British Ambassador to Sudan Visits our Village

We took the El Fasher Kutum road, passing by Alsalam Camp where Kids for Kids has planted many shade trees, in addition to planting trees in Abu Shoak and Zam Zam camps.

We showed the Ambassador Kids for Kids villages on the way, starting from Geleidat 2017, Gerni, Hillat Anas 2021 Barbojat 2005 and Majdoub (A) 2007. Along the road you can see the Kids for Kids trees at houses, roads, schools and outside El Fasher. The Kids for Kids villages at the road Geleidat 2017, Gerni 2009, Hillat Anass 2021 and Berbojat 2005 where Majdoub A 2007 water yard with high water store then through the 7 kilometres to Majdoub (A) 2007.

Majdoub A 2007, joined the Kids for Kids programme in 2007. 55 goat beneficiaries were selected. They received 275 nanny goats and 18 billy goats on 12^th September 2008 with a total of 293 goats and 55 donkeys, 110 mosquito nets and 110 blankets. Village Development Committees and Animal Loan Committees management trainings were conducted concentrating on monitoring, evaluating and developing sustainability, accounting, etc.  Three paravets, two midwives , two first aid workers were also trained to provide health services to the goats and families and to help in deliveries saving the lives of many mothers and infants.

In 2008 a community forest was established in the village.

On 12^th September 2010 the village held a 100% successful first goat rotation, whereby all the previous goat beneficiaries each gave 5 nanny goats to another of the poorest families, adding 55 goat beneficiaries to the village.

In 2011, as a reward, the village received the first Kids for Kids health unit.

On 12^th November 2012 another 100% successful second goat rotation took place, adding another 55 goat beneficiaries.

In 2020, the village was rewarded with the 14^th Kids for Kids’ kindergarten.

Kids for Kids continued providing services to the villages, helping the local community in emergencies like droughts and shortage of rains, providing seeds, fodder, millet and durra and supported households who were affected by fires and floods.

During our visit to Majdoub A 2007, the villagers’ men and women, young and old, with their horse men knights moved outside the village to welcome the Ambassador and the accompanying team making a very fantastic welcome.

After the warm welcome, we visited the Kids for Kids’ Molly ST Quentin Bridge Kindergarten.

The kindergarten teacher informed them that two batches of more than one hundred students were graduated and enrolled in the village school adjacent to the kindergarten.

The situation of the kindergarten changed from buildings made from local materials to permanent buildings that encouraged the villagers to hurry up to register their children who had the desire to come to study. She mentioned the needs of the kindergarten as seats for students, uniform and play equipment.

Mr. Giles Lever inside the kindergarten class, listening to teacher talking about the benefit and impact of the kindergarten in the village.

Then we visited the first health unit for the Kids for Kids programme in north Darfur and met medical assistance and midwives who talked about their work and how the villagers were helped in a village far from the city that lacks the necessities of life, and how the Kids for Kids programme helped save the lives of villagers in cases of difficult births and saved the lives of mothers and children, providing therapeutic service and first aid to school and kindergarten students and the whole village community and neighbours as well.

The health unit hosts a malnutrition treatment programme for malnourished children from Majdoub and the neighbouring villages.

They have requested upgrading the health unit to a health center.

Mr Giles listening to midwives and nutrition staff

Paravets kits

Then Mr. Giles, visited the community forest. Most of trees are Hashab or gum Arabic. After rainy season the plant goes into a dormant state, saving its energy for buds to open in the spring. Villagers requested for extension of the forest requesting more trees and fencing.

Hatim thanked the British Ambassador for his visit to a Kids for Kids village and thanked villagers for great reception and  warm welcome and his thanks also extended to the village community for protecting and maintaining all Kids for Kids projects, especially the community forest. He confirmed to the local community that Kids for Kids is committed to implement the remaining one kilometre water pipeline line from Elquoe village to Majdoub (A) 2007. He also confirmed to them that seats, kindergarten uniform   and play equipment will be provided to them. Hatim added that we are absolutely delighted to welcome Giles Lever UK, the British Ambassador to Sudan, in Majdoub (A) 2007 one of our Kids for Kids’ Villages and that he will convey their thanks and gratitude to Patricia and Kids for Kids trustees.

Adam Sabil thanked and greeted the local community for all that they did to welcome the British Ambassador in their village and for warm and great reception putting in mind that Majdoub (A) 2007 is the first village for the British Ambassador to visit in Sudan.

Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) representative Mohamed Yagoub thanked the British Ambassador for visiting Majdoub (A) 2007 village, and thanked Kids for Kids for all the projects and services provided to local communities in North Darfur villages that he expressed as a real development, and hopes that all other organizations in North Darfur implement projects and services that Kids for Kids did.

HAC Representative Mohammed Yagoub

Mr. Giles British Ambassador talked to Majdoub (A) 2007 community and said that the UK was “fully committed to helping Sudan achieve peace and stability”.

The British Ambassador to Sudan pointed out that achieving peace and stability in Sudan requires the participation of everyone from different regions of Sudan and he’s proud of the Kids for Kids achievements at Majdoub A 2007 and North Darfur villages.

The British Ambassador Speaking to Majdoub (A) 2007 Community

He thanked them “for a wonderful Sudanese welcome in Majoub, one of 110 villages in rural North Darfur where brilliant British charity Kids for Kids has provided livestock, kindergarten facilities, healthcare training, and community tree-planting”.

He hoped that the leaders of the Sudanese parties would visit the villages in North Darfur and thanked the local community and Kids for Kids.

The local community more thanked Mr. Giles and Patricia Parker and submitted their written requests to the British Ambassador. Their request in a writing a letter included a secondary school, upgrading  for health unit to a health centre or added store room, extension of community forest and fencing, help in the village water, and veterinary centre.

The visit united the people and administrations of the village, including the civil administration, development committees, and freedom and change committees.

The director of procedures at the Humanitarian Aid Commission in El Fasher Ahmed Al-Mahdi said;

“The Kids for Kids projects and services are more clear and of more benefit to the local community than many of UN agencies in Sudan.”

Following his visit, Giles Lever said:

“Many thanks to Patricia Parker OBE, Hatim and the Kids for Kids team for arranging an excellent visit: my first time seeing real village life in Darfur and we were treated like royalty.  It was pretty clear from our tour of the village that the various Kids for Kids interventions are greatly appreciated by the villagers.  The midwives told us they had assisted in a total of 11 births since their training, 10 straightforward and in the village, but they had also been able to identify the one tricky case and make sure the mother got to a hospital in El Fasher in time (where she delivered safely).  The community forest also looks in good shape.  And the kindergarten building was in full use, and obviously providing a much better environment for the children to learn rather than sitting under the trees.  Overall, a most impressive example of how a holistic set of micro-development interventions can make a real difference.”