An opportunity to make a difference in the life of a street child

Hi, I have just had a letter from C in Sudan, who is working with the street children in Khartoum. Since you are all such a creative bunch of people, I thought it may interest you to read about a new project which is being initiated to help them become self supporting, because they need help in the form of creative ideas for goods to produce. I will ask C to elaborate on what sort of raw materials are available for the kids to use, and perhaps you could help come up with ideas of what they could produce with what they can get there.

She is busy getting a blog going, and as soon as it is up an running, I will post the link. If any of you would be willing to post the link on your blog too, and perhaps let your readers know about the project, we could probably get a wide network of people from across the world to help this wonderful cause, and make the kids feel that there are lots of people who care about their future.

Here is C's letter....

Calling all you creative types!
We don’t want your money, but we do need your ideas!
Help Sudanese Street boys help themselves, by donating a design or pattern to their new craft label Urban Cowboy.

You hobby and skills will change their future, when you support the launch of this unique vocational training project.
Urban Cowboy hopes to link you and crafty people like you, to the centre, allowing street boys aged 16+ to learn new skills and enabling them, for the very first time, to make a viable living enabling them to get off the street for good.

It’s so simple…
Have you created a fashionable and simple tote bag design?
Do friends envy your unique homemade cards?
Maybe you’re a whiz with paper mache?
Do you have old equipment you could donate?

Then we need you!

Currently we plan to use -
Simple woodwork
Simple metal work
Paper mache
Handmade paper
Leather

…but do you have a better idea?

The Kids
During the nation’s twenty-one year civil war between North and South, more than 2 million southern Sudanese were displaced within the country. Traumatized by war and underemployed or unable to find work, many southern women simply could not care for their children. Today, there are over 35,000 kids, primarily boys living on the streets. Often as young as 4, they each have a story to tell. Some are war orphans some ex-child soldiers; others feel the push and pull of economic factors far out with their control. Furthermore, there is now a growing population of children who have fled the war-torn Darfur region who also make their homes on the street.

Bridge of Hope
12 years ago, Barbara Gouldsbury a native of New Zealand, arrived in Sudan to work with street kids. Together with her dedicated team, (who- when funding is low, often go without pay) they have created a very special haven of- care, health, love, education and most importantly, hope.
At the core of Bridge of Hope, is a residential home, at present housing 32 boys all of which attend a local school. Many hope to continue their education and enroll in state universities in the future. (This year saw the centre’s first student start University, a very special day for us all!)
The drop-in feeding centre provides 2 meals per day, washing facilities and healthcare to between 50 & 100 kids daily. The prep-school is used to prepare boys for entry into formal, local education, while the vocational training centre enables older boys to learn a valuable trade while keeping clean and healthy.
In all there are over 160 boys participating in the various programmes run by The Bridge of Hope.Urban Cowboy
Barbara’s dedication and impressive results have won, not only the respect of the kids’ toughest critics, but, more importantly, the boys themselves. And, recently many older boys have approached the centre looking for help… and hope.

Sadly, although Sudan’s economy is now booming from oil revenue; the boys in Khartoum have been irreversibly detached from their tribal origins and traditional African culture. In addition, their lack of education and the constant stigma borne of life on the streets has effectively rendered them adrift and futureless, in a predominantly Arab city.

However, they do want to work, to better their situation; to get off the streets.

The unique Urban Cowboy project will offer the boys a livelihood while developing and exploring their artistic abilities and traditional culture. In addition, the project aims to develop each boy’s basic financial and micro management skills through tuition and hands-on experience.


Urban Cowboy Products
Although Sudan currently produces or imports the basic everyday items required by its local residents, its turbulent past has all but eradicated the nation’s artistic and craft making expertise, making it the only African nation without a burgeoning traditional craft culture.

Now we want your help to bring it back.

By using your creative knowledge, the boys can produce fashionable craft items that can then be further decorated with their own traditional artistic skills. Ultimately, you will allow them the opportunity to experiment with and develop their individual creative ability while making a viable living.

In addition to the fledgling tourist market, Urban Cowboy aims to produce gift and souvenir products for the thousands of humanitarian workers who routinely pass through Khartoum each month, each seeking a small memento of their stay or a present that reflects the local culture they have recently experienced.

If you would like to help Urban Cowboy, please copy and paste this on to your blog and help us link to the wider creative world.

Look out for the launch of the official Urban Cowboy blog, coming soon!

So there you have it, wouldn't it be great if we could use our creativity to make a difference in the lives of these kids?

Here is my daily photo, and one from the files.