An Update on Our Current Situation

South Sudan 

We are very disturbed by reports emerging from South Sudan that there is fighting in certain places, possible military action and more people displaced.

We do not believe that violence will solve the problems which the people of South Sudan face as they seek to establish a new, prosperous and peaceful country,

We pray for an immediate end to bloodshed. This plea is especially poignant at Christmas when we join with people across the world, praying for peace and justice.


We learn that some of our projects continue to function despite the difficulties. 

• The University in Juba has continued working for the students as best it could up to Christmas.

• Our AIDS/HIV outreaches for 2013 were completed safely and planning is taking place for further outreaches to resume in 2014 as conditions allow.

• Kimu Clinic is functioning and the staff are safe.

• We have no word about the adult literacy work in Terekeka but we will continue to pray that staff and the adults in those remote schools remain safe.


We are in contact with our friends in South Sudan and we have, on your behalf, wished them a peaceful Christmas. We are committed to standing beside them and supporting them.

The situation in Sudan is changing rapidly and we will update you with further news of our projects as soon as we can.

Sudan

Our work in Sudan continues and we have regular positive reports from the office in Khartoum about our students at Ahfad. We have recently recruited two further students who will be our St Martin’s scholars in Khartoum

The adult literacy classes for women, work with orphan children and eye care outreaches continue

Recently we have had discussions about extending the involvement of our students into helping with Breast Care awareness alongside our HIV/Aids outreaches. In these outreaches we work to educate some of the most disadvantaged women who are most affected by poverty and lack of opportunity for education.



Thank You

Many of our loyal supporters have responded very generously to our Christmas appeal. Thank you and we look forward to receiving more completed gift aid forms and donations. We will only use funds for projects where we know that the projects can be safely and quickly delivered for the benefit of women.

We pray that 2014 will be peaceful, especially in South Sudan.

We are committed to working with all peacemakers and we know first hand the power of education to promote peace and justice, especially among women.  

We wish you and your families a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year holiday. Thank you again for your support

Peter Hullah

24th December 2013

Two New Scholars

We have just had good news from Khartoum about two recently selected additional university scholars who are being supported by St Martin in the Fields.

This is really excellent news that we are very pleased about. The new scholars are called Samra and Maab.

We are delighted to have this information from Neimat, our coordinator in Khartoum, both women are presently studying at Ahfad University. Peter our Director very much hopes to meet Samra and Maab when he travels to Khartoum next year.

More news on these scholars and all our other scholars will follow. 

Why I Support.......

A quote from a generous sponsor of one of our university scholars at Ahfad University:

Much can be done - given the chance

“Over twenty five years ago I went to Sudan as a very young and very inexperienced teacher to work in a girls’ secondary school. I was humbled both by the immense generosity and kindness of the girls I had the blessing to meet there and their determination, often despite incredible personal hardship, to continue their education, become qualified and go on to serve their community. They knew instinctively that education was liberating and empowering and treasured every moment they had at school. Sadly, because of their family circumstances, so few of them were able to go to university.

Education empowers and that is why I was so happy to help Together for Sudan in its essential work in building educational programs and in particular, by helping a young woman from the Nuba Mountains to go to university. It is personally thrilling to be able to follow her progress and feel that in a small way I have helped repay my debt to the people of Sudan.”

Learn more about our University Scholarship Project

News and Developments

Plans To Set Up Closer Ties with Ahfad University for Women.

TfS is currently in conversation with Ahfad University, our first partner, to strengthen the relationship by helping Ahfad improve the English language kills of first year students. President Gasim Badri, a TfS Patron, has made it a policy through the years to include southern and other displaced women, many of whom now remain at Ahfad, to complete their education. We salute Dr. Gasim for his far sighted and humanitarian approach to education as he follows in the footsteps of his grandfather who insisted on the need to educate girls and of his father who founded the school which eventually became Ahfad University for Women.

News from South Kordofan.

The Together for Sudan field office at Kadugli in the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan has been closed since early June when widespread fighting broke out between Sudanese government forces and local militias. The area remains insecure and the TfS office closed although some of the looted furniture and equipment has been returned. Office guard Nazar keeps an eye on the situation but TfS Field Coordinator Ibrahim is unable for security reasons to return to Kadugli and now works in our Khartoum office. Sadly, a planed TfS Eye  Care Outreach at Kadugli hospital later this year, using a team of eye specialists from
Khartoum, has been indefinitely postponed.

Eye Care Outreach in Women’s Prison, Omdurman.

During October Dr. Nabila Radi examined 113 women, 17 children and six men in the women’s prison in Omdurman. Appropriate medications as well as eye drops and vitamins were given to 88 people. Thirty seven women in need of corrective lenses were scheduled to be seen by a volunteer refractionist and prescriptions were sent to Together for Sudan to follow up. Three operations – two for bone malformation/obstruction and one for glaucoma – were scheduled. TfS Assistant Project Coordinator Izdihar reports that there are currently 180 children living with their mothers in the prison. The majority of the imprisoned women will have been arrested for brewing beer which is illegal but often the only way displaced and impoverished families can provide for their children. A second TfS Eye Care Outreach involving over 100 people was held by Dr. Shadia Alkhir Alshafia in Haj Yusuf outside Khartoum also in October.

Lillian