On Days 333 and 334 we shared a little about how our fantastic health team in Kalma fought off a terrible cholera outbreak and how they were preparing in case history repeats itself. Our team had one more project they wanted to complete related to the diarrhea treatment center (DTC) in Kalma Camp. Hundreds of people had moved through the DTC at the height of the outbreak. The building did all that it needed to do, but it was left a little worse for wear. And once things settled down, our team shifted their focus to matters that had gone unattended during the outbreak. That left the DTC looking a little sad. So our team at Kalma’s Sector 1 Health Center – home of the DTC – suggested a simple, fresh coat of paint. Paint can do wonders. And once a single white coat of paint was up on those walls, inside and outside the DTC, our team was already feeling better about being ready for the next emergency. “We needed this,” said Dr. Fadua who runs the Health Center. “Even a little … [Read more...] about Healing Paint

The schools in Kalma Camp serve thousands of students. Yet, in terms of facilities, they are little more than empty buildings. Kalma’s schools don’t have desks or chairs for the children to sit, listen and study. “Kids sit in the dirt all day,” Adam Abdallah Musa told us. Adam is the overall camp leader in charge of schools in Kalma Camp. While we couldn’t afford desks and chairs for all the kids in Kalma, Adam explained that if students even had mats to sit on they would feel good. ”It will make them feel comfortable.” So our team worked the best deal they could and got 53 giant mats with our daily budget of $500. And those mats were distributed to 5 of the schools in Kalma that needed them most. “We’re just IDPs, we don’t have much to give,” Adam said. “But we’re doing our best. Just yesterday you were here and we told you what we needed. And now today you’re back here with it.” The real heroes are the teachers in Kalma’s schools. They are displaced people from the … [Read more...] about Out of the Dirt

We met some pretty fierce women’s advocates in Kalma Camp in South Darufr. And they told us some really incredible stories. Stories about accompanying victims of abuse and sexual violence to the clinic or the police station in the middle of the night. At their own personal expense. At times when they themselves were ill. And often to be scolded or treated with suspicion by the authorities. This women’s group was doing incredible work in a vacuum of organizations dedicated to preventing and responding to violence in Kalma Camp. But, it wouldn’t last if they had to continuing going it alone with their own very limited resources. So, to help the women’s union earn a little money to keep their work on behalf of Kalma Camp’s women going, we purchased them the materials to start up a small peanut butter business. With grinders and a bag of peanuts to get them started, the women could grind peanut butter to sell in Kalma (peanuts grow well in this part of Darfur). With sugar and a … [Read more...] about Women for Women

A simple sheet of metal can do so much. On one of our visits with the community leaders of Kalma Camp, they pointed out a small room that had been constructed of brick but never had a roof installed on top. The male and female leaders of the community traditionally met in separate same-sex groups. But with only a single meeting space, it meant that – in effect – the women’s groups didn’t have any place to meet. “They don’t have any place to go,” one of the sheikhs told us. A few sheets of zinc roofing did just the trick. We were able to roof this otherwise constructed room. And, ta-daa, there was now a space for female camp leaders to gather and talk about important issues happening in their communities. It’s just the beginning for women leaders trying to gain traction in Kalma Camp. … [Read more...] about A Simple Roof

The Sudanese are a hospitable people. And that’s what today in South Darfur was all about. Sadiq Adam has worked with us for the past 14 years. He started as a security guard in 2006. And for the last few years he had been studying for his certification as a medical assistant while continuing his work with us. Now Sadiq is a Medical Assistant at our Health Center in Sector 1 of Kalma Camp. And he’s been wanting to make a change there for several months now. “Mothers and children come to our health center early in the morning and often must wait all day before they receive care,” Sadiq told us. “I wish we could make sure they at least have some water to drink while they wait.” That seemed easy enough to do. And in Sudan, they already have a handy little hospitality custom that we could just copy. You’ll find large jugs of water, sitting beneath a shade, lining any street or road. They’re there for travelers to quench their thirsts and regain some strength as they continue on … [Read more...] about A Cool Drink of Water

Yesterday, while distributing blankets to the homeless in Nyala, Amani noticed a man in terrible suffering. Several months earlier, he’d been hit by a motorcycle and had taken a pretty nasty wound to his shin. Living on the street, he didn’t have any money to afford a visit the doctor. So instead of healing, his wound festered and deteriorated. Now, he was in a lot of pain. He was having a hard time getting by before the accident, but now he could neither look for work nor actually do work. We were worried about the prognosis for his leg, so we got him in to the doctor in Nyala the same day. He would be able to keep his leg, but he needed a surgery immediately. We gave the doctor the go-ahead, and the surgery was scheduled for the very next morning. But that was just the first hurdle. Loved ones are required to feed and care for their loved ones while they’re in the hospital – there is no staff on-call to provide that service. Our friend would be in the hospital … [Read more...] about Healthy Healing

At this time of the year in Darfur, it can get quite cold at night. So, when Alight team member Amani had the idea to get the most at-risk families blankets to stay warm all night long, we were on-board. We had the blankets ready and loaded to bring to Kalma Camp for the displaced, when a confused Amani intercepted the delivery. “My idea was to provide blankets for the homeless people right here in Nyala” (the nearby city’s where Alight’s regional office is located). Since we knew there were also vulnerable households in Kalma who needed the blankets, we decided we’d do both. And what better time than the present to head out onto the streets of Nyala to deliver this little bit of warmth to the community? Amani led the way! Many of the people we met were struggling with similar challenges to those living in Kalma. Most were not originally from Nyala, and they had traveled here looking for work and a means to support themselves and their loved ones. Things hadn’t gone as … [Read more...] about All Bundled Up

Today we have an incredible story of a community looking after one of their own. Our story takes place on a shop corner in the main market of El Deain. Beneath the shade of the shop sits our friend, Adam. Adam Saeed Fashir is a fixture of this marketplace. “I have been working as a tailor for 50 years, inside and outside Sudan, I worked for many years in Libya. I have three children and my brother died years ago leaving behind five children, so I have a big responsibility.” But eight days ago, Adam’s sewing machine broke down. “As you see,” he said with a sigh, “since that day I am not working.” He’d been trying to repair his machine to no avail, and you could tell he was feeling the pressure. It was time for a new sewing machine! When we returned the next day, we found Adam still tinkering away, trying to repair his old machine. He smiled when he saw us pulling out a brand-new model! “I am very glad, now I can continue doing my work! The machine that you gave me will … [Read more...] about A Sewing Machine for Adam

Today we met a true force for good in East Darfur, Mohamed Abbdulrahman. He’s a bit of a celebrity in the Alight office—he lives and works just next door—and our staff predicted we'd love him. Spoiler alert: they were right! Mohamed is a welder, and he really keeps the community together. He first met our staff late one night, when he helped restore power to the office after a bad storm. He’s so resourceful, and he works from home out of a wooden shed surrounded by piles of metal and stacks of old beds and other furniture. “I make a lot of things, like beds, chairs, tables, doors, and stoves. I buy old things from people and fix them and then sell them. I rent all the tools so that I can work.” Mohamed uses these skills to provide for his entire family. “My father died years ago, leaving my mother with 16 children. In 2008, I dropped out of school and I started working and learning English,” Mohamed explained. But he kept learning. Now, he keeps a chalkboard in his workshop … [Read more...] about Welding a Future Together

During a draining workday, a bit of watercooler talk can be the perfect pick-me-up. Little breaks for chatting about work or play count for a lot. But where there’s neither a literal nor figurative watercooler to chatter around, teams miss out! For a long time, this was the case in our offices in East Darfur. There were no meeting or break rooms—really no designated places at all to meet up and chat. That’s why Irshad, a State Program Manager, suggested we create one! “See those trees?” Irshad said, pointing a shady grove next to the office. “If we could get some small chairs and a table, we could make a nice gathering space to meet with clients and coworkers.” It was the perfect spot. The staff could all get together in the great outdoors, and the shade helps beat the heat! Who could say no to such a doable idea? Just like that, we ordered chairs and a table. This quickly became the spot to be, and people gathered to sit, talk, and enjoy each other's company. “You … [Read more...] about A Seat at the Table