Behind the School Supplies for Sudan Campaign

Quality education is a right for all children. According to UNICEF Sudan, Sudan has made significant improvements in basic education over the last decade. Between 2008 and 2018, the total number of public and private schools increased by 2,800, allowing one million more children to access education. The number of students completing primary education and proceeding to secondary school increased from 251 to 336,000 annually during the same time. 

However, according to UNICEF Sudan, despite the progress, around 6.9 million children in Sudan remain out of school. Political instability and the pandemic have resulted in extended school closures that have disrupted the education of over 8 million Sudanese children since 2019, decimating years of progress. Moreover, following the pandemic, prolonged school closures and unequal mitigation strategies have negatively impacted 8.1 million children (aged 5 – 18) enrolled in school, as well as worsening the situation for 6.9 million children out of school, especially those living through conflicts and crises.

Most schools in Sudan struggle with providing basically school supplies and materials as well as water facilities, toilets, recreational areas, fencing and feeding programmes. Hoping to provide struggling schools with supplies, 23-year-old Sudanese-Canadian Suha Osman launched the School Supplies for Sudan campaign, which is a GoFundMe fundraiser, and Sudan Collection, selling Sudan-branded clothing to raise funds.

The School Supplies for Sudan campaign seeks to provide primary and secondary school children at an all-girls school in rural Khartoum with the necessary school supplies they need to learn throughout the school year. With a goal of USD4,000, Suha will be traveling to Sudan in January 2023 to purchase and distribute the supplies herself. The fundraiser has mobilised Sudanese youth around the world via social media, raising three-fourths of the intended goal in less than a month.

‘The School Supplies for Sudan campaign was inspired by the 2018 Sudanese Revolution. Education systems all over Sudan were disrupted as a result delaying all levels of education for students. This was later exacerbated by the pandemic in 2020 by a longer period of time, affecting eight of my cousins from moving forward academically. Although I was personally affected by the revolution, while living in Canada, I was shielded from the devastating human rights violations toward the people of Sudan by the previous dictatorial regime. This contradiction prompted me to use my advantageous social position to organise the “I am Sudan” campaign at Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU), which raised awareness in support of the democratic transition in Sudan at the time. Organising this made me aware of the tools and resources I had at my disposal which I could use to help those in Sudan. Now, as I prepare to travel back to Sudan after almost five years, I have the opportunity to utilise the skills I have developed and enhanced while a student at WLU to make a difference,’ said Suha.

Suha spent her early part of her childhood spent in Sudan, she grew up personally aware of the barriers to education in Sudan. Her family moved to Canada in 2007 to provide her and her four brothers with the opportunity to access quality education. She now holds a bachelor’s degree in Global Studies and Political Science from WLU and a master’s degree in International Public Policy from the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Throughout her undergraduate and graduate degree, Suha’s research interests were focused on social justice, peace and conflict, development and humanitarianism. Suha recently graduated and is now preparing to return to Sudan for the first time in almost five years, due to the Sudanese revolution in 2018 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

‘School Supplies for Sudan is an opportunity for me to give back to my community. I have been incredibly blessed and privileged to grow up in Canada and have access to endless opportunities that have led to and will continue to lead to, the betterment of my own, and my families, life. One of the greatest opportunities I have had is access to safe and quality education for all of my life. With the right tools, the proper resources, and a safe environment, I was able to obtain a bachelor’s and master’s degree. School Supplies for Sudan represents an opportunity for me to meaningfully act and provide students in Sudan with the tools that were always available to me as a student. Although I am unable to eliminate all the barriers students in Sudan face as they try to access education, I hope that this campaign will empower and guide me, as well as others, to do more for equity-deserving students around the world,’ Suha explained.

In addition to the School Supplies for Sudan campaign, Suha along with her brother launched Sudan Collection, selling Sudan-branded hoodies and sweaters to raise funds for the purpose of the campaign. ‘In the wake of COVID in 2020, my younger brother, Wail Osman, and I decided to create a custom embroidery business called Customs by SWO. We operated our business for two years as best as we could while also in university full time. Knowing I was going to Sudan in January 2023, in December 2022, we decided to create the School Supplies for Sudan Fundraiser and use the remainder of the hoodies and crewnecks we had in stock to create our Sudan Collection. While creating the sweaters, we decided that we would donate 100% of all proceeds raised from the collection (excluding shipping) to the School Supplies for Sudan Fundraiser as we felt that this would be the best way we could contribute to our initiative,’ Suha explained.

Worldwide shipping is available for all items sold on site. However, due to limited quantities, only have limited colours in each size are available. Those interested in purchasing a hoodie or sweater are encouraged to do so before 17 January 2023 as the clothing will not be restocked.

For more information or to donate, visit GoFundMe: School Supplies for Sudan or visit their social media channels: Instagram @SchoolSuppliesforSudan or Facebook @SchoolSuppliesforSudan. For more about SWO, visit customsbyswo.com or @CustomsbySWO on social media.