Movement Spotlight: Ashley Makar
Photo by Lucy Gellman.
Operation Broken Silence is a small nonprofit dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Everything we do —from supporting Sudanese teachers in underfunded classrooms or frontline healthcare in refugee camps— is made possible by people who give monthly, fundraise, and donate to Sudanese heroes. Today, we want to introduce you to one of these special supporters.
Meet Ashley Makar
Ashley is from Birmingham, Alabama and now lives in Connecticut. She says:
“I started learning the story of Sudan one summer after college in Egypt. The Sudanese refugee community in Cairo helped me realize my vocation. I’ve been working with refugees and immigrants for over 12 years in Connecticut — currently through Havenly, an immigrant-led nonprofit that builds community power. I’m blessed to have Sudanese friends–from Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, Aba Island, and South Sudan. Their homes have been destroyed by war, and they keep teaching me how to kindle hope, no matter how dark the times. It reminds me of the psalm line even the darkness is not dark to you.
When I asked my friend Atem, ‘How do you keep your hope?’ he laughed. ‘Sudanese people sing too much,’ he told me.
My Sudanese friends have taught me how to stitch belonging out of loss, how to grieve and celebrate together, how to imagine Sudan as it could be: a kinship of peace, a beloved community. And they are working towards it, day by day.”
She originally got involved by starting a team through Miles for Sudan, our global event for runners, walkers, and cyclists raising awareness and funds for the Sudanese people:
“It’s been life-giving. I started my Miles for Sudan journey over a year ago. And I’m going to keep going, until there is peace in Sudan.”
Ashley is also fundraising for the clinic and children’s feeding center our organization is helping to support in Adré, eastern Chad. She says:
“My friend Dr. Abdelillah is a founding leader of the clinic and feeding center in Chad that is a lifeline for survivors of the genocide in Darfur. OBS is partnered with them, and this is one of the many reasons I’m inspired to participate in our mission. Supporting Sudanese heroes –especially Indigenous community leaders from the Nuba Mountains and Darfur– is close to my heart.
I will be a lifelong OBS supporter, in honor of my Sudanese heroes: Azhar, Lameese, Suzy, Angelina, Dut, Jurkuch, Gabriel and Gabriel, Ibrahim, Eltaieb, Amal, Elham, Khalid, Ragaa, Nemairy, Ahlam, Anwar, Fouad, Dr. Abdelillah, Alawia, Nuha, Nusaiba, Kallou, Anour, Kaka, Enas, Yusif, Adam, and many others whose resilience is a light for all who meet them
Her Miles For Sudan team has already raised over $2,700! Ashley’s encouragement for anyone thinking about joining?
“Jump in! It’s easy. I’m not a runner–I jog or walk two miles a day, and over the course of a year, my team and I have gone over 700 miles for Sudan. You can hike, swim, cycle, practice yoga–whatever your movement of choice. The most important thing is, you’re participating in the Movement with Sudanese community leaders, teachers, and healers who are doing the liberation work the world needs more than ever these days.”
Get Involved
Our free global event turns everyday runs, bike rides, and walks into lifesaving support. Every mile you put in and dollar you raise helps fund emergency aid, healthcare, and education programs led by Sudanese heroes. We also have an option where you can skip the exercise and just fundraise. Every dollar raised makes a difference. Donations are being matched for a limited time!
Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900. You can also donate stock or crypto. Operation Broken Silence a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Our EIN is 80-0671198.
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Everything we do —whether it’s supporting frontline healthcare in refugee camps or teachers in underfunded classrooms— is made possible by people who choose to stand with the Sudanese people. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/movement-spotlight-ashley-makar
“When I asked my friend Atem, ‘How do you keep your hope?’ he laughed. ‘Sudanese people sing too much,’ he told me.” https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/movement-spotlight-ashley-makar
Meet OBS supporter Ashley Makar! Her Miles For Sudan team has raised over $2,700 for Sudanese heroes. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/movement-spotlight-ashley-makar
Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Will you join us? https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/movement-spotlight-ashley-makar
