was a quiet year of rebuilding following the chaos of 2020. Together, we made slow and steady progress in our fundraising, returning our Sudanese program partners to roughly 70% of pre-pandemic funding levels. Here are just a few highlights we should all be proud of:
Teachers at the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools in Yida Refugee Camp are serving more students than ever before. Daily attendance is temporarily down due to population movements, so teachers from Renewal Secondary have temporarily taken over operations at Yida’s only other struggling secondary school. Endure Primary is now serving as the central national exam preparation facility for primary students in Yida, positively impacting an additional 2,100+ students every year. Read more here.
Known COVID-19 cases are still relatively low in the Nuba region, with the talented local team at Mother of Mercy Hospital running a PCR testing machine. The hospital staff have remained busy all year as international medical teams visited, new construction projects were completed, and groundwork was laid for a clinical officer training program. Learn more.
This December alone, you have raised and given over $55,000 toward these impactful programs, special one-time projects, and our Endowment Fund. And we’re aware that some last minute checks are still en route. What an incredible display of generosity!
Because of you, we are well-positioned to continue our mission of building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through these innovative programs in 2022.
As we move into 2022, here’s a glimpse at what lies ahead:
Building a multi-village clean water system and new secondary school on the western side of the oppressed Nuba Mountains region. Both projects will be used by these communities as building blocks to improve the lives of roughly 16,000 people who have lived through decades of war.
Creating a dedicated online space for competitive NFT fundraising, with a portion of minting fees, secondary sales, and auctions being used to fuel the programs we support in Sudan. We’ve already entered two NFT project partnerships and are in discussions with another nine right now.
While we will not be having a gala in 2022, we are eagerly looking forward to returning to an in-person 5K in the Fall.
An updated merch store is coming in Spring 2022!
As we stand on the cusp of a new year and the hope that comes with it, would you consider making one final tax-deductible donation to Operation Broken Silence? Your gift will set up Sudanese teachers and healthcare professionals for success in 2022.
Like many of you, I’m excited for what lies ahead. I hope you have a safe and joyful entrance to a new year. Take care.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director