From the field - Darfur update from Alissa

I'm back from Darfur! Thank you all for your generous support of my latest mission.

After several months of trying to convince the Sudanese government to let me in, I finally received my visa in August and flew to Khartoum to spend three weeks in Sudan. As fate would have it, the ICC made a historic move by indicting President Omar Bashir for war crimes just a few days before my arrival.

Sudan was in upheaval. Protests lined the streets and the UN went to Phase Four security, evacuating all non-essential personnel. With a short window on my visa, I had no choice but to continue my mission: to document the life-saving work of the World Food Program and witness the current situation. Here is what I found.

Chaos. The situation in Darfur is extremely difficult for refugees, humanitarian workers as well as UN troops.

Security: Is almost non-existant; guns are everywhere. In the west, heavily armed vehicles patrol the streets with gangs of men, Sudanese government troops, state police, national security and Chadian rebels. In the camps, the janjaweed and varying factions of SLA rebels rule. I visited one camp with particularly bad security where a school and a clinic had been looted the night prior. The field monitor and I had to be dropped off at the camp, the vehicles returning to home base for security. When they returned, they were greeted by four gunmen armed with AK-47s. I had fortunately stopped to take a photograph and missed being abducted with the vehicle (as is commonplace) by about 50 feet.

Security in the rural areas is likewise bad. During my patrols with UNAMID troops, I heard reports of aerial bombings in outlying villages that still had a population. UNAMID's movements are limited by their lack of resources so I wasn't able to photograph the destructions. The troops themselves are being attacked and killed by janjaweed.

Refugees: Survival. The Darfuri refugees are caught in the middle. They rely solely on the good of the international community to survive, and when donations drop, people don't have enough to eat. Women and men who do attempt to supplement their family's food by farming are often attacked, raped and killed by roving bands of janjaweed. Most commonly refugees pled for better security and for help for their children. One project Care Through Action will now fund is a school feeding program to help keep the children in school while living in the refugee camps. Educating the women and children is essential to the future of Darfur.

Solution: Far greater minds are working on this solution, but for now, keeping the 2.5 million Darfuri refugees alive until they can return to their normal lives. For more information see Enough Project or Crisis Group.

Hope: In my opinion, the refugees themselves are the hope for the region. Their dignity, faith and determination to survive with a laugh and a smile inspires. I was caught in a rainstorm in a camp and had to run to the nearest tent for shelter. Amid drops of rain, leaking through her tent, an old woman sat over a smoking pot. She was cooking a meager porridge lunch for her children. She insisted my taking the only small stool and offered to feed me some of her smoky gruel. They are the people we need to help. They are the reason we give.

I hope, despite these difficult economic times, each and every one of you will find it in your hearts to donate. Your money will go to feeding the refugees. Please help.

Help Send Alissa to Darfur

Many of you asked how you can get more involved. Well, we need to raise $12,000 before April 30, 2008. Our fellow Board Member and CTA Founder and inspiration, Alissa Everett is planning another trip to photograph refugees in Darfur. She must leave early April before they prevent access to the area. If you did not see her moving Darfur Refugee Exhibit at our CTA Fundraiser, you can see her beautiful and heartfelt work here: Alissa Everett Photography.

All we need is to raise is $12,000. This money will pay for Alissa's travel expenses and basic survival supplies. No funds will be wasted and we will host a special exhibit of her photographs when she returns.

Donate Online via PayPal

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send your check payable to:

Care Through Action
600 Harrison Street #100
San Francisco, CA 94107

Please support Alissa's Work

CTA Fundraising Dinner Results

We have finally tallied up total receipts and dollars raised from CTA's first annual fundraising dinner. Through your generosity we were able to write a check directly to Friends of the World Food Program for $19,700, a fantastic success since our overall goal was $20,000. To give you an idea of how far your dollars are going to go, below are some quick facts from the World Food Program.

Cost of a WFP standard daily food ration: 28 cents

Number of children supported in WFP Food for Education Program in Darfur in 2007: 130,000

Number of people assisted in Darfur in January 2008: 2,000,000

Darfur Situation Report

Situation Update

13,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in eastern Chad since February, fleeing a new onslaught of aerial bombing and ground attacks in West Darfur. Refugees are primarily women and children. Three towns, surrounding villages and a displaced persons camp were leveled. More than 60,000 civilians fled and a large number of children aged 12 through 18 are missing, disproportionately boys. We have not seen such violence in Darfur since 2004 in the beginning of the crisis. Please help.

Care Through Action was founded in 2007 as a reaction to the ongoing crisis in Darfur. Tired of feeling powerless about the Darfur crisis in Africa, this small group of women decided to form their own humanitarian organization to fund organizations with integrity, beginning with those that are making a difference in Darfur.

Our Mission - Care Through Action is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization funding global change through local action. We do this by raising awareness of and financial support for some of the world's worst crises beginning with, but not limited to, helping refugees in Darfur. All funds raised by Care Through Action are allocated to established, credible non-profits, advocacy and human rights organizations who give aid protection to people suffering in these crises.

Upcoming Events May 2008 - Upon Alissa's return from Darfur, we plan to host a photography exhibition of Alissa's work and detailed situation report.

How you can get more involved

Darfur Fridays
Situation updates and political action updates every Friday

To Learn More

Genocide Intervention Network

Eric Reeves - Journalist