i-ACT 7 extra: Rahma films Gabriel, Ali, and Oumar

Thank you, from Adef and us…and millions more.

It has been more than a year since I met Adef and his beautiful family, but he received me at his home with such joy and recognition that it felt as if we were best friends, reuniting after a short time apart. The smile on my face lasted a few minutes, until he told us that their baby, Marymouda, had past away not too long ago. It is Adef and his wife Achta’s second loss, since leaving Darfur.

This trip was filled with such moments—joy followed immediately by sadness, many times both flowing together through the same time and space.

We are now safe and on our way home. I can’t wait to see my children, hug them and kiss them. Adef’s daughter, Guisma, let me carry her, and she smiled—now and then. On our previous trip, Guisma did not stop laughing, and it was all-out, contagious laughing! This time she looked thinner, and there was sadness behind her beautiful dark eyes.

If you are one of the few people that read these e-mails of ours, you are already committed to helping Guisma and the millions of Darfuris that live away from their destroyed homes. For a change, on this e-mail I will not ask you for anything. Instead, I want to share the gratitude that every single refugee expressed and asked us to pass on to you. They thank you for doing what you can to bring peace, protection, and justice to Darfur. They thank you, from deep in their hearts, for listening to their stories.

Salaam,
Gabriel

Generations of Darfur

by katie-jay scott
3 april 2009

dirty clothes
with holes that expose
malnourished tummys
and our failure as humanity

common colds
cracked skin and bumps
ordinary for children everywhere
possibly deadly for those here

animal feces, garbage, dead carcasses
sprawl the camp paths
only a few of many
lucky enough to wear shoes

families grow
animals acquired
food rations, water supplies
remain at constant short fall

Marymouda fell ill
medicine and aid too late or too little
the second child of
Adef and Achta lost

perhaps not forgotten
but hope diminishing
peace for Darfur
further away for the widowed

generations of knowledge
replaced with dependence
farming to hand outs
sustainable to bare minimum

everyone wants to dream
for hopes to soar and
realities to exceed
expectations of status quo

for the mother of seven
with only a tent and
an empty cooking pot
hopes may remain only dreams

i dream
for a world without hate
where people are free
to create their way forward

to be who they are
with no negative consequence
no fear of harm
for their choices to be

Darfurians targeted
for murder, rape, their end
those who survived the flames
memories of hatred remain

life will never be the same
intergenerational genocide
loss of culture, traditions
stories of elders reduced to ashes

to begin to return
peace comes with justice
leads to renewed hopes
and a possible future

for rebuilding the homes
cultivating the land
educating the youth
raising expectations

we cannot change what past
we can support
the next generation of a
stronger Darfur returned

YL’s Day 10 journal

Dear friends and family,

Watching the slide-show Gabriel put together to conclude this i-ACT, it felt different than at the end of my last trip to Chad. More connected. More a part of the family. Sadder, but also happier. Wanting very much to return soon. Recognizing more faces, and the warmth that comes with that. 2007 was my first time in this new and unusual place, and we spent less time in each camp and with each person. This time, we spent all five and a half camp days at Djabal, and met many of the same people day after day. When you become closer to a person, you care more about him or her. I feel a great deal of respect and solidarity with the adults we met. And with the kids, I feel a duty to take care of them. To protect them, and to help them have the future they want.

We hope that through the videos that Gabriel tirelessly edited, the pictures we took and our writing, you feel much of the same connection we feel to these people. That is one of the most important things we try to do. If you have any suggestions on how to make it better, please let us know either through this blog or by emailing iact-info@stopgenocidenow.org.

Friends in Djabal – thank you for welcoming us so warmly, and sharing with us your hopes and the challenges you face. Know that we are not here on a one-off reporting mission – we are your supporters and advocates, now and into the future.

Friends and family around the world – I urge you to act on the emotions you have felt and the ideas you have conceived during this i-ACT. It is chains of good karma (consequence) — one noble thought and action leading to another, then another — that changes things for the better. When many such chains happen at the same time, the impact can be huge. Each of us is the protagonist in one or more of those chains. Whether they stop or continue is in our hands. What you do does not have to be big, hard, or costly. What is important is that you took up the call to action that you felt. One thing will lead to another, and by always keeping at the center of your action the voices of those you are setting out to assist, you will make a difference. In this, I believe, we can have faith.

Please remember two things. One, the people we have met in all i-ACTs since 2005 have said that they want to return to Darfur once there is peace. Indeed, a return to their original homes with enough support in rebuilding will have a huge impact on their living conditions. Two, for all the hardship the people in Djabal are facing, their friends and relatives in the other Chadian refugee camps and in Darfur itself are facing the same, and in some cases even more. Because of all this, if we are moved to help the people we met through this i-ACT, it is incumbent on us to include in our activism ways of working for peace in Darfur.

Thank you for watching and listening. We often hear that in times of crisis, many communities are forgotten. Thanks to you, that is not the case here. Let’s work together in the coming weeks and months to advocate stronger and smarter than ever for peace in Darfur. And at the same time, to bring rapid and relevant assistance to our sister communities in Chad.

Yuen-Lin

believe, therefore act

Reading again the transcript from Dajhima’s interview brought tears to my eyes. In person, she is one of those people who you instantly connect with. Her arms open, waving her hands, clasping mine and repeating her daughters name, Khadija (also shared by me :), with laughter in between. She repeats the regular greetings, Assalammualaikum, Alhamdulillah… and more, all the while smiling. She rushes to wrap her scarf around her and stand tall for the camera. Charismatic and honest, she recounts her story. I can’t help but grasp her hands and tell her how sorry I am about her losses. The many in Darfur, and the one she recently lost here in the camp.

It makes me so angry that we haven’t been able to bring peace to her life. I remember learning about the Holocaust. We did not have the technology then, as we do know. Not for Cambodia, either. But for Bosnia, Rwanda and now for Darfur, we have technology that shows and tells the world exactly what is happening. Why is that the world is responding the same way as all the previous genocides? Why is that we continue to fail in persuading people that what is happening is happening to real people, just like us. We all agree that no one deserves to be targeted for hate crimes. Then why is that we fail to stop the biggest, most horrific hate crime of them all?

I believe in humanity and I believe in change. I believe there can be peace in Darfur. The next time we return to these camps, I want to bring them news of progress towards peace, not just that we are trying. But with news and steps about how things have begun to change, and what we, as the international community, have accomplished. I know it can be done, you know it can be done, we just have to make everyone else believe and therefore, act.

hoping and believing in peace,
ktj

So many faces.

I have all these little faces floating through my mind. The children of camp Djabal are special, just like my two little ones back home.

It’s been a rough, productive, exhausting, beautiful, sad, exhilarating trip.

I just saw little Guisma’s face on the slide-show I put together. I wonder if she thinks about her baby sister that is no longer with her.  Will Guisma’s face and body be thinner the next time we come, just like her two brothers’?

So many thoughts and emotions right now.  We are definitely not like professionals in any of the fields we somehow touch through i-ACT. We completely allow ourselves to participate in the lives of the people we come and see.  We do not detach ourselves.  Do we lose our perspective?  No. As my wise friend and teammate Yuen-Lin says, we gain clarity when walking on this sand.

I’ve always liked the quote: “Participate Joyfully in the Sorrows of the World.”  It seems a contradiction, but it is one big round ball of truth, when you try it.

Peace, Gabriel.

Thirst and Dehydration

Fluids enter the body by mouth but they exit in several ways: urination, sweating, breathing and absorption or elimination by the digestive tract. When there is not enough going in or too much leaving, the effects range from mild to drastic.A shortage of fluids causes the body to immediately conserve whatever is already stored in the body. Urination, sweating and dampness in exhaled air all diminish or cease and constipation occurs within hours or days, depending upon overall health, age and bodily reserves. Powerful thirst drives a person to consume fluids of all types and juicy foods to make up the deficit.Unless fluid intake is successful, signs of dehydration occur, the most obvious of which is ‘tenting’. Gently pinching up a bit of flesh on the back of the hand creates a small ‘tent’ which should fill and sink back if all is well. If there is dehydration, the tent stays up. Fluid replacement is then necessary, either by mouth or IV. If there is vomiting, fluids can also be administered by rectum.

A good example of sudden life-threatening dehydration is cholera. A healthy adult can die from cholera in 2-6 hours because of the acute and massive diarrhea it causes. There is no effective vaccine and antibiotics do not act quickly enough. All that is necessary to save lives is aggressive rehydration with a large amount of balanced salt solution. This can be given by mouth at home if started early enough.

When water is scarce, the body can exist, although not comfortably, in a state of constant slight dehydration. This shows mostly as constant thirst and some tenting. A population of people living where water is scarce and contaminated tip over into dangerous intestinal infections easily.

In Third World Countries, where poverty, disease and famine constantly undermine the health of the citizens, it doesn’t take much for young children, the ill and the elderly to succumb quickly to these infections. Their bodies are already weakened and they have little resistance. There is no clean drinking water and thirst drives them to drink whatever they can find.

Ordinary diarrhea kills more children in impoverished countries than all other causes combined and severely disables those adults who survive.

Carol Jordan was a medical professional administering bedside care in hospital settings for all her adult life until retirement. She specialized in emergency and ICU respiratory care for over thirty years

sources: World Health Organization, Harrison’s Textbook of Medicine, Centers for Disease Control, MEDLINE literature search on topics.

Day 10 Actions: Not the Last Day for Action

Even though this i-ACT is wrapping up, our activism cannot. We must continue to be strong through our actions for Darfur. As Suliemen from Djabal said, “We have great CONFIDENCE in you to help us.” We cannot let our friends down. Three things you can do today!

1. Commit to remaining a super activist by joining our i-ACTivists+ group. We will send more updates, share ideas, and stay connected more frequently. Email i-actinfo[at]stopgenocidenow.org to sign up.

2. Commit to doing a sit-in at your Senator’s office. Email i-actinfo[at]stopgenocidenow.org to talk with us about how we will support you.

3. Action to take, right now: Fax your Senator Dajhima’s story from our Day 9 video.

• Download the pdf: Dajhima’s Story
• Find the fax addresses for your Senator.
• Go to http://faxzero.com/
• Enter Sender (You) and Receiver (Senator) Information.
• Fax Information: click on “choose file” and choose Dajhima’s Story.
• Confirmation Code: Enter Code
• Click on “Send Free Fax Now”
• Open email from faxzero and click on confirmation link (this is very important or fax won’t be sent!)

A few Reminders:
*If you have been following us on twitter, facebook or through another link, please stay connected to us by signing up for our listserve in the left hand box on our website.
**If you took the i-ACTivist Challenge, don’t forget to email the words for each day, the action you took, t-shirt size (M and F available), and address to challenge[at]stopgenocidenow.org.

Wake up, Brush your Teeth, Call your Leaders – and today save them in your phone!

Los Angeles Action: Please join us on Sunday, April 5th 1:00 pm for an Interfaith Sedar @ the LA Federal Building on Wilshire Blvd! Download the updated flyer.

Pictures from today

Just a bit sad

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed tonight. I have been trying to think about what to write and how to write it for some hours now. I guess I will just let my fingers type and see what comes of it. Tomorrow, we leave after six amazing days in this refugee camp. Six days that have given me the chance to understand and know more than a dozen children intimately; more intimately than any of my previous visits. Each one has shared with me their story, and shown me their home. As I spent more time with them, especially the girls, their personalities began to replace their initial shy smiles. They loosened up, laughed more, skipped, danced, and cracked jokes in broken English.

I feel so connected to them and it makes me really, really sad to say goodbye to them. I know that Yuen-Lin has created the CommKit, and we registered several today and Bouba will return soon to register more. I will be able to send them messages soon. I know that I will be back in the future to see visit them in person. But it is really hard to say goodbye to such a community.

Today was also sad because I relized that even in a refugee camp, disparity can be so severe.  While following one young girl to her house after school, we walked through narrow paths littered with animal feces, plastic, straw, and other garbage rather than the sand that guided us to Adef’s. Her house was so sad. Mostly sticks, with a torn tent, no bed or handing clothes like many of the others. This twelve year old lived just with her grandmother and when not in school, she took care of most all the chores: water, cooking, cleaning, firewood. Firewood? She leaves at 6am and returns around 5pm, carrying all she can.

Many of the girls we worked with were excited to show us their humble dwellings and for us to meet their families. This particular refugee looked upon us with very sad eyes as she pointed to her home, cooking area, and resting place, all within only a few steps.

We moved on quickly to the next little compound, which had an earthen oven, several tukul dwellings, a blackboard, and large, open area to store firewood and dried grass. The disparity affected me greatly. Even though I know fundamentally that this difference exists everywhere. The grandmother looked so fragile, and they literally had one mat, and a few plastic bins for storage. Other than that, nothing. At all.

There is not much sense or cohesion to this blog post and I apologize. After rereading it, I notice that I used the word sad probably too much. But as I said, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. I haven’t processed the day long enough to write something poetic or more visual.

Just a bit sad.

ktj

Day 9 Action: Peacekeeping Force & Genocide Prevention Month

There is so much we can be doing for Darfur, especially right now. Today’s action offers to vey different opportunities, both, I hope, will make a difference for people on the ground.

Action 1: Support UNAMID Peacekeeping Force by emailing key United Nations Ambassadors. Recent attacks on UNAMID have left the only line of protection for Darfur defenseless. Key nations are failing to offer financial, material, and/or human help during this incredibly vulnerable time. Tell China, Egypt, South Africa, US, and UK leaders to make Darfur a priority.

Action 2: Armenia, Holocaust, Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda – this April these genocides will be commemorated and we will remember all the times we broke our promise of Never Again. April is Genocide Prevention Month. There are events all over the world commemorating past genocides and taking action NOW for Darfur. Find an event, or check out their list of 30 Things You Can Do. Save Darfur also has resources for the events! History tells a story of bloody April after bloody April, continue to take action for Darfur so that history will say April 2009 was the month that genocide ended in Darfur.

Wake Up, Brush your Teeth, Call your Leaders

Los Angeles Action: Please join us on Sunday, April 5th 1:00 pm for an Interfaith Sedar @ the LA Federal Building on Wishire Blvd! Download the updated flyer.

Hunger, Malnutrition and Starvation

This, from dedicated i-ACT follower Carole who has a medical background, will help us all understand the effects of what our Darfuri friends are experiencing. Hunger, Malnutrition and Starvation.

Hunger is ‘not enough food’ to satisfy body needs. It results in ravenous hunger, eating nearly anything available and lots of it. Eventually, the body adjusts but the appetite doesn’t.

Malnutrition results from lack of balanced food intake, which must include protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals; all of these are necessary to properly utilize food. When food is not readily available, the body is thrown off balance, which results in weight loss from the digestion of body fat first, then muscle, then vital organs to keep the body alive. Internally, there are adjustments made: vital organs survive upon foodstuffs which ordinarily could not be used.

The weight loss becomes extreme as malnutrition becomes starvation. The skin hangs on the body, the facial contours change with temple wasting as a giveaway sign. Hair begins to lose pigment, thin, and then fall out. The person becomes so weak that appetite is radically diminished: the effort to eat and the energy needed to digest exceed bodily strength. Lethargy, apathy and onset of opportunistic diseases (bacterial, parasitic) besiege the helpless system.

In closed circumstances, such as prison camps or punishment, death from starvation follows. In open circumstances, such as starving populations, disease usually kills first.

Worth mentioning here is Kwashiorkor, a disease of children caused by protein deficiency in malnutrition. Malnourished children eat whatever vegetables or roots they can find; protein is not available. Signs of this are orange hair, swollen bellies from liver disease, vomiting, diarrhea (which contains undigested food), ulcerated peeling skin and sloughing of tissue/development of ulcers throughout the digestive tract. Extreme pain is present. The ulcers are entry points for bacteria and death usually occurs from overwhelming infection.