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Day 2: March 25

Day 2: Too Late to Save Many

For now we are in N’Djamena for another day, preparing our luggage and cutting out everything we once considered a necessity. There is a fuel shortage in the East, and we might not get away with the extra weight we usually do. We head out to collect our permits in the afternoon. A sand storm blocks the usual view to the River Cheri and ceases most business for the day. A new discovery! Soccer fields lay tucked behind a busy street. Full of players not bothered by the sand, and stench of something burning.

TaxiI am in pretty low spirits, as I am expecting to see the refugee camps in worse shape than my last trip. In Camp Djabal, in particular, there have been four unintentional fires that left more than a hundred families without shelter. Last June, during Chadian rebel fighting two supplies tents were set on fire that held the emergency supplies for this camp. I wonder how these families are fairing. I wonder if Adef, who we met last time in Camp Djabal, will be there. He often went to back to Darfur for food and supplies because there wasn’t enough in the camp. Is he still alive?

TaxiThe reports we are receiving from our Darfuri friends are astonishingly terrible. We are acting too late to save so many. Yet, I know we must continue to help bring peace for those who have been strong enough to survive this long. We must do all that we can. We must be louder and stronger. The one thing I know we cannot do is accept business-as-usual for Darfur. Washington and our leaders have continued with the same policies since 2003. All this time, Darfur has only worsened.

There is not time for us to back down pressure and give Obama more time to address Darfur. He will soon meet with his Special Envoy for Sudan. A man who traveled with Obama to the very refugee camps we will visit in two days. Both men have seen and heard the stories of Darfur. Now they need to hear from us.

Peace, ktj

5 replies on “Day 2: Too Late to Save Many”

Hi!

Just wanted you to know Kaltoum got to watch lots of videos from past i-ACT trips, and she was impressed that you sought out many of the refugees you’d met on previous trips to check on how they were doing. You are added to her heroes list! ; D Let us know how her message is received when you get a chance to share it with those in the camps.

Wishing you improving luck along the rest of your trip, as well as better sleep!

G’nite,

Lisa

Thank you Lisa! Tell her she is with us in her thoughts that we will read her email! I am having a hard day, one of those exhausting ones, where a message like this keeps me up and going to the next day.

Also, can you resend the email in another text? For some reason neither Gabe nor I can cut and paste it to a word document so that we can save it on our computers and bring it with us.

thank you Lisa and the Goldner family!!
ktj

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