Water - the gift of life - for children in Darfur

Many of the displaced people living in Darfur camps complain of the spread of diseases such as malaria, typhoid, and diarrhea amid a lack of medicines and high prices. They attribute this to the spread of stagnant water ponds, flies and mosquitoes, the collapse of a large number of latrines, where there are any, and lack of spraying of houses with pesticides an, of course,  the lack of mosquito nets.

Camps in Darfur bare many similarities to villages in Darfur, but there is one huge difference. Organisations are helping refugees living in camps, but virtually no one is helping children and families living in the over 900 Villages in Darfur that are plagued with poverty, disease, lack of infrastructure and so much more.

Refugees in camps have appealed to the authorities and humanitarian organisations to provide medicines, mosquito nets, mosquito control, and clean the water ponds. And this is so much of what we are trying to do in our villages to create sustainable change. Malaria is still the biggest killer in Sudan, so providing Mosquito Nets is essential.  In September the number of people in hospital in El Fasher, the regional capital of North Darfur, rose to 8,000.    It is still rising, yet there is a desperate shortage of medicine.  By just providing mosquito nets the incidence of malaria in our villages has been cut by two thirds. 

Handpumps for clean water mean people stop drinking dirty water, and therefore stop getting diseases. We build Latrines in our villages and teach hygiene practices to everyone. YOU are making this all possible!

It is so important to us that you realise just how much we value your support - without which we could run not even a fraction of the projects that we do. Every penny you donate goes to the project you have specified, in a region of the world that is not overrun with aid agencies at all. Every village we help has never been helped before, but thanks to you, is now receiving much needed help towards a better future.

We would like to take this opportunity, in advance of the holiday season, to announce a new item in our Water Project - Trees!! Darfur is at the forefront of Global Warming, so we are planting as many trees as possible to help combat climate change. Kids for Kids plants over 14 different varieties of trees in Darfur including Neem, Moringa, Baobab, Nabuk and Citrus Fruit Trees, and Acacia Senegal. These provide important byproducts that we teach people to use, help to reforest the desert, give fruit to hungry children and provide shade from the hot desert sun.  Imad, the little boy under the moringa tree in the photograph said "I could not believe it when I saw fruit growing on the tree we have been looking after outside our hut.   Nabuk is my favourite.  It's chewy and I love it!" 

Most important of all, trees stabilise the desert and create a mini climate. Donate three trees that will help fight climate change in a region rapidly turning to desert.  You can plant these trees on behalf of a loved one, by printing out a GlobalGiving Gift Certificate, or get in touch with us directly for a personalised Kids for Kids Certificate! 

Thank you so much for supporting our Projects! And if you could tell your friends, family, and social circles about our work we would be so grateful.