The Oure Cassoni Refugee Camp

photo taken by Barbara Grover
Map courtesy of usaid.gov

• 27,000 refugees live in the camp—80% are women and children, and 60% are under 18.
• The surrounding area is one of the most remote and impoverished places on earth, a vast desert with little water or vegetation.
• Families of 5–12 people live in makeshift tents without running water or electricity.
• Drought is a constant threat, and international agencies struggle daily to provide sufficient water for the camp’s growing population.
• Nonetheless, refugee families remain hopeful for the future.
Many dream of one day returning to Sudan and rebuilding their communities in safety and prosperity.

Education programs at Ouré Cassoni camp

Many of the children at Ouré Cassoni were born there, and have grown up knowing only life within the camp. Others, forced to flee Darfur with their families as children, have experienced trauma and loss. With your help, education can provide a crucial sense of stability and hope for the future for these young people.

The New Jersey Coalition Responds to the Crisis in Darfur is inviting individuals, organizations, schools, and religious institutions throughout New Jersey to support the education of 14,000 Darfurian children at Ouré Cassoni refugee camp in Chad. The Coalition has been supporting Ouré Cassoni since 2008.

The Darfur Education Project reaches out to schoolchildren in and around the camp through a network of 24 schools--in 12 brick classrooms and tents across the camp--run by the International Rescue Committee. Your support will ensure that schools are safe and well-maintained, children have the school supplies they need to learn, and teachers and school staff are trained to provide their students the best education possible.