We have just finished our two week project in Khartoum and wanted to give you an update on what we have done… The above photograph shows the new basketball backboard painted by all the children involved, click on it to see other photographs from the Sudan project gallery.Background
We feel that this first project has been very successful and has opened positive lines of communication between both groups, who are keen to continue the relationship in a number of ways. There is already discussion about an after school club, sports fixtures and an exchange of ideas for upcoming Christmas celebrations... We have also managed to make possible links with a local family business here in Khartoum who would like to offer further financial support for the Centre.
Fingers crossed for future developments!
Here in Sudan we have focused on building a working relationship between children and adults from Unity High School and the Mohaba Centre for displaced boys. All of the boys that stay there have been found on the streets and the centre offers somewhere to sleep and schooling as well as working to relocate family members for the children. Visits to their relatives are encouraged and the centre staff work hard to make sure that reasons that led to them being on the streets in the first place are identified. This is often difficult, as many of the boys are unsure about what happened to them.
Some are victims of the war in the south while others have run away from abusive home lives. Many were sent out to work from poverty stricken homes while others are simply lost. Regardless of their reasons for finding themselves at the Mohaba Centre, the boys are well looked after in a safe and caring environment where they can work as part of an extended family unit.
The children from Unity High School are largely the children of local diplomats and wealthy business men, and rarely have the opportunity to mix with children from the local community.
All of the boys we worked with were excited to be involved and the connection between the two groups showed alot of potential for further development in the future. During our short time in Sudan we have been able to work with the boys in a number of different ways. We have run workshops based on sport, art, DT and music and their enthusiasm for all of these has been infectious!
When we first met them, we talked with the Mohaba boys and 
adults about improvements they would like to see to their home. These were identified as: fixing the basketball ring and back board; re-stringing the beds for their dormitory (many of these were broken) and painting the walls in their classroom white so they can use them to display pictures and alphabets. We were able to incorporate all of these ideas into activities taking place at both locations and involving both sets of children so that they all felt a sense of ownership.
adults about improvements they would like to see to their home. These were identified as: fixing the basketball ring and back board; re-stringing the beds for their dormitory (many of these were broken) and painting the walls in their classroom white so they can use them to display pictures and alphabets. We were able to incorporate all of these ideas into activities taking place at both locations and involving both sets of children so that they all felt a sense of ownership. The charity element of this project paid for all of this to happen.
We feel that this first project has been very successful and has opened positive lines of communication between both groups, who are keen to continue the relationship in a number of ways. There is already discussion about an after school club, sports fixtures and an exchange of ideas for upcoming Christmas celebrations... We have also managed to make possible links with a local family business here in Khartoum who would like to offer further financial support for the Centre.Fingers crossed for future developments!
