Nuba Education Update - December 2024
Program Background
Operation Broken Silence is the only nonprofit in the world consistently supporting childhood education in Yida Refugee Camp, just south of Sudan’s historically-oppressed Nuba Mountains. We began funding four Sudanese teachers here in 2015 who were giving lessons underneath a tree with a half-broken chalkboard. Over the years and with your support, this determined effort has grown into the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools:
24 Nuba teachers and 6 support staff
838 students in total attendance - Endure Primary (380 boys/168 girls) and Renewal Secondary (174 boys/116 girls)
Over 11,000 children have been served to date between these two schools. Students at Endure Primary regularly have some of the top-performing standardized testing scores in the region. Renewal Secondary is the only fully-functioning high school in Yida.
Our teachers also oversee a national exam prep program for primary students in Yida, deliver a limited amount of supplies to a handful of other schools, and assist with teaching at the only other secondary school in the camp.
All of this is possible because of the resilience of the Nuba people partnered with the generosity of people like you. The teachers and students work hard every day with encouragement from local families and rely on funding we provide to continue doing so.
Map by Operation Broken Silence
Recent Updates
Endure Primary & Renewal Secondary. Life at the schools continues largely uninterrupted despite the war and famine in Sudan, as well as the massive education crisis from so many Sudanese schools being closed. Attendance rose throughout the year as new refugees from the Nuba Mountains to as far away as Khartoum arrived in Yida, ending with a high of 838 students by year’s end.
68 students at Endure Primary and 72 students at Renewal Secondary recently took their national exams, with results expected in late January. Last year we celebrated a record 43 of the 45 students pass the primary national exam. The teachers and students are hopeful for similar results this year.
Wall and roofing repairs are currently needed in 5 classrooms following seasonal rains. Most materials to do so, including tarps and roofing, are largely depleted after being pulled from storage over the past 18 months. With attendance rising the schools also need two more latrines built. We need to raise an additional $9,000 by the end of the year to get facilities ready for the new semester at the end of January.
Supplementary Education Support. Endure Primary School continues serving as a national exam preparation facility for primary students in Yida. This supplementary program positively impacted just over 200 additional students this exam cycle!
Vision Secondary, the only other high school in Yida, made it through another year with help from our teachers. The school was founded several years ago with pledges of support from outside nonprofits and churches, none of which materialized. The teachers at Vision are mostly untrained, so a handful of our teachers have been helping teach specific courses and provide general guidance.
Our Nuba education partner made four deliveries of limited supplies to Yida’s other schools this year, all of which operate with no consistent outside support. Shortages of chalk, paper, pencils and notebooks continue to disrupt the quality of education that can be provided in Yida. Our deliveries don’t meet anywhere near all the material needs, but they are critical to sustaining the fragile education system and preventing any further backsliding.
Amira’s Story
Amira’s family came to Yida a little over a year ago from the Nuba Mountains. She says:
“We came because the war has made life more expensive and hard. We were safe in our village; there was no fighting, but food was hard to find with so many people coming from other places seeking safety.”
Their family has fared better in Yida, although access to clean water is still difficult and food is not always readily available. But having a safe, better-resourced school to go to has made a big difference for Amira.
“I made friends here fast. The teachers are very good but we don’t have enough school supplies. We are thankful for what we have. Many schools in Sudan are closed because of war. Thank you.”
Amira’s family hopes to return to the Nuba Mountains when there is peace and better living conditions. Until then she comes to school every day, knowing it’s the best thing she can do right now.
How war is impacting life at the schools
20 months of devastating war between the army and Rapid Support Forces has decimated Sudan’s schools. Local officials estimate over 900,000 Sudanese have fled into the Nuba Mountains as war and famine have spread, placing significant strains on the fragile region. Sporadic fighting on the western and northern frontlines in Nuba throughout the year has further exacerbated needs.
Yida remains an oasis of calm, but this crisis casts a dark shadow as costs rise. Teachers and families are war-weary and frustrated that the world is still largely looking away from their country’s plight. For the schools though, funding remains the largest obstacle. Rapidly rising costs and a grueling international fundraising environment left them with only 60% of the funding they needed this year to provide a more holistic experience to students.
If violence does erupt on a larger scale or humanitarian conditions worsen further across the border, larger refugee flows into Yida will begin. More children will need to rely on our schools and the supplementary assistance we provide. Right now, we don’t have the resources to mount an adequate response for this scenario. Internationally-minded donors are still struggling to comprehend the massive humanitarian and education needs in Sudan, as major media outlets refuse to cover consistently the largest and most severe humanitarian emergency in the world. Our awareness efforts are bringing more attention and funding to bear, but not nearly enough to keep up.
Despite these challenges though, the work being done by these brave teachers and students continues on. Everything is more expensive and difficult than it was 20 months ago; but, with your help, the lives of children —Sudan’s future hope— can still be changed for the better. We invite you to join us in supporting these amazing people to that end.
The teachers in Yida we support are a small bulwark against the massive education crisis Sudanese teachers and kids face. With so many schools across the country closed and too few classrooms in refugee camps, our schools are more critical than ever. Your generosity can make the difference now and help the teachers prepare for whatever lies ahead.
$9,000: Cover the costs of all needed classroom repairs before the next semester.
$5,000: Fund an entire classroom at Endure Primary for an entire year.
$2,000: Support one teacher for an entire year.
$1,000: Support one teacher for an entire semester.
$500: Help deliver new chalkboards to classrooms.
$250: Provide pencils, notebooks and other supplies to 40 students.
$100: Give soccer balls and other sporting equipment to students.
Join Miles For Sudan | Donate Stock or Crypto
Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence with Education written in the memo line and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
Shareables
Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.
Share Our Posts: Instagram | Threads | Facebook | LinkedIn | Reddit
Operation Broken Silence is the only nonprofit in the world consistently supporting childhood education in Yida Refugee Camp, just south of Sudan’s historically-oppressed Nuba Mountains. They rely on supporters like you to continue doing so. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/nuba-education-update-december-2024
Rapidly rising costs and a grueling international fundraising environment left our schools in Yida with only 60% of the funding they needed this year to provide a more holistic experience to students. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/nuba-education-update-december-2024
Sudan is home to the largest and most dangerous humanitarian emergency, far outpacing every other crisis in the world. The county is also home the largest children’s education crisis as most schools are closed. Here’s one way to help: https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/nuba-education-update-december-2024
Teachers in Yida are a small bulwark against the massive education crisis Sudanese kids face. Your generosity can make the difference now and help the teachers prepare for what lies ahead. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/nuba-education-update-december-2024
