Darfur’s nomads seek funds for training

Leaders of nomadic tribes stress on the need for projects in education, health care and vocational training

Development projects in areas of education, health care and vocational training for nomads must gain more funding, women nomadic leaders said in a press conference in El Fasher on Tuesday.Representatives of nomadic groups gathered in North Darfur’s capital for a two-day workshop aimed at bringing together nomads and aid organizations working in Darfur.

“When the conflict broke out in Darfur in 2003, it not only destroyed property and displaced thousands of civilians but it also disrupted the means of livelihood for nomads,” Amina Omer Alhaj, a Darfur nomadic woman, said.

This stresses the need for nomads to adapt to the situation and look for alternate means of livelihood. For the past decade, several humanitarian organizations have started projects to assist nomads. Nomadic women have been trained in a variety of income-generating activities to support their families.

However, the nomadic women speaking in the conference highlighted the challenges they are facing in their communities and proposed to get more funds for their projects. They emphasized the need for development projects in the education, health care, vocational training and mostly raising general awareness about the lives of Darfur’s nomads, who they say may number one million people.

Sudan introduced primary schools for nomads in recent years, but those left children without opportunities for higher education. Before then, nomadic girls were not even allowed to be educated, due to early marriages and other traditional practices. “Out of 200,000 girls, only 1,000 were allowed to go to school,” said Zahra Eissa, a nomadic woman.

During the workshop, the United Nations African Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) also presented an overview of its quick impact projects dedicated to nomads and explained the process required to receive funding. Oriano Micaletti, acting head of UNAMID’s Humanitarian Protection Strategy, urged the nomad representatives to prioritize their needs and submit their proposals for review.