Nuba Education Update - September 2025
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:
22 Nuba teachers and 4 support staff
915 students in total attendance - Endure Primary (638 students) and Renewal Secondary (277 students)
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 assist with a national exam prep program for primary students in Yida, occasionally 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 has risen slightly to 915 students total throughout the year as new refugees from the Nuba Mountains to as far away as Khartoum have arrived in Yida.
National exams are approaching again and we expect another round of good results. Last year, 68 students at Endure Primary and 72 students at Renewal Secondary did well on their exams. The teachers and students are hopeful for similar results this year.
The wall and roofing repairs we mentioned in our last update are now mostly completed thanks to the generosity of several individual donors.
We’re also excited to announce that one of our few church partners has pledged to donate new chalkboards not only to classrooms at Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary, but also to other schools in Yida. We should get the funds out the door for that in early October.
Supplementary Education Support. Endure Primary School continues helping with national exam preparation for primary students in Yida, something that will start up again soon. Vision Secondary, the only other high school in Yida, continues to benefit from a handful of our teachers assisting with leading specific courses. Our Nuba education partner also recently delivered 6 boxes of chalk, 200 pens, 24 grading pens, 80 manilla folders, 18 plastic sheets for weather-proofing, and 6 new black boards to be used Yida.
War, other challenges, and a shift in direction
The devastating war between the army and Rapid Support Forces has decimated Sudan’s schools. It’s now estimated 90% of all Sudanese children don’t have a school to attend. Local officials estimate hundreds of thousands of 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 has further exacerbated needs.
While Yida remains an oasis of calm, this crisis still casts a dark shadow. 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 difficult international fundraising environment since 2020 mean they’re only getting about 35% of the funding they need. Most Sudan-minded donors are just not interested in childhood education, and that’s become an even steeper uphill battle in the wake of the current war.
There are still no signs fundraising for the schools will get easier any time soon. And if violence does erupt on a larger scale or humanitarian conditions worsen further across the border, larger refugee flows into Yida will begin, placing an even heavier strain on the fragile education system. We already don’t have the resources to mount an adequate response now, much more if things worsen.
Brave teachers and students have continued on this year despite these challenges; however, with everything more expensive and difficult, it’s become clear we’ve reached the point where something has to give. Our education partner has had many conversations on the ground in Yida the past several weeks about the challenges here. After a lot of thought and time spent in the community, they have recommended that we begin winding down operations at Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary through the end of the year, and then shift into delivering supplies to Yida’s other schools starting in 2026.
We agree this is the best course of action. It’s a bittersweet moment; so much good work has been done here the past 10 years. While our schools were never meant to be permanent, the positive effects you’ve helped make possible will be felt for years ahead. A number of students who have graduated have gone on to teach at other schools, and even more have taken their education into Yida’s market or back to their communities in the Nuba Mountains.
We hope to have a more concrete timeline for this transition soon and are excited for what lies ahead, but mostly we are grateful to all of you for being a part of this story. As one chapter closes and another begins, there is still much work to be done.
How You Can Help
Our free global event turns everyday runs, bike rides, and walks into life changing support. Every mile you put in and dollar you raise helps fund emergency aid and long-term education programs led by Sudanese heroes. Not a fan of fitness? We have an option where you can skip the moving and just fundraise. Every dollar raised still makes a difference, with donations through fundraising page are being matched for a limited time!
If fundraising is not your thing, we encourage you to make a one-time donation or setup a small monthly gift below.
$9,500: Helps cover teacher salaries through the end of the year.
$5,000: Fund an entire classroom for one year.
$1,250: Provide pencils, notebooks and other supplies to 200 students.
$500: Help deliver more chalkboards to classrooms.
$250: Provide pencils, notebooks and other supplies to 40 students.
$100: Give soccer balls and other sporting equipment to students.
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. You can also donate stock or crypto.
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
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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-september-2025
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. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/nuba-education-update-september-2025
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-september-2025
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-september-2025
