Near East Foundation - One Child's Question Inspires Warmth & Comfort for Cold Sudanese

In contrast to the usual impression of Sudanese stranded in hot, parched, inhospitable desert after fleeing their country's violence and drought--it has been very cold in Sudan during these winter months of 2006-07. In fact the government has reported deaths due to below-freezing weather conditions in some areas, including Darfur as well as Kordofan and northern states. That raised a question in a child's compassionate mind.

The daughter of Mohamed Ali al-Hassein, NEF's (Near East Foundation) administrator in Sudan, wondered aloud, "What about the people who have no blankets, no solid homes and live in shelters?"

In particular she worried about the children at the El-Tagwa School in Dar El-Salaam El-Tawidat, a squatter settlement in the northern part of Khartoum where NEF has established the only available health center for thousands of internally displaced Sudanese and assists with other services, including the El-Tagwa School. She told her father she wanted to give her old blanket to a student at the school.

THEN THE PHONE RANG

Coincidentally during that conversation, the regional director for a partner organization called to discuss joint projects underway with NEF, a long-time partner. Prompted by his child's heartfelt distress, Mohamed Ali asked about obtaining blankets for poor people enduring a particularly severe winter--an urgent need.

Acting quickly, NEF's partner called back on Friday, January 19th with his okay to begin a project distributing blankets to the poor. For their part, NEF staff immediately went to work on an action plan, determining the areas to be served, timing, budget, and their individual responsibilities.

On February 1, 300 good quality blankets--200 large and 100 of smaller size--were bought for a good price. Joining Mohamed Ali for the distribution were NEF Sudan staffers Musa Gismallah and Osman Shams El Dein.

Blankets went to orphans, widows, the disabled, low income families, with children, students and the elderly given top priority. Care was taken to assure the collaboration of local non-government organizations in the distribution in the six selected areas in Omdurman, Khartoum and Khartoum North.

DISTRIBUTION TO...

In Salama, a very deprived area of Khartoum where people live in shelters made of sacks, cardboard cartons, and plastic bags, the local Disabled Peoples Charitable Society director got 30 large-size blankets to give to school students and five smaller ones for teachers. Another 30 large blankets and 10 smaller ones went to students, poor families and the elderly at Tayba El Kabaish through the community-based Family Projects Development Association.

In Soba, the disabled and very poor were helped by the El Nahda Society for the Physically Disabled. In Mayo, elderly women were the main recipients with the El Rahma Women's Society as conduit. In Um Bada, where people from the south and west of the country have settled and organized Um Doraman to solve their problems and share responsibility for helping each other, five large and five small blankets were distributed.

A CHILD'S CONCERN ASSUAGED

And the children from poor families attending the El-Tagwa School that Mohamed's daughter was so worried about...they received 35 large blankets and 30 smaller ones. Many of them were from the same families which helped even more. Kindergarteners and adults studying at Tawheed School got blankets as did students at Awatif School, the majority of them women. The Mosque Committee gave their allotment to older people, three of them blind; and members of the NEF Health Center Committee, both support staff and volunteers, received 20 large blankets.

"This project strengthened trust between NEF and communities in all these areas," the NEF Sudan administrator reported, adding his personal observation--"You could see it in the eyes of the older people and especially, the handicapped."

Other NEF staff involved in the distribution corroborated his impression: "The people told us 'You feel and understand our needs--and you are with us.' They also asked that we thank the donors to NEF and its partners," he emphasized.