The Education Project
The “Darfur Diaries” team is committed that a portion of funds raised through the film and book go directly back to the people of Darfur, especially those in the communities where they filmed.
Why education?
From meeting and talking to dozens of Darfurians, the filmmakers found that Darfurians hold education for their children as one of their highest priorities. In fact, refugees in the camps chose not to wait for the UN to establish schools; they started their own. For that reason Darfur Diaries has been funding schools in four villages. Three of the schools are in villages where they filmed.
They began with Muzbat School in July 2006, expanded to Anka School the following fall. In May 2007, two more schools were added; Shegeg Karo School and Hajar Sarri, bringing the total number of schools up to four.
Shegeg Karo bombing
On May 4, 2008, Shegeg Karo village was bombed by a government Antonov aircraft, destroying the market and killing six children from the school who were passing through the market at the end of the school day. At least seven adults in the market were killed as well. A member of the Darfur Diaries team wrote about the bombing in The Nation and spoke about it on Democracy Now!
One of the two hand pumps in the village was also destroyed, creating an urgent water crisis as well. The Darfur Diaries team worked to get humanitarian assistance into the village to help those who were critically wounded, including two youth whose legs ended up being amputated. In partnership with Darfur Peace and Development Organization, they also launched a fund to repair the hand pump in Shegeg Karo. The bombing of Shegeg Karo remains one of the worst attacks from Antonov in Sudan in years and the lack of humanitarian response was unacceptable.
On-going support for the Darfur Diaries Schools
For the past year, funding for the schools has decreased and the schools have not received the full support they had in the previous years. The Darfur Diaries team is committed to finding ways to ensure that the schools can continue to receive regular support. They are planning to return to Darfur in November 2009 to visit and film the schools towards this end. To help support the schools, please contact us at:
info@darfurdiaries.org and write “Darfur Diaries Schools” in the subject line.
At the bottom of the hill was a small, pink, whitewashed building. The metal door was stuck. I leaned my shoulder against it and pressed as hard as I could to thrust it open. When I finally succeeded, I had to allow a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. The cracked chalkboard and twisted, smashed, metal benches told me that I was inside a school. I needed more light in order to film this. The windows wouldn’t open easily, either; I had to climb on the sill to force them open and let in small squares of light. It was probably too dark for the footage to be useable. Back in Iridimi camp, the camera often put an unwanted distance between me and the children. But now, standing in this abandoned, destroyed classroom that should have been filled with those same kids, I needed that barrier in order not to break down. Bad light and battery shortage regardless, I filmed.
-excerpt from “Darfur Diaries: Stories of Survival”, when the filmmakers encountered the abandoned school in the destroyed village of Anka.
How You Can Help
Although Darfur Diaries is donating a portion of proceeds from the film and book to the Darfur Diaries Education Project, the continued operation of the Darfur Diaries schools depends on donor support. This has been more difficult than ever, especially in the current precarious funding climate. If you would like to support the students of Muzbat, Anka, Shegeg Karo and Hajar Sarri, please contact the Darfur Diaries team at info@darfurdiaries.org and write “Darfur Diaries Schools” in the subject line.
