Introduction
Conventional wisdom holds that partnerships should, if possible, be
equal. But even unequal partnerships can be positive if the stronger
partner sets out to respond to the needs of the weaker. Ideally,
partnerships should help those who are stronger respond to and respect
the partner in need. And so-called weaker partners often have much to
teach others about service, cultural insights and compassion. When such
understanding is characteristic of the partnership, both sides are
strengthened and the work progresses.
There is always some way in which each of us can enrich our lives and
the lives of others through partnership. Sometimes, through education
and changing circumstances, a small or disadvantaged partner will grow
towards equality. This, of course, is the ideal. And sometimes, even
though a partner may remain small, her contribution is large as she
teachers her partner to become more humble, compassionate and culturally
aware.
Together for Sudan began in order to serve as a helping partner for
people who are disadvantaged by poverty, discrimination, war, racism,
illness, tribalism and other oppressive situations. Through partnerships
with Sudanese non-government organisations, teachers, women, parents,
children, and others we hope to enable them to reach their highest
potential. And of course we wish the same for the international funding
charities and generous individuals who are also our partners.
A large part of Together for Sudan’s work is as a “linking partner”,
meaning that we often stand between the large funding charities and
governmental agencies on one hand and people in need on the other as a
guarantee that donated funding will be correctly used. People in need
rely on us to find funding to educate them and to attend to their health
concerns, such as eye care and combating HIV/AIDS. And funding
organisations depend upon us to use correctly the money which they
entrust to us for specific purposes such as solar panels and teacher
training. The extraordinarily important role of linking partners in
ensuring fiscal accountability is often overlooked and Together for
Sudan is justifiably proud of our commitment to financial correctness
and transparency.
It is an enormous privilege for Together for Sudan to work with and for
the people of Sudan. Those of you who are Together for Sudan partners in
a variety of ways may wish to know a bit more about some of our Sudanese
partners who also make contributions which help TFS to grow stronger and
to operate more effectively. Here are a few recent photos.
In The Khartoum Area
The Africa Cataract Project, a Turkish
initiative, is working in Sudan during 2008 and 2009 in partnership
with a Khartoum hospital to provide free eye surgery to the poor.
Together for Sudan’s Eye Care Outreach is invited to send patients
to the Turkish doctors for surgery at no cost. We are very grateful
for this short term partnership and appreciate that the Turks are
using the latest in laser technology to help hundreds of Sudanese
regain their sight.
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Sisters are frequently close
partners. Here two elderly and poor sisters leave the hospital
after one has had cataract surgery. Together for Sudan
representatives are also leaving and notice that the
post-operative sister is collapsing in the heat. It is now our
privilege to enter into partnership by putting both sisters into
a taxi and paying for them to be taken home. Such short term
partnerships are often a great blessing to all concerned.
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Aki Boul, age six, has spring catarrh
and, if not treated, could become blind. Fortunately, the Together
for Sudan Eye Care Outreach has come to Mayo Mandela settlement for
displaced people near where Aki lives. The outreach is a partnership
of many: Refugees International Japan which funds the project
through Together for Sudan, Sudanese ophthalmologists who
participate for token salaries, the Catholic compound which offers
its facilities free of charge and TFS which has made all the
logistical arrangements, pays salaries as necessary, provides
medicines and follows up patients.
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These women have entered into
partnership with their teacher and the other women in their class in
order to learn to read. Their faces reflect both hope and
apprehension. It is not easy to become literate when you may have to
begin by learning how to hold a pencil. But the women are survivors
and in this partnership even more for their children than for their
own futures. Such mothers are the salvation of the nation as well as
of families.
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A Together for Sudan solar panel on a
multi-purpose community building in a settlement for displaced
persons far outside Khartoum signals community resolve in dire
circumstances. The man is a Christian priest and he gladly shares
the treasure of literacy training with women of diverse faiths.
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Young women hoping for Together for Sudan scholarships wait in the
TFS Khartoum office compound. TFS works in partnership with Sudanese
women to help them build a brighter future for themselves and their
children through education. During the 2007-8 academic year there
were 245 TFS university scholars, all women and all studying in
Sudan.
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These partners are among Sudan’s
future mothers and leaders and their formation benefits from
partnership. In the TFS university scholars hostel near Ahfad
University in Omdurman, girls of different religious and ethnic
background learn to live and study together. For most of these girls
it is a first experience of living away from family. Cooperation is
required to keep the hostel clean, to prepare the single daily meal
which they share and to help one another with academic work.
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Basic school students attending a
self-help school in Soba Aradi settlement for displaced persons
outside Khartoum enjoy a break. Although there are no playground or
recreational facilities, Kimu School is a miracle of community
cooperation. Together for Sudan partnership through teacher training
and payment of teachers salaries helps keep the school open.
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Breakfast
in the TFS Khartoum office
is a time to relax with colleagues as all share one of the two daily
meals normally eaten in Sudan. Seen here are Minallah (Accountant),
Saudi (Office Manager), Ahmed (Project Coordinator), and Victor (Deputy
Country Coordinator). Eating from the same dish requires
hospitality, consideration and restraint – all good partnership
practices.
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In the Nuba Mountains
On Easter Sunday at “All Saints
Cathedral” outside Kadugli, a young people’s choir leads Mothers
Union members and Episcopal priests into a straw church with a metal
roof. Together for Sudan knows and appreciates these people and has
helped educate many of them. However, because TFS is a multi-faith
charity, we do not work through religious groups. Instead we seek to
encourage community cooperation by offering educational opportunity
for all Sudanese, regardless of religious affiliation. Our hope is
to work in partnership with all who support marginalised communities
in their educational efforts and in doing so to further
understanding, reconciliation and partnership between various tribes
and religions.
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Ustaz Yusuf Amari is a retired teacher
living in the Khartoum area. Some months ago he was hired by
Together for Sudan to do teacher training in the Nuba Mountains. As
happens to many of us, the Nuba people stole his heart. Ustaz Yusuf
is seen here in front of the TFS sub-office in Kadugli at the
beginning of his third teaching mission to the Nuba Mountains with
the gifts which he and his friends and relatives have prepared,
including clothing, chairs for childrens’ classes and food for these
in need. This good man represents both partnership in peace building
and compassion in action.
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With the promise of teacher training
and a small salary thereafter – what the TFS Teacher Training and
Ongoing Support Project is about -- communities are cooperating to
set up kindergartens in the Nuba Mountains. The dream that open air
classes – as pictured here – will eventually find shelter and thus
be able to continue, is coming true.
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Sheikh Daoud and his wife, Ardia, are
trying to teach their entire village to read. Um Safifa is about an
hour and a half drive south of Kadugli into an area formerly
controlled by the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army. To get there
you
need to keep to a track which passes through a recently cleared mine
field. The children of Um Safifa face a two hour one way daily trek
to the nearest elementary school along this same track. In early
2007 TFS placed a solar panel at Um Safifa and since then some 70
men and 60 or more women and girls have been meeting six evenings a
week to learn to read. This TFS solar panel site is not yet a TFS
literacy site and so people are becoming literate in the traditional
way by reading the Koran. Drought in 2007 threatened this remote
community with famine but their desire for education remains strong.
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These men are head teachers from the
formerly Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army controlled area of the Nuba
Mountains. Now that there is peace in the area, they have been
invited to come to the TFS teacher training centre in Kadugli. Here
we see them
in close partnership with one another learning to create teaching
aids for schools which often lack even black boards. Their
determination and dedication to save the future through education
are inspiring.
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What you can do: Donations in any amount are much
appreciated. But please consider whether you are able to support work
such as this – and contribute to maintaining peace in Sudan – by
providing regular donations. Regular donations allow us to plan ahead
and work more effectively.
Contact us now :-
enquiries@togetherforsudan
to
make an online donation via the 'Give Now' website for the "TOGETHER FOR
SUDAN" charity.
