08 December 2006

Khartoum, Sudan: The world of volunteering is celebrating the United Nations-declared International Volunteer Day (IVD) every 5 December. To highlight this special day in Sudan, UNV volunteers, government officials and the local community of Bahri have raised funds for the refurbishment  of the Omer Elmukthar Primary School for Girls.

The event, held on 7-8 December, marks the growing partnership among UNV, the Ministry of Education, parents, teachers and students of the Omer Elmukhtar Primary School to further strengthen Sudan’s efforts to educate young people.

The school, which was built by the British in 1956, accommodates over 623 Sudanese girls, ages six to 15. The girls are cramped in the school premises with 40 to 80 students per poorly lit classroom, seated on corroding metal stools and tables.  The school is in desperate need of rehabilitation and funds.

In a fine exhibition of volunteering, UNV volunteers, the Minister of Education together with parents, teachers, and students of the school united to help the all-girls school.

UNV volunteers, students and parents worked the entire day to refurbish the school. UNV volunteer engineers and student's parents carried out structural and electrical work in the building, prepared traditional Sudanese dishes while school teachers managed the day’s program. Financial support for the project has been kindly provided by Qatar Airways and PCM Pumps.

The Minister of Education has supported this initiative by participating in the project himself, and expressed the hope that the project will be replicated in other regions of Sudan on a quarterly basis.