Goods arrival! 

 ​Shipment of donated sportkit and quality footwear from West Sussex FC, Brighton & Hove arrived in South Sudan. We also received gorgeous t-shirts and PE clothing from Ashlyns School, AD ALTA, Niki for children of all age.
​Huge appreciation for the donation of £2,255 made by Mr & Mrs Souter which made this possible.

​A big thank you to our partners Goods for good and Sussex for Africa for their great part in networking and making this brilliant quality of clothing and footwear accessible for our charity.

Thanks also to all our wonderful volunteers who assisted with transporting the goods locally from Sussex to Kent and with the packaging, you are all amazing people!
 We are delighted to announce to you that your handwork have paid off and the first loads  already arrived at the campsite. 
Please tune in here for more news from the campsite soon.

 Donations made to the project make it possible for us to support our staff and volunteers in the campsite and pay our few expenses here.
You can make a contribution to the cause by donating here, thank you.

 As part of our Peace Day celebration we ran several interviews with our beneficiaries, and  we shall share some of them here with you. I would like first to give credit to Mr. Lallu Osman  Daud (Child Protection Officer for UNHCR) for his assistance with this interview.
 
 My sincere thanks to each participant,for sharing their stories and their often horrific journeys with us. Some are still trying to make sense of their new situation. Here is our first interviewee:

 Robaka lives with her aunty Samira in Yida refugee camp. 
 The pictures below show her everyday activities and some of her sporting experiences with Green Kordofan.

Interview transcript :
​Robaka says,​ ' I ran from Talodi on the 30/12/2011 because of the war, we spent one week in the forest, my father died and my mother went to Khartoum in search of work.
​Lowering her head she muttered, 'I live here alone with my auntie Samira'. 

Samira: ‘I took responsibility for my niece to relieve my brother who struggled to look after the little girl'.  
Attempting a smile, she added ' You know, men don’t know how to look after little children'. 

She then continued, 'Robaka’s father died, which is sad, and her mother struggled.She sought the support of my brother and asked him to look after her children so she could go and find work in Khartoum.  He then asked me to look after the girl.
We never heard from her again!'

 The Interviewer then turned to the young girl and asked her if she was enrolled in  a school.
​ Robcca replied, '​ I love to learn but I can’t afford to pay my school fees.
​When I heard that the coach of Green Kordofan was registering girls for sports,
I immediately went and signed up for Green Kordofan and I'm really grateful to the people who are supporting me.'

Samira and her niece  refer to  last day  in Talodi as 'the day of  Doom' or 'the ruins of Talodi'  (Youm Al-kharab).  
We respected their wish not to talk about it.
​
The terror of the bombing of Talodi in December 2011 forced  thousands to flee ; hundreds  were reportedly killed in this action. It left many people like Samira still battling with their feelings of loss.

Despite their sadness we were amazed by the young girl's resilience and her enthusiasm in the playground. ​Below are  some  photos of her with her play mates.

​Background:
The  assault on Talodi reportedly killed hundreds of people, thousands were displaced.Those who managed to escape still refer to it as the Day of Doom.

For further links concerning the assault on Talodi -  See BBC report at:
  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15529551

Telegraph:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/sudan/9177672/Sudan-accuses-South-Sudan-of-backing-armed-rebel-groups.html

   You can also see George Clooney's  remarks on the issue in October 2010:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/sudan/8061480/George-Clooney-90-days-from-disaster-in-Sudan.html

 Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. You can also support our work in Yida, by donation, by sponsoring our Events, by Clicking here to get involved and help us reach more children.  

A big thank you to the donors and fundraisers who have made this work possible. whether its big things or small touches. it makes a lot of different,Thanks

We are delighted to announce that our staff received the new motorcycle.
We would like to say a big thank you to Morag and John for their generous donation of £1100 which enabled us to give this gift to our staff in Yida refugee’s camp, See picture above.
Our sincere appreciations to all dedicated staff and volunteers who helped us negotiate paperwork and transporting of bike to Yida.
We commend all your brilliant efforts! 

​

 Most of our work done on voluntarily capacity, your donation towards transporting of goods will be much appreciated,
​ Please a spare a cup of coffee cost of £2.50 per month to support our work and help us send clothing, shoes and sports equipment, click Donate now.

Green Kordofan enjoyed a Fun Day at Terra Amata farm in West Chiltingon on 4th of August where we met and learnt about other charities who support Africa. Thanks to Ben for organizing such wonderful event and all his fantastic efforts.  See some photos below

 The event was well supported by our friends from RT walk and Folkestone who travelled the distance to help, thanks a lot, if you missed the event and still like to help  ​Click Donate here.
Regular income for the charity helps it plan easily and keeps its administrative cost to minimum,a little contribution can make a big difference, click here for regular support or contact us for more information.  

​

Why we fundraise?
Internal displacement as a result of conflict made thousands of children very vulnerable to manipulation and abuse, abduction of children has been a feature of intercommunal violence, see report here, see link: 
​https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-southsudan-child-soldiers/children-recount-trauma-of-abduction-after-mass-release-by-south-sudan-rebels-idUKKBN1FR2ZJ

The overarching goal of this project is to contribute to peace and development for the peoples of South Kordofan. 
The project is about more than football. It provides discipline and structure for at-risk youth who lack alternative life chances except joining military movements. The normal development of young people's relationships and motivations has been dislocated by the conflict and this project creates a safe and structured space for them to work in teams, build trust, generate self-confidence, win respect and channel ambitions through constructive cooperative activity. It will also improve tense relationships with the local host communities through increased social interaction.
​
The project also alleviates pressure on guardians and mothers, most of who are single women (most men are elsewhere pursuing economic opportunities, fighting in war, or they have been killed). These women put the interests of children ahead of their own, and would benefit hugely if their youth were engaged in constructive activities.
Please get in touch if you would like to help in anyway, click donate 
Our fundraising is so essential to provide equipment,clothing and mentoring programme to young people.

​Green Kordofan would like to say a big thank you to Morag and John for their generous gift of a brand new TVS star HLX motorcycle which purchased locally from Doshi Motors limited in Juba, South Sudan.
 

Boys and girls continued to take part in the two day "introduction to running" programme, warming up for the main events. 

Children practicing track running with great support from their peers. 

On your marks, get set, Go!

If your school, child is interested in becoming a Run Pal, why don't you get in touch and find out how you can get involved?

 Drawings of some favorite action shots by the children of our Yida football teams.

Thanks to Olivia Warham for sending off the donated School uniforms from Harrodian school, arrived in the camp on 3rd May 2018.

Below children wearing the new donated School uniforms

We would like to thank all sponsors for helping them to raise over £500 for the children of  Yida refugee camp in South Sudan, your support means alot to all of us .
You can still help Kam & Oissine celebrate their achievement by leaving a comment below,  by clicking the Donate button which takes you to Kam's page where you can read his story.​

​Thank you so much for your diverse and wonderful contributions to our highly successful Green Kordofan fundraising event on Friday 27th of April 2018, we could not have done it without the terrific local solidarity shown by all involved

​Thanks to our host East Kent College for the generous hospitality in providing the space for us to gather, preparing wonderful Sudanese dishes and for the warm welcoming of all of the staff and students involved. 
We really enjoyed the company of the Town Mayor, Councillor Roger West, Mayoress, Councillor Pat West and Deputy Mayor,Councillor Ann Berry, For recognizing the importance of the cause and giving their time to support us.

Greeting to you all and happy Easter
big match preparation are ongoing, children’s workshops, exciting games and drawings activities at Yida, thanks to all our wonderful volunteers and staff. We took this as opportunity to get some feedback on our programme.  here are drawings, photos and  some stories, see below.

Nine teams to competing in friendly matches including a girl team,running competition to determine the fastest child in each block. The fastest boy/girl on the block competition
is shaping up nicely and we are hoping to engage as many children as possible from the whole 24 blocks with this events.

Above Children cheering and celebrating the arrival of footballs kit. 

​My name is Talil, I am 10 years old and I have two brothers. I have not seen my father since the war broke out. I only know that we found ourselves in Yida, I don’t even know the time exactly, we arrived here. So when we ask our mama how did we come here?
 Mama said it was unbelievable, just thank God. So, we just kept quiet like that.
 
I therefore thank God very much because no one has ever bought me clothes or shoes apart from the one we came with from the Nuba.
But, I still thank God because since I registered with green Kordofan I am able to get clothes and shoes which gives my mama a bit of relief and focus on my little brother.
 
The two of us are in green Kordofan’s football team, me in Kaka Stars and my brother in the other team called Green Hill.
We will progress and have blessed future, as you continue helping us. Thanks

​Narivan Story

​I am 14 years old I have three sisters and four brothers we were all born in Malakal South Sudan and yet my family and others were identified by tribes, and we were identified as being Nuba when war broke. I can't tell more about it because our parents didn't tell us.
 
When the war broke out in Malakal, all of Malakal became horrible, we couldn’t move around, we had one week under the beds, we didn't know where my father was taken away. Whilst I was with some of my sisters, the information came that tomorrow all Nuba people should go to the river bank.
 
 The following day we made the journey to the river bank and they took us by boat to a place called Warjok.  There was no food in Warjok , so my mother decided to go back to Malakal to get food for us and  as it happens the boat didn't comeback  that day, so we slept worrying for mother and without any food.
 
The situation continued for one week, no food, therefore the women decided to beat the men who brought them there, saying that you have taken our husbands away and left us here suffering with the children.
 
The following day we were brought to Bantiu then to yida. It took us 4 days to get to Yida. So what I saw in Malakal God only knows. I will never think of that place again. Even if there is no peace in Nuba Mountain where my tribe are from, I would rather go and die there.  I just pray for my sisters who are still in juba now with my dad to come. 
Good things in Yida Green Kordofan activities and also we met our fellow Nuba

Save this date in your diary,you are all invited to our spring party,:
 This is a fundraising event to support the Girls cycle project in Yida,South Sudan
It's the new Green Kordofan initiative to improve the welfare of young children and particular girls in the camp.

Date/ Time: Friday 27/04/18,
​11:30 – 2:30
East Kent College,Folkestone, Kent

We are currently running a successful sports project to bring communities together and provide a safe environment for war-displaced and vulnerable children, particularly young girls.

Access to water is still difficult,hygienic products are very expensive and most people can't afford them. resource sharing helps to extent but not when there not enough to go around.  You can help by donating: 

• £2 a month to buy hygienic products ( Soap and sanitary towels)
• £10 a month  towards ongoing operating expenses and costs for bulk freight charges
  

         ( we pay approx £9 per kilo for the delivery of goods from the UK to the camp).

• Phone & internet package for essential communication £2 a week