Day 3: Send a Child to School in Darfur

Today, I decided to look into the "Literacy and Children's Education" section of the GreaterGood.org website. While I was visiting this portion, I found a donation link that allows you to give a child in Darfur a years worth of schooling for just $36. In 2009, student enrollment in the Darfur Schools Program increased from 8,300 to 21,112. Girls made up 48% of the total student population and were enrolled in the same classes as boys. Before the Darfur Peace and Development Organization's involvement, teachers living in the refugee camps were volunteering their time to gather and teach children using any resources available. Students received their lessons sitting under trees or in the sun, writing in the sand instead of notebooks. Today, DPDO pays salaries for 160 Darfuri teachers and 56 support staff, provides materials to build classrooms, teacher and student supplies, textbooks, and allowances for school water delivery. DPDO Schools of Peace enroll children from all ethnic groups and encourage the attendance of girls, traditionally excluded from primary education. School enrollment and attendance are free for all students. DPDO is not religiously affiliated and does not promote any religion. The DPDO schools are very effective, and students are very successful. All DPDO schools reported at least 94% of their students passed their high school entrance exams.

Personally, I believe that every kid needs a quality education. I don't think that any American child deserves an education more than a Darfurian child. I was shocked to realize that most of the causes on the Literacy and Children's Education page on the GreaterGood website were to benefit children and adults in Darfur. Most of the adults are illiterate in Darfur, so the refugees don't really have any way out of the camps; the only direction left for the education of the refugees to go is upwards. It's important to realize that there is progress in Darfur. My school is closely affiliated with the Darfur Human Rights Organization, and we know a lot about the current situation. It is almost beyond my mental capacity to think about not receiving an education. I realize that I don't at all appreciate the education that I'm given, the supplies that I'm given to help me learn, and the teachers that I'm lucky to have. Please take a good look at this website before you move on to a different post.

To donate, please visit this link. I am personally passionate about this cause, so please think about donating.