“Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against nearly impossible odds. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided $1 billion in assistance to people in 94 nations. Supported by headquarters offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, the agency's unified global programs employ 3,200 staff worldwide and reach nearly 13.5 million people in more than 40 countries.”
Seeing as Darfur over-qualifies for a disaster, a conflict, and consists of a majority of suffering persons, Mercy Corps is contributing to this crisis. The Darfur crisis has it’s own series (pictured below), based out of the Sudan section. This is an overview. Included there is a ”photo essay” that depicts life in Darfur in a very powerful way.
The following is a brief less detailed description of what Mercy Corps is doing in Darfur:
“Mercy Corps has been providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance - and protection - to displaced families for more than two years. We currently have nearly 200 veteran aid workers in Darfur, where they continue to help people meet their most basic needs. The agency's focus includes improved sanitation systems, clean water, distribution of relief items and building safe spaces where children can learn and play…
… One of the agency's responses has been to reduce the amount of firewood that women must collect to heat water and cook food. Mercy Corps is continuing to teach determined women how to construct and use fuel-efficient stoves that require about half the wood as a campfire would. This limits the amount of time women have to spend collecting wood outside the camp boundaries, where they are more vulnerable.”
The second part of these contributions was the most heart warming to me. As I continually am running into horror stories of women being raped, most frequently they are out collecting firewood when it happens. This seems like such an effective yet simple way of eliminating these horror stories from happening so frequently.
When clicking on “Sudan,” one of the many countries Mercy Corps is assisting in, you get an overview (pictured above) of the help being given there. I found this to be slightly similar to the site yesterday, but still each program has different focuses and concentrations. There are stories from the region not only focused on Darfur that are inspiring and heartbreaking. I especially liked this one about sports. It discusses a program established in southern Sudan that educates the youth about AIDS. The program is called Sports, Youth and Life. The article discusses Nike’s involvement in the program and also how you can help buy purchasing a “soccer kit” that benefits the program and the enrolled.
Like yesterday’s site, they also have a sanctioned out way of viewers to donate among many other links. The site also has links to stories, publications and a year in pictures section. In which some of the most devastating sights from the countries they are assisting are captured. The picture below is from Darfur.
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