News & Updates
Check out the latest from Sudan and our movement
Farewell 2020 | A Message From Our Executive Director
A message from Operation Broken Silence's 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
Yida Education Update - December 2020
Get the latest good news from the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools in Yida Refugee Camp!
In 2015, Operation Broken Silence began funding 4 Nuba teachers in Yida Refugee Camp who were giving lessons underneath a tree. With your support, their small effort has blossomed into the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools.
Today, you empower 24 Nuba teachers who work in these schools. They run the show, not us. These teachers oversee 1,300 students in their classrooms every week.
Endure Primary has become one of the top performing schools in the region and a treasured possession of the Nuba community in Yida. More than 3,000 children have been served by the school to date. Renewal Secondary began a three-year phased opening in 2019 and has already shown great promise.
One of the largest demographics in Yida is children under the age of 14. The vision has always been to ensure that every single child in Yida has the opportunity to attain a quality education at no financial cost to them. Here’s the latest good news.
Thankfully, there are still no reported cases of COVID-19 in Yida Refugee Camp. Yida sits in an isolated area of the Sudan/South Sudan border. Travel in and out has always been extremely limited, so there’s a chance Yida remains untouched by the disease.
Grade 8 at Endure Primary School and grade 4 at Renewal Secondary School are preparing for their national exams, which are just a few weeks away. Students who fail these tests are required to start another year of studies before testing again. Those who pass get the great joy of moving forward in a ceremony that usually brings in thousands of people from across Yida.
Endure Primary has held the highest passing test rates of all Nuba schools for the past three years, including a stunning 97% rate in 2019. This will be the first time students from Renewal Secondary sit in national exams. Morale among the students is reportedly high, with many eager to take their exams now.
Yida is home to several other schools that are not officially connected to our two schools. These other schools receive essentially zero outside support. Because Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary make up the backbone of the education system in Yida, our teachers are supporting Primary 8 and Secondary 4 students from these other schools as they prepare for exams as well.
Today, an additional 600+ students from schools across Yida are receiving testing support from our teachers at Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary.
Earlier this year, our good friends at Instruments of Joy donated a new acoustic guitar to the schools’ growing music and choral program for students. It’s already a favorite among the students, and we hope to partner with Instruments of Joy again in the future.
Girls at Renewal Secondary recently had a workshop about maintaining their health, protecting against sexually-transmitted diseases, and more.
Nuba culture is historically very male-dominated, and healthcare access in the region is limited to a single hospital and a string of community clinics. Opportunities to learn about these things and participate in certain parts of Nuba culture have historically been difficult for young women.
Over the last several years, the war has opened up Nuba culture to some changes in these areas. There are now women serving in the Nuba self-defense army, a growing number of female teachers, and recognition among more Nuba leaders that empowering the next generation of women now will pay off for everyone in the future.
GET INVOLVED
As 2020 comes to a close, these teachers need your support. The Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools are funded by private donors and fundraisers just like you. Operation Broken Silence is the only nonprofit organization in the world funding education efforts in Yida Refugee Camp
You can start a fundraising page, set up a monthly gift, or make a one-time donation. Your generosity will help raise up the next generation of Nuba leaders in Yida Refugee Camp.
Thursday, December 31 is the last day you can make a tax-deductible gift to Operation Broken Silence’s work in Sudan for the 2020 calendar year.
For 2020, the limitation on how much of your charitable gifts you can deduct has been lifted. Previously, it was a maximum of 60% for cash donations and 50% for non-cash gifts. Under the CARES Act, these limitations have been removed for federal income tax purposes.
Even if you don’t itemize, anyone who donates up to $300 can deduct it against other income for 2020. This is considered an Above the Line deduction.
Here are a few other ways you can give as well:
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence and mail to: Operation Broken Silence P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN, 38177-0900
ABOUT NUBA
The Nuba Mountains are home to roughly 100 African tribal groups who have lived there for over 2,000 years.
The roughly 1.3 million Christian, Muslim, and traditionalist Nuba people live mostly in harmony together.
Sadly, the Nuba way of life has been in danger for decades. Sudan’s military and extremist regime officials have long viewed the Nuba people as a threat to their iron-fisted rule. The military and their extremist paramilitary allies have committed two genocides in the region since the 1990s.
Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a military coup in April 2019. Sudan now has a fledgling transitional government that is supposed to be moving the country toward civilian, democratic rule. A fragile ceasefire is in place right now, but war clouds still loom over the Nuba Mountains.
Operation Broken Silence focuses on the Nuba Mountains and nearby Yida Refugee Camp. We are the only funder of education efforts in Yida Refugee Camp. Your generous support is essential for the teachers. Learn more about our mission here.
Mother of Mercy Hospital Update - December 2020
The staff at the only hospital in Sudan’s oppressed Nuba Mountains is saving and changing more lives than ever before.
Operation Broken Silence supports Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains. Mother of Mercy is the only referral hospital in this oppressed corner of Sudan. The growing local staff is overseen by American Dr. Tom Catena. Together, they see over 400 patients a day.
Here’s a recent update from Dr. Tom:
The situation here in Nuba has been pretty stable for the past year. The Transitional government in Khartoum and the SPLA-N rebels have met recently for peace talks but were unable to reach any conclusions. The SPLA-N is demanding that Sudan have a secular (not Islamic) government which respects freedom of religion, but the government seems unwilling to take that step now.
The good news is that the ceasefire is holding and the people feel that peace is a real possibility for the first time in a couple generations. Some even express pity that we are having so many troubles in the US!
The hospital work continues on. The relative peace has made us even busier as patients from the government controlled areas are now free to come to us.
We’re managing well as we continue to get more trained staff, including our first trained Nuba doctor.
To address the huge shortage of health care personnel in Nuba, we are in the early stages of starting a school to train midwives and clinical officers and eventually nurses. We have the plot of land which has been given to us by the community and hope to start construction soon.
Thank you all, and may your holidays be blessed.
Dr. Tom
GET INVOLVED
As 2020 comes to a close, the incredible team at Mother of Mercy needs your support. The hospital is funded entirely by private donors and fundraisers just like you.
You can start a fundraising page, set up a monthly gift, or make a one-time donation. Your generosity will be used to save and change lives in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan.
Thursday, December 31 is the last day you can make a tax-deductible gift to Operation Broken Silence’s work in Sudan for the 2020 calendar year.
For 2020, the limitation on how much of your charitable gifts you can deduct has been lifted. Previously, it was a maximum of 60% for cash donations and 50% for non-cash gifts. Under the CARES Act, these limitations have been removed for federal income tax purposes.
Even if you don’t itemize, anyone who donates up to $300 can deduct it against other income for 2020. This is considered an Above the Line deduction.
Here are a few other ways you can give as well:
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence and mail to: Operation Broken Silence P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN, 38177-0900
About Nuba
The Nuba Mountains are home to roughly 100 African tribal groups who have lived there for over 2,000 years.
The one million Christian, Muslim, and traditionalist Nuba people live in harmony together.
Sadly, the Nuba way of life has been in danger for decades. Sudan’s military and extremist regime officials have long viewed the Nuba people as a threat to their iron-fisted rule. The military and their extremist paramilitary allies have committed two genocides in the region since the 1990s.
Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a military coup in April 2019. Sudan now has a fledgling transitional government that is supposed to be moving the country toward civilian, democratic rule. A fragile ceasefire is in place right now, but war clouds still loom over the Nuba Mountains.
Operation Broken Silence focuses on the Nuba Mountains and nearby Yida Refugee Camp. We are one of the hospital’s financial partners. Your generous support is essential for the team at the hospital. Learn more about our mission here.
Eden's Run 5K 2020 Results
See what our runners accomplished together!
In one of the hardest years in history, you made the 11th annual Eden’s Run 5K our most successful run yet.
Between the pandemic and social upheaval, 2020 has been a particularly challenging year for Operation Broken Silence and the Sudanese-led programs we support. Our movement has been hit disproportionately hard by job losses, paycheck deductions, and cancelled and postponed events.
Our program partners in Sudan are doing more work with fewer resources than ever before. We needed this year’s 5K to be a home run for them. And you met the moment.
145 Runners Raise $18,200
More runners came together to raise more funds than ever before.
You shattered every single registration and fundraising record built up over the last decade of runs.
Photo: Whitney Winkler & Team Ten Minute Mile raised $617!
Eden’s Run 5K was virtual this year because of the pandemic. We dropped the registration fee and fundraising minimums. You threw off the geographic constraints and made this a truly global event. 335 supporters from 24 U.S. states and 7 countries ran and gave.
While everyone did their small part, some of our supporters stepped up in a big way.
From Team Captains recruiting dozens of runners to individuals crushing their fundraising goals, you made the magic happen:
Behind all of these results are our wonderful event committee and sponsor Siskind Susser, PC. Because of their hard work and support, event costs were covered and a movement of runners spread across the U.S. and around the world.
As we approach the end of this difficult year, we humbly ask that you stick with us as we prepare for 2021.
We expect next year will be only marginally easier for our mission. You can help us on our long journey to renewal by joining our family of top supporters.
Your Next Step
The Renewal is our passionate family of monthly givers who are on a mission to empower Sudanese teachers. They are the superheroes of our movement.
As we fight to push through the global pandemic, we need The Renewal family to grow like never before.
None of this does justice in recognizing everyone who showed up for the teachers and students in Yida Refugee Camp. There are too many people to thank here. You know who you are though, and we are incredibly thankful for your support.
Because of you, the schools in Yida will be supported through the end of this hard year. And that’s worth celebrating.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
Operation Broken Silence
About Us
Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We focus on empowering Sudanese change makers and their critical work. Learn more here.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give here.
Eden's Run 5K Virtual 2020 Toolkit
All the resources our 5K runners need to succeed.
The 11th annual Eden's Run 5K is from November 13-15, 2020! This year's event is virtual due to the pandemic. You can run from anywhere! If you haven’t registered yet, let’s go ahead and knock that out now:
RUNNER GUIDES
No matter how you registered, we have a short guide tailor-made for you!
You registered on your own and are running solo on race weekend!
You’ve been approved by our staff to run early as part of the event’s promotion!
You started a team when you registered and need to recruit some runners!
You joined a team when you registered and need to be an awesome follower!
SOCIAL TOOLS
We have powerful social media resources for you to help raise awareness and money and to recruit more runners to the cause!
YOUR FUNDRAISING PAGE
IG Story Small Donations Giving
IG Story Large Donations Giving
VENMO FUNDRAISING (if you use Venmo to accept donations, you are responsible for sending them to the OBS Venmo account. We’re @OperationBrokenSilence)
IG Story Venmo Small Donations Giving
IG Story Venmo Large Donations Giving
RACE WEEKEND (All Runners)
TEAM CAPTAIN RESOURCES
Virtual Torch Passing Planning Form
Social Media Recruitment Square 1
Social Media Recruitment Square 2
Venmo Registration IG Story (if you use Venmo to accept registration fees, you are responsible for registering each person with their full information through your team page using the $15 they send you. If you fail to do that, they won’t be able to fundraise the required $35 and won’t be a part of the 5K)
CRUSH YOUR GOAL
Every runner has to reach their $50 minimum fundraising goal by race weekend!
Here’s how to blow your fundraising goal out of the water in 15 minutes.
MERCH Up!
Because this year’s entrance fee and fundraising minimums are so low, we have a separate online store for those who want shirts, hoodies, sweaters, and more!
SPIRIT WEEK SCHEDULE
The fun kicks off on November 9! We'll have inspiring things and unique ways to learn about our work in Sudan.
All of us are in different time zones. Zoom fatigue is real. We’ll be emailing you links and passwords to the following so you can watch when it’s best for you.
Tuesday, November 10
Introduction to Operation Broken Silence and Sudan video
Wednesday, November 11
The Heart of Nuba documentary film screening
Thursday, November 12
Sudan’s Revolution explainer video
Friday, November 13
Carb-Up Cooking Class online
Saturday, November 14
Race day!
Sunday, November 15
Race day!
Restorative Yoga Class online
ZOOM SESSIONS
Questions?
Don’t hesitate to reach out! We’re here to help you succeed.
Sincerely,
Audrey Geyer
Development Director
Operation Broken Silence
Runners hit new fundraising record for Eden's Run 5K
Our runners have broken the fundraising record for Eden’s Run 5K!
Early this morning, our runners in the 11th annual Eden’s Run 5K shattered the last record left to break. After easily passing our early registrations and most participants records, this year’s runners have now out-fundraised the past decade of events.
Now at $13,900 raised — with more donations coming in as you read this — this year’s run will be the most successful in our history.
As excited as we are to make this announcement, there is still much work to be done. The 24 teachers and 1,300 students are counting on this event to help them make it through the end of the year. After losing 60% of their funding because of the pandemic, we have the opportunity to provide some certainty to them for at least the next 6 weeks.
We’re putting everything we have on the table. Join us:
About Us
Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We focus on empowering Sudanese change makers and their critical work. Learn more here.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give here.