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Today at the headquarters of the African Organization for Rights and Development, we held an open day for Sudanese children from the Kawempe Kampala district as part of the children’s space activities at the AFORD. This day is one of the most beautiful and meaningful days, as it included several activities such as coloring, drawing, games, and the screening of the famous movie “Encanto,” bringing joy to the children who shared their happiness with their accompanying parents.

Gifts were also distributed to the children, and prizes were awarded to the winners in the movie discussion segment. The day concluded with a beautiful melody from the artist Maza, alongside some of the young talents in the cultural aspect.

Several recommendations were made, including the importance of continuing to develop children. The African organization is committed
AFORD is committed to the well being hosting of Sudanese children a weekly cinema and a mobile cinema that travels between districts where Sudanese children reside.

On December 6 the African Organization for Rights and Development held a legal awareness workshop as part of its weekly seminar series. The workshop saw the attendance of 13 young men and 12 young women, reflecting the strong interest in this important topic aimed at educating individuals about their legal rights and ensuring their stability.

The workshop began with a presentation by a host country lawyer, who highlighted key laws and regulations related to asylum, and how Uganda aligns its human rights laws with local legislation, along with citizenship, land, property laws, and educational systems.

💬 Audience engagement was fantastic! Participants raised many questions about topics such as loss of asylum eligibility, rental issues, and resettlement opportunities, underscoring the critical need for awareness of the host country’s laws and regulations.

Attendees also shared challenges they faced upon arriving in Uganda, including instances of extortion by police and security forces. This highlights the urgent need for community education about their rights.

The attendees expressed their gratitude to the African Organization for Rights and Development for its vital role in alleviating the crises faced by the Sudanese community through various activities including psychological support initiatives like Zumba, cycling, pottery, women’s volleyball, and swimming.

🎯 The feedback from the audience was invaluable! They called for expanded participation and diversified activities. In response, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to continuing its efforts to address the humanitarian challenges resulting from crises, urging the international community to increase support.

The Organizational Development Workshop took place from December 17-19, 2024, in Kampala. It was jointly organized by the African Organization for Rights and Development (AFORD), the Darfur Victims Support Organization, and the Bana Group/Initiative for Peace and Development, under the facilitation of Julia Kramer. The workshop targeted 17 members from Sudanese civil society organizations in Kampala.

Date: December 17-19, 2024 Location: Kampala

Workshop Objectives:

The workshop aimed to enhance institutional capacities, improve planning and management strategies, build effective work and communication structures, and develop digital security policies for civil society organizations.

On December 5, 2024, the African Organization for Human Rights and Development, in collaboration with Defend Defender, conducted a consultative session to assess the digital security status of the organization and hosting entities, with 10 participants in AFORD space

Session Objectives:
1. To determine if the organization follows safety and security procedures.
2. To review computer protection programs and antivirus software.
3. To identify where the organization’s information and data are stored.
4. To ensure all departments use the organization’s email and to check for the presence of department-specific Wi-Fi networks and “Surveillance Cameras”

Individual sessions were held with the Program office   , and  AFORD Information Technology , with a planned session with the Communications office  at a later date due

Challenges:
Participants were contacted to attend a two-day training session, but the facilitator opted to first assess the situation and submit recommendations to Defend Defender, with the training session to be decided at a later time.

In a thrilling sports match, the two teams ended in a draw. The African organization players showed a touching moment of solidarity with their injured teammate by lifting his shirt as a gesture of support and love.

#Football #Solidarity #Support #Match #Sportsmanship

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
16 Days Campaign: For the second year, the world celebrates the fight against violence against women, but in Sudan
There is a war, the battle is being waged on the bodies of women in Sudan. The role of women is essential to stop the fighting.
The future of Sudan should not be left to the warring parties of men, because women in Sudan think and work with each other across all ethnicities for a safe and peaceful future for Sudan.
The latest report of the United Nations mission included documentation of the issue of sexual crimes and rape in Sudan.
This was done in several areas, whether in Khartoum during the fighting, in Darfur, and now in the regions of Al-Jazeera and Kordofan.
Such crimes are very widespread, but there is a blackout. Unfortunately, due to our customs and traditions, such matters are not disclosed. The woman, girl, man or boy who is subjected to such violations do not talk about it much. The family covers up this issue. The United Nations spoke with many women and girls who were subjected to such violations, and they also spoke with medical teams who documented extensively what is happening. Therefore, we have full confidence that there are sexual crimes being committed systematically and documented in Sudan now, and unfortunately on a large scale.

There are also allegations that some of these violations are also being committed by regular forces and allied forces, especially in detention centers during arrest.

Also in the Khartoum area, there are allegations of using sex for food, and this is also a very unfortunate and shameful issue. And whoever committed such crimes, we say, is not worthy of trust or of ruling the country. These crimes amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Sudanese women are able to stand on their own feet and there are a number of women’s groups in Sudan, and they are the ones who run emergency committees, and they are the ones who provide medical relief, and they are the ones who fill the gaps that the state has left at the beginning of the war.

Therefore, Sudanese women must have a place in the negotiations over the future of Sudan.

Sojoud Elgarrai

We are pleased to share with you details of the Art Therapy Workshop that took place as part of the Kampala International Theater Festival on November 20, 2024, at the headquarters of the African Organization. The workshop was a collaboration between the African Organization and the Tiber Foundation for the Arts in Britain.

The workshop was led by British artist Sophie Besse and Sudanese artist Mahned Hasab Al-Rasul, the star of the “Mahned and Butr” theater. Twenty young men and women from the Sudanese refugee community in Kampala participated in the workshop, where they learned structured art therapy techniques and shared wonders of visual poetry.

The participants embarked on an inspiring journey accompanied by photographer José Farinha, carrying with them a few bamboo sticks that helped create multiple worlds and characters. They engaged in sharing both sad and happy memories during this creative experience.

At the invitation of the Norwegian Embassy to Sudan, which operates from the Kenyan capital Nairobi, H.E. Ambassador Anton John Anton Jonsson, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Sudan and Eritrea, met with a number of representatives of Sudanese civil society organizations, women groups, youth groups and networks and leaders, political leaders in a series of consultative meetings over Thursday and Friday, 14-15 February 2024, at the African Organization for Rights and Development (AFORD) headquarters in Kampala, a Rights and Development Hub hosting several CSOs and volunteers.
The meetings discussed a number of issues related to stopping and ending the war in Sudan, in addition to meeting the challenges of the humanitarian crisis facing millions of internally displaced Sudanese, Also Urgent humanitarian aid is required to address the immediate needs of millions of displaced Sudanese, the issues of asylum seekers and refugees in refugee camps and urban areas in neighboring countries and the region, and the repercussions of the continuation of the war and the danger of its slide into a comprehensive civil war that threatens the unity and cohesion of Sudanese society and regional and international peace and security.
The Ambassador expressed his deep regret over the continuation of the war, which caused the largest humanitarian disaster in the world, and led to the displacement of millions of Sudanese to neighboring countries, and called on all Sudanese, especially civil society, to unite all their efforts and exert the maximum possible pressure on the parties to the conflict and urge them to stop the war, and the Ambassador stressed that his country stands with the Sudanese people, and supports all steps that lead to stopping the war, achieving peace and returning the civil and democratic path in Sudan.
His Excellency listened to interventions from representatives of Sudanese community organizations, who expressed their thanks and appreciation to the government and people of Norway for standing by the Sudanese people, the humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly, and the international community’s response has been insufficient.

Especially since the ongoing war in Sudan has not received the necessary attention from the international media and the international community. The meetings pointed out that the intervention of some countries and the support of the two parties to the conflict has exacerbated the war crisis in Sudan, and called for the need to stop the war and address the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Sudan, and called on the Norwegian ambassador to exert more efforts to stop the war and address the Sudanese crisis, and provide more support to address the humanitarian challenges faced by the Sudanese people.

The meetings have confirmed The Norwegian government’s support for the Sudanese people is significant, but more needs to be done.
Sudanese civil society organizations are playing a crucial role in advocating for peace and humanitarian aid. Their engagement with international diplomats is essential in shaping the international response to the crisis. The ongoing conflict in Sudan poses a serious threat to regional stability.
A prolonged war could escalate into a wider civil war, with devastating consequences for the region. The meetings underscore the urgency of finding a peaceful solution to the Sudanese conflict, increased diplomatic efforts are needed to pressure the warring parties to cease hostilities and engage in meaningful dialogue. Also the international community must provide sustained support to Sudan, including financial aid and technical assistance.
Empowering Sudanese civil society organizations can contribute to a more peaceful and democratic future for Sudan.
The two days visit facilitated by the African Center for Peace and Democracy

 AFORD Team emerged victorious in an exhilarating match against The Worriers FC at Kasubi Field, with a final score of 7-4.

The match, held on November 13, 2024, was filled with excitement and intensity from the very beginning. Both teams showcased strong and fast performances, highlighted by exceptional individual skills and outstanding teamwork.

Congratulations to the AFORD Team for their fantastic win! And a big shoutout to The Worriers FC for their remarkable effort and sportsmanship.

#AFORDTeam #TheWorriersFC #FootballMatch #Victory #TeamWork #Sportsmanship