News & Updates
Check out the latest from Sudan and our movement
Farewell 2021
An end of year message from Operation Broken Silence's Executive Director.
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
Matched Gifts To Our Endowment Fund
As 2021 comes to an end, we’re highlighting a special giving opportunity for the long-term sustainability of our mission.
As 2021 comes to an end, we’re highlighting a special giving opportunity for the long-term sustainability of our mission.
Friends and supporters,
Our mission of helping Sudanese change makers create a better Sudan is the work of a lifetime, if not longer. No matter what happens —be it a global pandemic, a military coup, or something else outside of our control— we need to always have financial resources at our disposal to keep our doors open to our Sudanese partners.
This is why Operation Broken Silence self-started an Endowment Fund in 2016. It was an unusual step for a nonprofit to take, and we got more than a few raised eyebrows at the time. One question that I’ll never forget receiving was “If the needs in Sudan are so great today, how can y’all justify asking people to give to a fund that won’t immediately help?”
It was a fair question with a simple answer: our Sudanese partners value reliability. They need to know that we’ll always be there, even when the going gets rough. Having an Endowment Fund is the only way to build long-term reliability into our mission.
In March 2020, COVID-19 ground giving to a halt as we cancelled critical events, closed our office, and went remote. Our Endowment Fund gave us space to adapt, launch new fundraising efforts, and help our Sudanese partners continue their work with minimal disruption. Simply put, our Endowment Fund worked in a time of extreme crisis.
One of our biggest supporters noticed how useful this fund is. Earlier this year, they offered to match all donations made to our Endowment Fund, up to $25,000 total. As of the time of this posting, roughly $11,500 of the matching gift remains.
Here are a few ways you can help us claim these remaining funds and put them to work for our mission.
GIVE ONLINE
The fastest way to have your gift matched is to make a donation online.
GIVE CRPYTO
Your crypto donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law, if you pay taxes in the U.S. Donating crypto is safe and fast with our widget:
Select a crypto and enter your gift amount.
Type in your email and basic info (or choose to give anonymously).
Make your gift!
You can elect to receive an automatic tax receipt at the email address you provide. This donation confirmation will help you close the loop when calculating your taxes.
Crypto charitable donations are processed quickly and safely with The Giving Block and Gemini Trust Exchange. Please note that all crypto gifts are nonrefundable.
OTHER WAYS TO GIVE
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence, write Endowment in the memo line, and mail to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN, 38177-0900
Donate from your DAF, gift stock, and discover other ways to give.
Our top priority has always been meeting the needs of our Sudanese partners. That isn’t changing, but we must ensure that our Endowment Fund is always slowly growing in the background. Our effectiveness as an organization is largely dependent on our reliability.
I hope you’ll consider joining me in making a matched donation right now. This is an easy way to help our mission grow more resilient over the long haul. Happy holidays.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
Endowment Fund FAQ
What is the Endowment Fund and how does it work?
Our Endowment is made up of a series of strategic investments, including a mutual fund, cryptocurrencies, and cash savings. Earned dividends and interest are used to support our mission, with the principal remaining largely untouched. These investments are overseen by our Board Treasurer, Executive Director, and Certified Financial Planner. Our various holdings are with Shoemaker Financial and the Gemini Trust Exchange.
What happens after I make a donation to the Endowment Fund?
It depends on your giving method. The first thing that happens though is that you receive a donation receipt for giving confirmation and tax purposes.
If you give cash, your generosity is deposited into a business advantage savings account and starts earning interest. Once a certain amount of donations arrive, those gifts are invested in a mutual fund. At that point, your gift starts generating a much higher level of quarterly and annual dividends, effortlessly multiplying your impact on our mission year after year.
If you donate an investment, such as a stock or cryptocurrency, we will evaluate the long-term quality of your gift. It may be kept as is or sold and reinvested elsewhere in line with our investment strategy.
How much of all donations given annually are allocated to the Endowment Fund?
The only donations that are invested are ones in which the donor intentionally gives to the Endowment Fund. This can be done through a specific giving form, posts like this one, or through direct communication with our staff. No portion of general or program-specific donations are allocated to the Endowment Fund.
What are the best ways to give to the Endowment Fund?
Donating stock, mutual funds, or cryptocurrencies are preferred giving methods. These can be the most tax-efficient ways to give, especially if you have held an investment for longer than one year. By making a charitable gift, you may be eligible to significantly reduce what you would otherwise owe in capital gains taxes. As with any tax-related questions, be sure to consult a qualified professional tax advisor.
Have additional questions before giving? Reach out to us here.
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.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give here.
Yida Education Update - December 2021
Get the latest news from the schools in Yida Refugee Camp!
In 2015, Operation Broken Silence began funding four Sudanese teachers in Yida Refugee Camp. They were giving lessons underneath a tree with a single, broken chalkboard.
With your support, their small effort has blossomed into the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools. Over 24 Nuba teachers come to work here every day. They run the show —not us— and roughly 1,400 students are in their classrooms every week.
Endure Primary is now the top performing elementary school in the region and a treasured possession of the Nuba community. More than 6,500 children have been served by the school to date. Renewal Secondary began a three-year phased opening in 2019 and has already scored some early successes.
One of the largest demographics in Yida is children under the age of 16. The teachers’ vision has always been to ensure that every single child in Yida has the opportunity to attain a quality education.
Student Spotlight
Abdu was born and raised in Yida Refugee Camp. His mother arrived in Yida in 2015 —roughly four months into her pregnancy—after fleeing the Sudanese government’s relentless bombing of her village. Abdu has grown up never seeing his family and community’s land.
But he has found a home in Yida. The camp is a relatively safe place and, following nine months of being on the wait list for the Endure Primary School, Abdu began his education journey in 2020. He says:
“My friends are here. I am learning how to read. My mother is happy that I am here. She tells me I would not be able to go to school in our village because it was bombed.”
Abdu’s family will begin talking about returning home when there is a peace agreement, something his mother is insistent must be signed first. Until then, their future is in Yida, where Abdu and hundreds of other children are already thinking about a brighter future for their country.
Attendance Fluctuations
It’s an interesting season at the schools as some families have decided to depart Yida and attempt to recover their land in the Nuba Mountains.
Attendance at Endure Primary has dropped to a little over 700 students daily, although numbers are already ticking back up as new students enroll following an academic assessment by the teachers. It’s common to find students of various ages in all grade levels at the school, as the war and school openings and closings over the past decade have severely disrupted the childhood education journey. Rather than placing children who have been out of school for years in a grade based on their age, they are placed based on previous academic experience.
Similarly, attendance at Renewal Secondary has dropped to just over 200 students daily, down roughly 30% from the normal soft-opening phase number of 300-350 students per semester. New students are already enrolling to fill empty spots as well.
Secondary Exam Results
After multiple delays brought on by COVID-19, national exam results are finally in for Renewal Secondary. Out of the 130 students who participated, 118 passed! This was the first time that students from Renewal Secondary took the final exam that allows for graduation.
English comprehension, specifically writing, was the primary struggle for the 12 students who did not pass. The teachers are currently examining ways to bolster the school’s English courses as a result. Still, everyone is thrilled that the results were this positive for the first round of testing! This is a testament to the dedication of the teachers for more than two years as they worked toward this milestone.
New Headmaster At Renewal Secondary
A headmaster has finally been found to manage Renewal Secondary! Trained in education program management by the Catholic Church, he is originally from the Nuba Mountains and has worked in a variety of secondary and primary schools the past few decades.
Teachers and students report that adding a headmaster has been a boon to the school’s activities, with the music class expanded and additional cultural events added in each month for the students and broader community in Yida. We’re excited to see what other changes are on the horizon!
Classroom Conditions
Over the past three years, we’ve worked with our education partner to improve classroom infrastructure at Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary. Thunderstorms were repeatedly damaging classrooms and forcing expensive repairs. By early 2020, all classrooms had received significant weatherproofing and strengthened roofs.
We mentioned in our last update that a strong thunderstorm had rolled over Yida and damaged quite a few structures in the camp. The schools were largely spared, but two classrooms at Endure Primary saw severe damage. Thanks to your giving, repairs are now underway!
Supporting Other Schools In Yida
After years of financial struggles, the only other secondary school in Yida was on the verge of permanently closing earlier this year. Vision Secondary School was founded several years ago with pledges of support from other outside nonprofits, most of which never materialized.
The teachers we support at Renewal Secondary have now partially taken over operations at Vision to try to keep the school afloat. Since most of our teachers specialize in certain areas, they are bouncing back and forth between both schools to fill gaps left behind by Vision’s mostly unpaid and departing teachers. Vision is far from being out of the woods —with funding being the primary challenge— but the temporary assistance we are providing has brought some much needed stability to students there.
Endure Primary School is also now serving as the central national exam preparation facility for primary students in Yida. Moving forward, the camp’s eight additional primary schools will receive support and resources annually for student test prep. This ancillary program will positively impact an estimated 2,100+ students every year!
Funding & Morale
Teacher and student morale is high at the moment, although there is a bit of weariness as some broader humanitarian issues in the camp emerge. Some of the main clean water pumps are beginning to fail as humanitarian organizations scale back operations, leading to longer lines for water, and the limited healthcare services that were in the camp have decreased to the point of being almost non-existent.
But fundraising for the teachers and students continues to improve. Our supporters have restored 70% of the funding the schools lost in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and political instability in the United States, where the majority of our donors live. There’s still a long road ahead to full funding, but we’re trending in the right direction. Learn how you can help us continue making progress below.
Get Involved
Operation Broken Silence is the only nonprofit in the world funding community-led education in Yida. Without the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools, the entire education system would collapse.
When we all do our small part, the teachers and kids in Yida are able to create the conditions for their people to thrive. Here are the three most common ways to get involved:
Donate Crypto
Your crypto donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law, if you pay taxes in the U.S. Here are just a few examples of the impact crypto has in the lives of teachers and students in YIda:
1 BTC funds Endure Primary for 1 year
1 ETH supports 4 teachers for 1 year
1 LTC gives supplies to a classroom
Donating crypto is safe and fast:
Select a token and enter gift amount.
Type in your info, or choose to give anonymously.
Make your gift!
You can elect to receive an automatic tax receipt at the email address you provide. Crypto charitable donations are processed quickly and safely with The Giving Block and Gemini Trust Exchange. Please note that all crypto gifts are nonrefundable.
OTHER WAYS TO GIVE
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence, write Education in the memo line, and mail to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN, 38177-0900
Donate from your DAF, gift stock, and discover other ways to give.
About Nuba
The Nuba Mountains are home to roughly 100 African tribal groups who have lived here for over 2,000 years. The roughly 1.3 million Christian, Muslim, and traditional Nuba people live mostly in harmony.
Sadly, the Nuba way of life has been in danger for decades. Extremist regime officials have long viewed the Nuba people as a threat to their iron-fisted rule. The Sudanese military and their paramilitary allies have committed two genocides in the region since the 1990s.
Dictator Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a military coup in April 2019. A fledgling transitional government replaced him and is supposed to be moving the country toward civilian, democratic rule. A coup in November 2021 disrupted this progress. A fragile ceasefire is in place in the Nuba Mountains right now.
Operation Broken Silence focuses on the Nuba Mountains and nearby Yida Refugee Camp. We are the only nonprofit in the world funding community-led education in Yida. Your generous support is essential for the Sudanese teachers we partner with. Learn more about our mission here.
Eden's Run 5K 2021 Results
See what our runners accomplished together!
This year’s run was on the smaller side as we continued to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic in a virtual environment. But you still showed up big for the teachers in Yida, with some of the highest fundraising numbers per runner we have ever seen.
36 supporters and our sponsor Siskind Susser, PC came together to raise and give $9,700 for teachers and students in Yida Refugee Camp. These funds will be used to help pay teacher salaries and deliver school supplies in early 2022. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Get Involved
Operation Broken Silence has been working alongside our Sudanese partners on the ground for a decade. Our mission has always been focused on the long run, which is why supporting Sudanese teachers in the Nuba Mountains region remains our top priority.
We’re searching for 15 supporters to join us in giving monthly to these teachers. Signing up only takes a minute and comes with perks.
Additional ways to help:
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.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give here.
Giving Tuesday 2021: Thank You
Another Giving Tuesday is in the bag! We ended up a little short on some of our very ambitious goals, but our movement was incredibly generous nonetheless.
Another Giving Tuesday is in the bag! We ended up a little short on some of our very ambitious goals, but our movement was incredibly generous nonetheless.
Thank you for such a wonderful day! This Giving Tuesday was a great reminder that, when we all do our small part, we can bring extra resources forward for our Sudanese partners and friends.
Didn't get a chance to take part yesterday? You can still make a one-time donation or help us continue making progress on the goals we haven’t reached yet:
Upcoming Opportunities
Our mission is busier than ever, and our team is always working hard to create the best and most fulfilling experiences for you. Here is what you can expect to hear about through the end of 2021.
Dec 6-25: Project Giving
We are highlighting three specific programs and projects during these three weeks that you can give directly to:
Dec 6-11: Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains.
Dec 12-18: Endure Primary & Renewal Secondary Schools in Yida Refugee Camp.
Dec 19-25: Matched donations to our Endowment Fund!
Dec 26-31: Year End Gifts
If one of the reasons you are giving is for tax purposes, your gift needs to be in by midnight on December 31.
Writing a check? Be sure it is postmarked by December 31, made payable to Operation Broken Silence, and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
The best way to make sure you don’t accidentally miss your last donation of the year is to give early!
As always, we don’t expect supporters to participate in each and every one of these giving opportunities. We do encourage you to pick one or two that are a good fit for you though!
With so much uncertainty in Sudan at the moment, our consistent communication and your generosity can bring some much-needed support to our Sudanese friends. Let’s make this season of giving a bountiful one, for them.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
Bringing Together Cryptocurrency & Monthly Donors This Giving Tuesday
Operation Broken Silence, a nonprofit leader in improving educational access in the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan, has announced its 2021 Giving Tuesday campaign.
Operation Broken Silence, a nonprofit leader in improving educational access in the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan, has announced its 2021 Giving Tuesday campaign. This annual effort comes as a military coup in Sudan threatens to unravel the country’s peaceful revolution and transition to democracy. Current events could have a severe impact on the organization’s critical programming.
“We’ve always known this transition period in Sudan was going to be risky; however, after 30 years of catastrophic regime rule, the country’s peaceful revolution that began in 2019 had become inevitable,” said Mark Hackett, Executive Director, Operation Broken Silence. “I’ve spent the last few weeks talking to our Sudanese partners and connections on the ground. They remain as committed as ever, but we’re all deeply worried about what the future holds if this coup is not fully reversed, and soon.”
This year, Operation Broken Silence has a two-pronged Giving Tuesday campaign that long-time supporters and newcomers alike can participate in.
Traditional supporters are encouraged to start a small monthly gift for the Sudanese teachers and students that the organization supports in Yida Refugee Camp. Additionally, for almost a year now, Operation Broken Silence has accepted cryptocurrency donations through The Giving Block.
“Our 2021 Giving Tuesday campaign is a blend of growing our family of core supporters and expanding the cutting edge of new philanthropy,” Hackett said. “Our Sudanese partners are deeply appreciative of our monthly giving family; it’s a consistent stream of support that has helped them thrive. And the crypto community is an especially generous one with an outsized impact and emphasis on supporting underserved and niche causes.”
We’re the only nonprofit in the world supporting community-led education in Yida Refugee Camp, which sits on the edge of an oppressed region most people have never heard of. As far as level of importance and underserved causes go, we’re about as niche and critical as you can get.”
Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 to encourage people to do good at the start of the giving season. It comes on the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and has grown into a global movement that brings together nonprofits, companies, and individual donors. Operation Broken Silence was one of the first nonprofits in the world to participate in Giving Tuesday.
When asked why people should join in this year’s Giving Tuesday campaign, Hackett said:
“We’re pretty used to working in an environment that rapidly changes. But looking back on a decade of our mission, I can’t think of another time in which there was this much uncertainty. There are bigger forces at play in Sudan that are outside our control, but we are uniquely positioned to deliver more resources to those creating change, from the ground up. That’s always where the long-term solutions in Sudan have been and will always be. All that’s left to do is make the magic happen by giving what we can.”
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.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give here.