WE R ALL 4 DAR 4

Quote: DPDO News Update- May 25th, 2010 ... From: Darfur Peace & Development Darfur Peace and Development May 25, 2010 Dear Supporters, A friend pointed out that DPDO’s news could better highlight the meaning of our work, the drama of our efforts in Darfur. For those of you with time to read, here are some of the back stories. Given the bizarre and relentless obstacles arrayed against positive change in Darfur, virtually any progress on the ground seems, on some level, miraculous. It’s a miracle that we are building a high school in El Fasher. This facility will be the hope of thousands of youth who need every advantage they can gain from the resources we are working to provide. The school will be a legacy for generations. It will provide local jobs. It will stretch the definition of secondary education in Darfur. The construction requires tons of brick, sand, rebar, stone and muscle. Our staff makes it happen, day after day. It’s a miracle that DPDO remained unscathed by the multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme that turned El Fasher into a city of furious, financially ruined people who were attacked by furious, financially strapped Janjaweed and lived under a tight curfew for a week. It’s a miracle that the Women’s Centers continue to serve more and more women in IDP camps. The women want to learn to read and write — and we give them that training. They asked for training in first aid, in women’s health, and in solar cooking. We are providing that. They need books and pencils, blankets, tarps, flashlights, tobes and every little thing most of us take for granted. We work to provide for them because their recovery is the real hope of Darfur. It’s a miracle that the women continue to make beautiful crafts in the destitution that surrounds them. And another miracle that DPDO was able to pay each of them a living wage. It’s a miracle that we received a large shipment of their baskets sent across 13,000 miles, through six major airports, around volcanic ash and through US Customs. It’s a miracle that we’ve opened a channel to sell their extraordinary baskets in the US. That channel grows wider with each new retailer signing on. Each of these “miracles” was born of dogged determination, ingenuity, and consistent, respectful awareness of the realities experienced by our beneficiaries. And, of course, access to cash. A saying goes: “To make important contributions, you must be involved with important work.” DPDO offers you the opportunity for this kind of involvement. We are raising $60,000 by June 30th to keep the Women’s Centers training and income generation activities growing. Please donate today. Respectfully, Susan Burgess-Lent Program Director [email protected] www.DarfurPeace.org[/QUOTE]