Khartoum News

Chairman of KIDS FOR KIDS Patricia Parker MBE and Trustee Alastair King-Smith - whose appointment to the British Embassy in Khartoum was the catalyst for Patricia to create the charity in 2001 - are visiting Sudan in March.

Sheikh Ahmed Abdel Rahman Mohammed, Honorary President and Dame Rosalind Marsden, Patron of KIDS FOR KIDS, will host a GALA DINNER in Khartoum to celebrate our 10th Anniversary, organised by Volunteer Khartoum Chairman Hatim Abu Sineina.

During their visit to Sudan Patricia and Alastair visited Darfur to chec on projects in Darfur. For details of what we have achieved in the past 10 years please click here

Trustees would like to thank sponsors in Sudan for their support of our Gala Dinner.

And we celebrated the opening of the new KIDS FOR KIDS office in El Fasher. Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, veterinary doctor, has been appointed our first Programme Manager. Dr Salim is masterminding our projects in three new villages in Darfur.

KENANA SUGAR COMPANY for their magnificent donation of supplementary feed to help KIDS FOR KIDS goats and donkeys survive the toughest months in Darfur when feed can be at a premium. News is that this feed has at last arrived in El Fasher.

The Kids for Kids telephone number in Sudan is: 0912964187. Please ring Hatim Abu Sineina if you are interested in helping organise the next KIDS FOR KIDS Event.

Wedding Bells for lead to youngest supporter of Kids for Kids!

Congratulations to Khartoum Chairman Hatim Abu Sineina and Abeer on the second birthday of their little daughter Yasmine!

Wedding of Kids for Kids Chairman! His Excellency Sadiq Al Mahdi - who is also the Imam of the Ansar - blessed the bride and groom to the accompanyment of traditional singing and dancing."

    

FIFTH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS IN SUDAN:

The beautiful garden of the British Ambassador's Residence in Khartoum was the setting for our FIFTH BIRTHDAY PARTY CELEBRATIONS at the the kind invitation of H.E. Mr. Ian Cliff.

As in England we were able to create a display of photographs of our projects taken by the Chairman during our bi annual trips to Darfur - watched by the Embassy's giant tortoise spotted strolling past on the grass!

It is easy to forget that people in Khartoum have no way of knowing what conditions are like in Darfur. It is such an enormous country it is like another land. Both our distinguished Sudanese Patrons attended and H.E. Sadiq Al Mahdi made a moving and knowledgable speech about the direct effect our projects have on people's lives. A special guest was Don Sloane, in Khartoum as a volunteer teacher with the Sudan Volunteer Programme. Don had been head of the British Council during Alastair's time in Sudan and has become a good friend and supporter.

Whilst the Trustees were in Darfur Don organised a lecture and PowerPoint Presentation by Patricia Parker at the newly refurbished British Couincil in Khartoum, thanks to the new Director, who was sadly not in Khartoum. This was an opportunity to not only show people what we are managing to do, despite the ongoing problems in Darfur, but to allow people ample time to ask questions.

British Ambassador, Mr. Ian Cliff greeting Trustee Alastair King-Smith, with Mr. Don Sloane and former Volunteer Khartoum Chairman Dr Salim Abdel Rahman Salim

KHARTOUM FRIENDS IN ENGLAND!

It is really special to hear from our friends from Sudan when they come to England. FATIMA MAHMOUD telephoned this week whilst visiting her daughter in Nottingham and HABIBA DAGAASH who lives in the north at the moment has promised to come and see us in London over Easter. Meanwhile BAKHITA AMIN her wonderful mother in law rang recently to say she was writing an article about KIDS FOR KIDS in her newspaper column - which she has produced every single day for the past 22 years! ISHRAGA unfortunately did not give us enough warning to enable us to see her in her flying visit recently - but perhaps we will be more fortunate next time!

FUND RAISING IN KHARTOUM:

The Second Gala Dinner 2003 was attended by HE Mr. Sadiq Al Mahdi, Honorary President, who welcomed all the guests and made a moving speech about the effect our projects have on children in Darfur. Co hosts with His Excellency were HE Ahmed Abdel Rahman Mohamed, Honorary President, HE Mr. William Patey, Ambassador to the Sudan and HE Dr. Hassan Abdin, Ambassador of the Sudan who are our Patrons. The Dinner was generously sponsored by The Hilton Hotel,
the Dal Groups of Companies, the Nefeidi Group and included music by Sumaya Hassan and Abdel Gadir Salim and dancers from Darfur.

Khartoum Committee meeting at the home of Hatim Abu Sineina, Chairman of the Khartoum Committee	Meeting the First Lady, with Dr. Abdullah El Bashir, National Fund for the Provision of Medical Services, at the President's Residence, February 2004