Darfur Peace & Development, Inc.

The Darfur Schools Project- The conflict in Darfur, Sudan has cost the children of the region several consecutive years of their academic lives. DPDO has designed the Darfur Schools Project to continue the education of the displaced and neglected children in the region. Our schools are located in North Darfur, generally situated within their respective villages. Consequently, the schools are named by their village as "Schools of Peace" (i.e. Forug School of Peace). While the entire region is affected by the conflict, there are some areas where the international community has no access. However, DPDO, as a grassroots organization, is able to operate in many of these "unreachable areas" through our volunteers on the ground. Sponsored schools were chosen through contacts established by these volunteers. Because we work with the local populations of these communities in Darfur, we are able to work in areas that the government has restricted to larger NGOs. Since the initial pilot project of three schools in 2002, DPDO continues to receive requests for sponsorship from schools in Darfur that are struggling to reopen or remain operational. Each school is managed by a qualified principal. All schools follow the curriculum established by the Sudanese Ministry of Education so that students may advance to higher education, either in Sudan or in other countries. DPDO is in direct contact with the area school administrator through cell phone and email. The administrator meets monthly with all school principals to disburse funds and to receive progress and needs reports. These then reports are forwarded to DPDO's headquarters for appropriate follow-ufirewood is increasingly scarce; as each family consumes this limited energy source, the deforestation of Darfur advances. The danger now inherent in the task is formidable; militias prey on those who traverse camp perimeters. A solar cooker converts the sun's rays into heat. It is a simple, appropriate tool for use in Darfur because it reduces firewood gathering and thus exposure to the risk of violence, and reduces the consumption of firewood by at least a third, significantly slowing deforestation, By teaching the Darfuris this new technology, we can ensure the sustainable success of the program. We believe this can create a lasting method of food preparation that protects individuals in camps from the threat of violence, and is not destructive to the very fragile environment of Darfur.

The Darfur Women's Center- Rape and sexual violence against women and children have been persistent, widespread and noted repeatedly by many human rights groups as well as the UN's 2005 International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur. Reports from many sources indicate a realistic estimate of the number of victims to be in the tens of thousands. Sexual violence against Darfur women is both a human rights and public health crisis. Victims endure physical injuries, unwanted pregnancies, miscarriages and other reproductive complications, psychological illness, ostracism by their husbands and families, and accusations of adultery. Most victims suffer the debilitating effects of sexual violence in silence, isolation and depression. The services of the Darfur Women's Centers are urgently needed for the near-term treatment of survivors, and are crucial for the long-term evolution of services for women's health throughout Darfur. The Darfur Women's Center (located In Kassab IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camp near Kuttum, North Darfur) equips Darfuri women on an individual and collective basis with the resources to resolve the consequences of sexual trauma. The approach is holistic -- integrating psychological, medical, social, educational, and economic elements.