“Don’t just see in front of you. Turn back and see what is behind you, so maybe you can help the people behind you.” We have a final chat with the Darfurian refugees.
Maintain the spirit and momentum of the i-ACT Campaign by registering your commitment to daily activism by taking the Darfur Pledge. Just a minute per day to email or call the President can make a world of difference.
Gabriel and Stacey have brought us their last video of the trip. They explain the dire humanitarian crisis and the need for the world to bring lasting peace to Darfur. The people of Darfur may need more bandages, but only so if we do not target the roots of this genocide. “These people need to go home,” Gabriel and Stacey remind us. It is not enough to keep treating the wounds, as Stacey says. We need to act to make sure the violence ends. This is our non-negotiable demand.
The team meets the leader of the Tama people living in the camp, and the grandmother of Ahmat, the boy from i-ACT 2005 who returned to Darfur to further his education. They also connect the 20 Women for Darfur group with a Darfuri woman, Aziza.
It may be the last day of our trip, but i-Act continues through your efforts. Step up your own activism to end this genocide now. What can you do to get more involved in your local community? Nationally? Internationally?
The situation on the ground is getting worse. They are still in the capital, barred from leaving the hotel. The streets are empty, and the fighting is getting closer and closer. Read Google News for all the latest news stories from Chad. Katie-Jay was also interviewed by the BBC. Gabriel is still uploading reports from the ground, you can find them all here. Here’s the latest video from Gabriel:
The i-ACT field team experiences one more hurdle as their flight to Goz Beida is cancelled due to the security situation in the region. They get a chance to speak with Suzanne from UNHCR and spend another night in Abeche.
Gabriel, Katie-Jay and Yuen-Lin have arrived safely in Chad (without their bags though) after a busy week preparing for the trip.
Yuen-Lin, KTJ, and Gabriel make it to N’Djamena, Chad safely, but without luggage. They are received by new friends at UNHCR and old friends at Le Meridien hotel! The day is spent gathering the usual permits needed for the refugee camps and charging all equipment.
The i-ACT team sits out a sand storm in N’Djamena as they wait for permits to travel to the East. News from Darfur requires urgent and consistent action that reaches our leaders from all angles.
i-ACT field team makes it to the east, but has to leave quite a bit of luggage behind to make the weight limit. Marco, Suzanne’s replacement at UNHCR, welcomes the team and gives them a debriefing of the field situation.
KTJ, Yuen-Lin, and Gabriel make it to Camp Djabal! The children quickly gathered around them and followed as they visited the medical facilities and water stations. The camp looks better than others in Eastern Chad, but the refugees themselves are barely surviving.
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