TfS Graduate Attends the St Gallans Symposium

Nagla at the entrance to the symposium

One of the Nuba graduates from TFS’ scholarship programme generously funded by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Nagla Abbo, recently attended the 42nd symposium at St Gallen, Switzerland  for young leaders of tomorrow.  She is only the second Sudanese to have been honored by such an invitation. The topic of the discussion was Managing Risk.  Nagla says that risks should be seen as positive uncertainties and not as unavoidable evils.  She believes that the days spent in St Gallen with 200 other young people from all over the world , as well as many of today’s leaders, surely challenged her way of looking at her own society, culture and life, and will broaden her perspectives.  Overall she found the symposium “an awesome experience”.

This is but one example of how the scholarship programme can open doors for young Sudanese women.  TFS is very grateful to the Mo Ibrahim Foundation for having sponsored not only Nagla’s studies but also her nomination to the symposium.  And we thank the St Gallen organizers for accepting Nagla and for all their hospitality to her and the other participants.

Nagla is one of 244 graduates from the scholarship programme so far.  TFS is sponsoring a further 122 scholars, with generous support from the Gordon Memorial College Trust Fund and Humanity United as well as the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.  Sadly we do not have funds at present for new awards, though the demand is high and we are receiving a steady flow of enquiries from Sudanese students keen to further their education at the university level in Sudan and South Sudan.  Can you help us meet this demand?

Learn about donating to Together for Sudan

Learn more about our University Scholarship Project

Eye Care in Soba Aradi

In two eye care outreaches in the suburbs of Omdurman and Khartoum at the end of April 2012 patients were seen of whom 140 were prescribed medicines, 50 received glasses, and 55 were recommended for operations, most of which have since been performed.  Many thanks to Dr Nabila and her colleagues for their work for the displaced needing eye care in the Khartoum area.

Women from Soba Aradi wait after eye surgery

One of these women was operated on for Glaucoma
and the other had a foreign body removed. 

This foreign body was removed from a patients eye

Our funding for eye care outreaches is running out so to keep this vital work going we need donations. Please donate to TfS, there is a button to donate on line through the blog but you can find out more from the donations page on our website. Please click here for the link. http://www.togetherforsudan.org/donate.aspx

Eye Care Outreach in Um Ruwaba

The crowd masses before the eye care outreach starts

Our Khartoum office report the conclusion of a very successful week-long eye care outreach at Um Ruwaba in North Kordofan state, near the border with the Nuba Mountains.  Sadly continued fighting made it impossible to conduct the outreach in Talodi, in the Nuba Mountains, as we had planned.  We chose Um Ruwaba instead because it has a large population of people displaced by the fighting in South Kordofan.  The outreach was conducted by a medical team from Khartoum assisted by staff from Um Ruwaba and a team of volunteers from the Sudanese Red Crescent.  Our project coordinator, Saudi Abdul Rahman, had his hands full to ensure that everything worked smoothly!

The Optician was checking people sight so as to distribute reading glasses

The doctor carefully performs a sight saving operation

During the week 1692 patients (well above the targeted 1000) were examined and 160 operations performed, including 142 cataract surgeries.  A further 55 operations were recommended and will be carried out during a follow up visit at the end of May.  It is worth noting that this was the first occasion on which our new operating microscope was used and that it worked very well.  This microscope replaced that stolen from our Kadugli office by looters last June and was part-funded by a grant from the Canadian Embassy in Khartoum.  The outreach itself was supported by a grant from two European charities, Dark and Light, and Light for the World.  Many thanks to all our donors.

An old woman waiting to see a doctor fell a sleep due to fatigue.

A Special Opportunity

The forthcoming retirement of Together for Sudan's founding Director offers an opportunity for a qualified volunteer to take over the lead in our work to help Sudanese women and children.

Candidates should be flexible , patient, and courageous as well as able to engage sensitively with people in Sudan and South Sudan. They may be male or female and should have some experience of fund-raising, advocacy and liaison with donors.

They must be willing to visit Sudan and South Sudan at least twice a year (expenses will be paid). Working closely with TFS Trustees the new Director will promote, develop and administer a growing charity dedicated to the education and medical needs of marginalized women and children, which is supported by Friends Together for Sudan, a US charity.

The Director will be expected to work from his/her home or office for a minimum of 16 hours a week, reporting to TFS Trustees and keeping in close contact by email with TFS colleagues in Khartoum and Juba, managing as well as monitoring their work.

The Director will have considerable autonomy. (S)he should therefore have a good track record as a self-starter and preferably with some knowledge of Sudan and South Sudan. Willingness to adopt and take forward the ethos of the charity's founders will be key.

A more detailed description of the position can be downloaded here.

Interviews are expected to be held in central London during July 2012.


Applicants should send their details by June 20th to:

Malcolm Grundy (TfS Trustee),
4 Portal Road, 
York YO26 6BQ.   


 +44(0)1904787387        malcolm@togetherforsudan.org

A Fortunate Meeting

TfS Trustees were fortunate to meet on 13 April  Ms Islam Ali (on the left) and Mrs Martina Yanga for an in-depth discussion of how Sudanese residents of the UK can help the work of Together for Sudan in both Sudan and South Sudan.

Ms Islam Ali (left) and Mrs Martina Yanga

It is noteworthy that thanks to an initiative by Islam Ali two teachers in a self-help school in Omdurman are already being supported by the NGO, Children of Sudan.  Many thanks to them.  And a warm welcome to anyone willing to join in supporting this important work.

Please contact us through our enquiries e-mail: enquiries@togetherforsudan.org

A Teacher for Kenneth Fraser

Our Khartoum office report that a generous Sudanese donor has offered to fund a teacher in one of the self-help schools for the displaced in the Khartoum area.  We have chosen the Kenneth Fraser school in Omdurman to benefit from this support. The school has lost many students and 6 teachers who have recently moved to the South, but is still working with some 300 pupils, mostly displaced from Darfur and Kordofan, and 12 teachers.

It is interesting to note that the school is named for Dr Kenneth Fraser, a medical missionary from Scotland, who ran away from home at the age of 14 to join the army and eventually retired as a major-general in the army medical corps.  He moved to South Sudan in 1920 and died in Lui after 15 years’ medical missionary work among the Moru people.  It seems fitting that a school should still commemorate his legacy of service.

We hope that others will be moved to join the supporters of schools for the displaced in Sudan.

Learn about making a donation to Together for Sudan

The Teacher Training and Support Project

Scholarships for Elementary Education

Closing day of Literacy Training

Our Khartoum office reports the successful conclusion of the training course for literacy teachers.  One of the trainers commented that the trainees were highly motivated and had participated effectively in the training programme.
See the start of this training here.

The British Embassy representative participated in the training too. 

Teacher Leila went on to say that she was sure that all the trainees were qualified and motivated to set up and run their own literacy classes.

The trainees come from all areas surrounding the three towns which make up the Sudanese capital and should therefore be able to ensure a wide availability of classes for displaced women.

Trainers and Trainees proudly pose with their certificates.

The challenge now for Together for Sudan is to mobilize resources to support at least 20 of these classes.  Each class, for 20 women, will cost us around 50 pounds a month.

Can you help ?
If you can help please donate what every you can spare.

Learn about making a donations to Together for Sudan    or

Donate online now with a credit or debit card using our Paypal charity account