News & Updates
Check out the latest from Sudan and our movement
Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds hearing on Sudan
Watch the full hearing and read a quick summary to learn more.
This morning, the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a full committee hearing on the catastrophe unfolding in Sudan.
We encourage you to watch the entire hearing, but we believe the exchange with Senator Cory Booker that begins at the 1:12:45 mark is worth honing in on specifically. These are the questions that should be asked and the points about Sudanese civil society needing to be centered in any process moving forward are critically important. You can also read several of our key takeaways below.
U.S. government diplomacy and actions
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has engaged in seven separate calls with Sudanese Generals Burhan and Hemeti —the two men responsible for the security meltdown— to negotiate multiple temporary ceasefires that have allowed for evacuations, some Sudanese civilians to escape high-risk areas, and the delivery of a limited amount of humanitarian aid.
Since Sunday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee and U.S. Ambassador to Sudan John Godfrey have been engaged in pre-negotiations between the Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces. Their immediate focus is securing a declaration on humanitarian principles and a more sustainable temporary ceasefire to pry open humanitarian access. If successful, they will push forward for expanded talks that aim to secure a permanent cessation of hostilities and a return to civilian-led governance in Sudan.
The State Department and U.S. military personnel have evacuated over 2,000 people from Sudan, including 1,300 U.S. citizens, diplomats, and local staff.
Following President Biden issuing an Executive Order on May 4, the U.S. government is moving forward with preparations to hold to account those responsible for this crisis through sanctions and other actions.
Ambassador John Godfrey and other US diplomats are actively speaking and working with NGOs and Sudanese civil society groups to try to meet immediate needs, as well as to find a path forward that truly places civilians in charge of the Sudanese government.
USAID’s assessment of the humanitarian situation and actions
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has confirmed that 70% of hospitals in conflict-affected areas have been knocked out of operation.
USAID estimates that over 3 million women and girls are at high-risk of gender-based violence by various regime security forces.
More than 19 million people could be food insecure in the next 3-6 months if fighting continues. That’s over 40% of Sudan’s entire population.
170,000 people have already fled to neighboring countries. Another 700,000+ have been internally-displaced by ongoing battles between regime security forces.
USAID Administrator Samantha Power has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team to the region to help coordinate large-scale relief efforts that will begin when a ceasefire sticks.
Port Sudan is firmly under the control of the Sudan Armed Forces. USAID and other regional and international actors are stockpiling humanitarian relief supplies there and off the coast that can be quickly delivered throughout the country when conditions permit.
Friends and supporters,
This time of extreme crisis is making the work of our Sudanese partners difficult. We are funding emergency evacuations, medical supplies, and more. And basic program costs are rising due to the war; fuel alone has nearly doubled in price.
The military generals responsible for this violence have no vision for Sudan, only a vision for themselves that has led to the senseless deaths of countless people. Our Sudanese partners don’t know when this will end, but their vision for a healthy and whole Sudan remains resolute. This is the way. They need our help in this time of severe crisis.
A generous private donor is responding to these urgent needs by matching all donations to our Sudanese partners, up to $15,000 total. When you donate, so do they. Give now to double your impact!
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
OTHER WAYS TO GIVE
Make a check payable to Operation Broken Silence and mail it to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900
Operation Broken Silence is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. To claim a donation as a deduction on your U.S. taxes, please keep your email donation receipt as your official record.
Biden Administration moves toward sanctions concerning Sudan
This morning, the Biden Administration announced it is moving toward imposing sanctions on persons who are destabilizing Sudan.
This morning, the Biden Administration announced it is moving toward imposing sanctions on persons who are destabilizing Sudan and undermining the country’s democratic transition.
The announcement comes nearly three weeks after the country’s official military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) plunged Sudan into the nightmare scenario we have long feared. Heavy urban fighting between the two sides in Khartoum has since spilled out to many other parts of the country.
Conservative estimates state that nearly 600 people have been killed and over 5,000 more wounded, with more than 100,000 people having fled the country the last few weeks. Dozens of hospitals and healthcare facilities have been attacked. The UN estimates another 860,000 more people will flee the country in the coming weeks.
A Sudanese fighter jet flies over the Khartoum battlefield in April 2023.
After expressing his support for the Sudanese people, President Biden said:
“Since the earliest moments of this conflict, the United States has facilitated the safe departure of thousands of people –Americans and others– by land, sea, and air and conducted intensive negotiations to de-escalate violence. Our diplomatic efforts to urge all parties to end the military conflict and allow unhindered humanitarian access continue, as do our efforts to assist those remaining Americans, including by providing them information on exit options. The United States is already responding to this unfolding humanitarian crisis and stands ready to support enhanced humanitarian assistance when conditions allow.
The United States stands with the people of Sudan—and we are acting to support their commitment to a future of peace and opportunity. Today, I issued a new Executive Order that expands U.S. authorities to respond to the violence that began on April 15 with sanctions that hold individuals responsible for threatening the peace, security, and stability of Sudan; undermining Sudan’s democratic transition; using violence against civilians; or committing serious human rights abuses.”
In a letter to Congressional leadership concerning his executive order, the President added:
“I find that the situation in Sudan, including the military’s seizure of power in October 2021 and the outbreak of inter-service fighting in April 2023, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”
Friends and supporters,
This time of extreme crisis is making the work of our Sudanese partners more difficult. Basic program costs are rising due to the war and we are receiving requests to fund emergency needs that include evacuations, medical supplies, and more.
Our Sudanese partners don’t know when this will end, but their vision for a healthy Sudan remains resolute. And they once again need our help in a time of severe crisis.
A generous private donor is responding to these urgent needs by matching all donations to our Sudanese partners, up to $15,000 total. Give now to double your impact!
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
What Sanctions Mean & More
President Biden’s full executive order can be viewed here. In summary, the EO aims to impose sanctions on the following types of people:
Persons determined to have engaged or attempted to engage in actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Sudan
Persons engaged in actions or policies that undermine the formation or operation of a civilian transitional government, Sudan’s transition to democracy, or a future democratically elected government
Persons engaged in actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in Sudan
Persons engaged in censorship or other actions or policies that limit the exercise of freedoms of expression, association, or peaceful assembly
Persons engaged in government corruption, serious human rights abuses, or the targeting of women, children, or any other civilians
Persons engaged in the obstruction of the activities of United Nations or attacks against United Nations missions in Sudan
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is now enforcing the Executive Order. We expect to see announcements of specific sanctions in the coming weeks, whether fighting between regime security forces ends or not. As in the past, we want to note that sanctions on their own will not end this crisis. While important, sanctions are only one component of the U.S. government’s broader diplomacy in and around Sudan right now.
Speaking at a US Senate hearing today, the US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said:
“The fighting in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is, we assess, likely to be protracted as both sides believe that they can win militarily and have few incentives to come to the negotiating table…Both sides are seeking external sources of support, which, if successful, is likely to intensify the conflict and create a greater potential for spillover challenges in the region.”
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, May 10 to discuss “options for an effective policy response.”
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.
Saying farewell to The Yida Photography Exhibit
We are retiring one of the most successful Sudanese storytelling projects Operation Broken Silence has ever crafted.
Today we retire one of the most successful Sudanese storytelling projects Operation Broken Silence has ever crafted: The Yida Photography Exhibit. We cannot put into words our gratitude for all of you who joined our mission after experiencing this exhibit.
We began dreaming up this project in the Summer of 2016. Our goal was to create a traveling exhibit that immersed viewers into one of the primary refugee camps for Sudanese people who had fled their country. With the help of dozens of supporters and their top-notch creativity, this stunning story came to life.
This exhibit put faces, culture, and experiences into the crisis stats people see on the news. It shined a bright light on the dignity and resilience of the Nuba people of Sudan in the face of a dehumanizing conflict.
A Story Like No Other
The Yida Photography Exhibit was designed and built over several months in 2016-2017. It was an ambitious undertaking from the beginning. As a traveling storytelling project, it needed to be easy to setup and break down, fit in the back of a single moving truck, and be highly customizable to fit a variety of spaces.
We leaned into the ingenuity of the Sudanese people themselves to do this. Display places were inspired by actual, physical locations in Yida Refugee Camp and handcrafted to match the aesthetic as closely as possible. Materials like metal framing, stained wood, crepe myrtle branches, and barbless barbed wire were donated or purchased. Each display piece was designed and custom-made for the photos they would serve as the backdrop for.
The 313 breathtaking images placed in the exhibit were hand-selected from a collection of 4,535 photos taken by three of our photographers in Yida Refugee Camp: Katie Barber, Jacob Geyer, and Mark Hackett. Photos were curated into various sections that examined what it means to be a Sudanese refugee, Nuba culture, and questions about Sudan’s uncertain future.
The final result was an exhibit that exceeded our expectations. Viewers talked, cried, and found hope in the story. Some people were so captivated by what they say that they would stand motionless or sit on the floor as they processed it all. Countless people invited friends and eagerly jumped into our mission as volunteers, donors, and fundraisers. This special project captured the resilience, somberness, and strength of the people we serve in a way we did not expect. It also brought together people of all different ages, faiths, ethnicities, and backgrounds into our mission.
Final Results
The Yida Photography Exhibit cost $6,775 to build. Costs were driven down by more than 60% thanks to donated materials and labor. When we shared our vision with people who could help bring this story to life, most all jumped at the opportunity.
6,263 people were introduced to the crisis in Sudan and the people Operation Broken Silence serves through the exhibit. We can trace $104,500 in direct giving and fundraising to showings. The amount of money raised greatly exceeds that as some supporters have continued to give annually, fundraised multiple times, come to other events, and started giving monthly. Over the past several years, these funds have been invested into the amazing teachers and students at the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools in Yida Refugee Camp.
Any nonprofit would be thrilled with results like these. We certainly are, but we’re mostly just grateful. For our Sudanese partners. For the folks who helped bring this story to life. For the supporters and friends we’ve made along the way. For the opportunity to tell a difficult, but amazing story. It’s easy to point at the numbers and claim success! It’s much harder to quantify the countless conversations, words of encouragements, questions, and friendships that were born in this exhibit. Concrete numbers are certainly important, but our organization exists first and foremost to bring a diversity of people together to help others.
You may be asking “If this exhibit is so powerful then why retire it? Why not keep going?”
Sudan and Yida Refugee Camp are very different places today than they were when this project was made. The exhibit would need major updating to stay true to the story. Our organization has also changed a lot over the past few years. We are still finding our footing in this ever-changing, post-pandemic world. Our sense is that it’s better to close this chapter on a high note to make space for what comes next. The story of Sudan is not over yet, but one of the ways we have been telling it is. Some good things come to an end.
The good news is that small parts of the exhibit will live on. We’re keeping all of the photos and a few display pieces to be used at our annual events, private fundraisers, and brand partnership opportunities. You’ll still see them popping up around Memphis from time to time.
Thank you again for being a part of this story. Our friends in Sudan have benefited from your compassion and we are personally encouraged by all of you. The mission to discover a brighter future in Sudan continues. We invite you to recommit to our Sudanese partners alongside of us.
Get Involved
Operation Broken Silence has been working next to our Sudanese partners on the ground for over a decade. Our mission has always been focused on the long run, which is why empowering local solutions in the oppressed Nuba Mountains region is our top priority.
Supporting local teachers like Chana makes all the difference for students in Yida Refugee Camp. The fastest way to empower them is to make a quick one-time donation online, or setup a small monthly gift to help provide them the consistent support they need. A generous private donor is matching all donations, up to $15,000 total. Give now to double your impact.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Start a fundraising page and ask friends and family to give
Make a check payable to Operation Broken Silence and mail it to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900
Operation Broken Silence is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. To claim a donation as a deduction on your U.S. taxes, please keep your email donation receipt as your official record.
We'll send it to you upon successful completion of your donation.
Sudan Crisis: Update & How To Help
One week into the civil war in Sudan and there is no end in sight.
Friends and supporters,
It’s been nearly one week since the the Sudan Armed Forces —the country’s official military— and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began waging war on each other.
Our top priority continues to be ensuring the safety of our Sudanese partners and contacts. I can confirm that our partners and direct contacts are all accounted for, but some of them have lost dear friends and family members to the fighting. Some are in safe spaces, others are not. We grieve with them, and we share their outrage.
We have an update on the situation for you below; but, before you read it, can you make a quick donation to our Sudanese partners? Program costs are rising due to the war and we are preparing to meet emergency needs when they arise. A generous private donor is matching all donations, up to $15,000 total. Give now to double your impact.
Other Ways to Give: Mail A Check | Donate Crypto | Donate Stock
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your gift is tax-deductible within the rules of US law.
An Update On The Situation In Sudan
This update is meant to provide you a general overview of the current political and security environment in Sudan. This is not an exhaustive update and the situation is changing by the hour. For more frequent updates, please follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Since the initial outbreak of fighting between army and paramilitary forces in Khartoum on April 15, violence has spiraled out of control and into other parts of Sudan. The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) —the country’s official military— currently has the upper-hand in most parts of the country. With the official death estimate already over 400 and the numbers of wounded at 4,000 and climbing fast, this crisis is likely far from over. Considering the brutality of some of the fighting and war crimes we are seeing, these numbers are certainly a vast undercount.
In the long-oppressed western Darfur region, SAF is largely in control of all state capitals, although some fighting continues north of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. It appears that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) expected army units would put up little resistance in El Fasher and Nyala. That proved to be a severe miscalculation, with eyewitnesses reporting fierce fighting before RSF units were mostly driven out of both cities. Widespread looting and war crimes have been committed by both sides.
Elsewhere in Sudan, SAF has retaken the Meroe air base north of Khartoum, a major resupply route used by RSF forces. Port Sudan in the east is also under SAF control. El Obeid in Kordofan has seen rolling battles between SAF/police and RSF units. In South Kordofan —home to the Nuba Mountains, where the bulk of our programs are— SAF is in control of all major towns in regime-held areas. The situation there is largely quiet, but tensions are high. Fighting has also been reported in countless small and medium-sized towns across much of Sudan where the army and paramilitaries both have a presence.
The most brutal fighting remains in Khartoum. Over the last few days, both sides have poured thousands of reinforcements, artillery, and weapons and ammunition into the capital. The heaviest fighting is in central Khartoum and neighborhoods in nearby Omdurman. Shelling and heavy gunfire continues around what is left of the army headquarters, international airport, and presidential palace. There are widespread reports of RSF paramilitaries using hit-and-run attacks out of residential areas, with the army launching airstrikes and shells indiscriminately into neighborhoods in response.
Large parts of Khartoum are without power and the city is running dangerously low on fuel, water, and food. The healthcare system is at high-risk of a total collapse in the next few days, with several hospitals having been attacked and all running low on supplies and staff. Deaths and injuries will likely skyrocket soon as fighting continues and what is left of basic social services deteriorate.
Looking beyond Sudan’s borders, ceasefire attempts by the international community have failed. Several diplomatic convoys in Khartoum have been fired on and fallen back to their embassies. Most all international aid operations in the country have been halted. Multiple countries, including the United States, are preparing for military evacuations of diplomatic personnel and whatever citizens sheltering in place they can reach. These realities are best understood as grim warnings that Sudan’s generals have no interest in negotiating an end to this madness.
To make matters worse, other countries are now entering the tempest. There are reports of Egypt launching airstrikes against RSF bases and supply lines as far as they can reach into Sudan. There are unconfirmed reports that the United Arab Emirates is attempting to resupply the RSF through Libya. And the Russian mercenary group Wagner, which has a sizable presence in Sudan, is reported to be furnishing the RSF with surface-to-air missiles. Efforts like these to prop up both sides in this conflict will likely only stretch out this crisis even further, even if this eventually devolves into ongoing, lower-level conflict in more rural and periphery regions of the country.
Predicting when and how this ends is a futile effort; however, considering the nature of the crisis and posture of SAF and RSF commanders, it seems apparent that the current goal of the army is to eradicate the RSF paramilitary force once and for all.
We anticipate that al-Burhan and his army generals will continue pressing their advantage as RSF units retreat or collapse across the country. And it seems like Hemeti and his paramilitary commanders will continue to try to decapitate army leadership in Khartoum as, right now at least, this appears to be the RSF’s only viable path to dominance. As always, the Sudanese people stand to lose the most. Caught in the crossfire and directly targeted by the very security forces tasked with keeping them safe, millions of ordinary Sudanese are living through one of the worst nightmares in Sudan’s recent history.
While the rule of law has been largely absent from Sudan for decades, the oppression of regime rule provided minimal stability in the power centers that the generals relied upon to survive. Even that is now gone. The regime is cannibalizing itself; its generals wholly committed to each other’s destruction in the name of individual self-preservation. One is forced again to see the truth for what it is: if this is not total governmental ruin, then there are no rules of governance.
At the end of this post you can find additional public reporting that provides more background on Sudan’s generals and the roots of this new crisis. Before that though, we encourage you to take action in this moment of severe crisis.
Get Involved
Operation Broken Silence has been working next to our Sudanese partners on the ground for over a decade. Our mission has always been focused on the long run, which is why empowering local solutions will remain our top priority, even during this crisis.
Supporting local teachers like Chana makes all the difference for students who have survived war and want to build a better future for their country. The cost of life-changing programs like these is going up due to the war, and we anticipate that we will soon be called to fund emergency needs. We can’t let this crisis stop our Sudanese partners from doing what they do best: lifting up their people.
The fastest way to help them is to make a quick one-time donation online, or setup a small monthly gift to help provide them the consistent support they need. A generous private donor is matching all donations, up to $15,000 total. Give now to double your impact.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Start a fundraising page and ask friends and family to give
Make a check payable to Operation Broken Silence and mail it to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900
It’s been a long week for our friends in Sudan. There’s still a lot of uncertainty ahead, too. What we know is that our Sudanese partners need our help. Let’s each play our small part in giving them the best chance for real, lasting change.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
Additional Reporting You May Find Helpful
Sudan's nightmare scenario has arrived
The Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are now waging war on each other.
Friends and supporters,
The crisis we have feared for months began in earnest over the weekend. The Sudan Armed Forces —the country’s official military— and the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are now waging war on each other.
As of the time this is being posted, millions of people who call Khartoum home are watching in terror as fighter jets scream through the skies. Intense fighting involving armored vehicles, tanks, truck-mounted machine guns, and artillery has consumed areas around the Presidential Palace and other government installations. Smoke was seen billowing from the international airport, where civilian airliners were bombed as soldiers battled for control. Artillery and heavy gunfire pummeled random neighborhoods, schools, health facilities, and more.
And the military headquarters —a building long viewed as a symbol for all that has gone wrong in Sudan— has been decimated by the brutal security forces born in its halls.
The violence is now quickly spreading to other parts of Sudan, so quickly that we still do not have a full picture of what is happening. Nyala in Darfur has been described by one of our contacts there as “Hell coming to Earth.” Hospitals in El Fasher are buckling as large numbers of wounded seek care. Gunfire was heard throughout Port Sudan over the weekend. El Obied. Menroe. El Geneina. Zalingei. We could spend the rest of this update naming the cities and communities where fighting is underway. This cancerous war is spreading into all corners of Sudan.
Nearly 200 people have already been reported killed, with over 1,800 more injured. This is almost certainly an extreme undercount considering the severity of the violence and the inability of people to move freely about and see how much damage is truly being done.
As for the generals who started this war? They’re hurling childish insults at each other and refusing to stand down, playing make-believe and telling themselves they are saviors of a country whose people see them as dictators. Looking at the transgressive malevolence of Sudan’s generals, one is forced again to see the truth for what it is: if this is not total governmental ruin, then there are no rules of governance.
Smoke is seen rising from Khartoum's skyline on April 16, 2023. The Sudanese military and a powerful paramilitary group battled for control of the chaos-stricken nation for a second day Sunday, signaling they were unwilling to end hostilities despite mounting diplomatic pressure to cease fire. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)
How this impacts our mission
Our sole priority over the weekend was ensuring the safety of our Sudanese partners and contacts. I can confirm that our partners and direct contacts are all accounted for, but some of them have lost dear friends and family members to the fighting. Some are in safe spaces, others are not. We grieve with them, and we share their outrage.
In my 16 years with the Sudanese people, I have never seen as much raw anger as I am seeing now. Calling this war senseless would be a catastrophic understatement. One of our partners summed this reality up to me well yesterday, saying “The generals are fighting to overthrow themselves. This is the dumbest thing yet I have seen them do.”
How many more must die at the hands of narcissistic generals who only care about their own power? How many more lives must be destroyed before these men realize they are unfit to lead? How much more innocent blood must be shed for the Sudanese people to be free of this insanity?
As most of you know, the bulk of our Sudanese partners operate in and near the southern Nuba Mountains region of the country. For now, the situation there remains quiet. But we are already seeing severe challenges in programing because of this absurd conflict. Critical parts needed to complete the clean water project we recently fundraised for are now indefinitely delayed. Some program costs will go up soon as supply lines are closed off by the chaos that comes with war. And the hum of anxiety in our Sudanese partners that eased last year has returned.
How much longer? When does this end? How much more are we supposed to bear?
The generals responsible for this mass violence don’t have the answers to these questions. They certainly have no vision for Sudan, only a vision for themselves that has already led to the senseless deaths of countless people they never met.
Our Sudanese partners don’t know the answers to these questions either, but their vision for a healthy and whole Sudan remains resolute. This is the way. And they once again need our help in a time of severe crisis.
Get Involved
Operation Broken Silence has been working next to our Sudanese partners on the ground for over a decade. Our mission has always been focused on the long run, which is why empowering local solutions will remain our top priority, even during this crisis.
Supporting local teachers like Chana makes all the difference for students who have survived war and want to build a better future for their country. The cost of life-changing programs like these is about to go up due to the war. We can’t let that stop our Sudanese partners from doing what they do best: lifting up their people.
The fastest way to help them is to make a quick one-time donation online, or setup a small monthly gift to help provide them the consistent support they need. A generous private donor is matching all donations, up to $15,000 total. Give now to double your impact.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Start a fundraising page and ask friends and family to give
Make a check payable to Operation Broken Silence and mail it to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900
This has been a difficult few days of major setbacks for our friends in Sudan. We don’t know what the coming days and weeks look like. All we know is that our Sudanese partners need our help. Let’s each play our small part in helping to give them the best chance for real, lasting change.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
Movement Spotlight: Norwood - Fontbonne Academy Students
How one school used a multifaceted project about clean water to help oppressed communities in Sudan.
Operation Broken Silence may be a small organization; but, with the support of our incredible movement found across the United States and around the world, we’re able to help our Sudanese partners make progress in their communities in some really big ways.
We want to share one of these stories from our movement with you today! Meet Megan Stotz, an educator at Norwood - Fontbonne Academy in Philadelphia, PA.
Some of Megan’s students recently worked on a media project about clean water access. She heard about the clean water project we were fundraising for in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan and reached out to us about getting involved. We introduced some real-world experience from the nonprofit-side of things to her students and they eagerly jumped into their own project and fundraising for ours! She says:
“The most interesting thing my students and I learned was the resiliency of the Sudanese people. After facing decades of turmoil and despair, the Sudanese people have not given up hope for a better future. Their hope was contagious and inspired my students to want to learn more, help in an authentic way, and be the next generation of global change agents.
What stood out the most to my sixth grade students was how they deeply comprehended the meaning of ‘Water is Life.’ My students connected that clean water provides access to improved health, safety, and education. They could identify the ripple effects in people's lives, especially children their age, when they do not have access to safe and clean water. One sixth grade student named Jake Donovan said, ‘This is more than a health crisis, it's a life crisis.’
This salient theme tied itself to the engineering prototype designs my students were creating. Their designs went from a simple water filter with no significant purpose, to a prototype of a water fountain using local vegetation as a filter that would be located near classrooms so students and teachers would have easy access to clean water. Another group designed and built a portable water filter for families to use when they are traveling far from their local village for either work opportunities or access to food. Without the awareness of the need for clean water my students wouldn’t have fully grasped the effect their water filtration would have on people.”
Together, the students raised $1,375 for the clean water project we are sponsoring in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan! This helped us close the remaining fundraising gap for the project. Here’s what Megan had to say about how fundraising benefited her students:
“There were so many aspects of the project that we loved! First and foremost, my students were able to see in real time how many hands make light work. From people donating $1 to $100, everyone's contribution made a difference. Each time we jumped over a goal my students would scream and high five each other with excitement. Additionally, my students were able to follow the process of how an engineering solution gets into the real world. From identifying a need, building a solution with a sustainable design, then finding monetary resources to get the plan in action was an invaluable lesson.
Hands down the best thing I did for my students this year was to get involved with Operation Broken Silence. The level of empathy my students felt and have maintained over the course of our class project was largely in part with working with Operation Broken Silence.
From their touching media pieces, to purposeful and sustainable solutions for the Sudanese people, my students knew the work they were doing was helping others. Being able to see the efforts of their plans be put into action was something I couldn’t have done with a traditional lesson plan. My students were also able to identify all of the moving parts within an NGO. The realization of the importance of logos, websites, marketing, and fundraising, heavily influenced the work they put into their NGO and prototype design. These real world connections will have a lasting impact on not only their learning, but their life.”
Thank you to the students, Megan and her colleagues, and the families of Norwood - Fontbonne Academy for including our mission and Sudanese partners in your community. Some of our friends in Sudan will soon benefit from your compassion, and we are always encouraged when we see students helping others.
Get Involved
Operation Broken Silence has been working next to our Sudanese partners on the ground for over a decade. Our mission has always been focused on the long run, which is why empowering local solutions in the oppressed Nuba Mountains region is our top priority.
Supporting local teachers like Chana makes all the difference for students in Yida Refugee Camp. The fastest way to empower them is to make a quick one-time donation online, or setup a small monthly gift to help provide them the consistent support they need.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Start a fundraising page and ask friends and family to give!
Make a check payable to Operation Broken Silence and mail it to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
Operation Broken Silence is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. To claim a donation as a deduction on your U.S. taxes, please keep your email donation receipt as your official record. We'll send it to you upon successful completion of your donation.