Photo by Kensie Wallner

Vitamins for Darfur

By Jamie Lund
Contributing Writer

Take a step back. Forget about life going on around you. The 9-5 grind, meetings, happy hour, yard work, kids’ games- or the like. There are many people in this world that would trade places with you, if even for a day. Right now in Darfur, Sudan, there is a crisis so inhumane that it has led to the most horrible abuse you could imagine. Widespread murder, rape, and even abduction occurs daily. According to Mohy Mohamed, President of United for Africa and who has lived in Darfur, the genocide started in Feb. 2003 when the government of Sudan decided to get rid of non-Arab people in Darfur. He said that living in Darfur is exactly like “living in a hell”. Darfur is a place of ongoing genocide, while the entire world is watching and playing “political games”. Mohy’s family still lives in Sudan and he knows first hand of more than 400,000 lives that have been lost, and more than 2,500,000 that have been forced to leave. Can you imagine five thousand people dying each month in our society? It happens in Darfur.

The statistics could go on forever. The numbers are just devastating. Why should up to 8,000 people die from diseases and violence each month? It may be hard to imagine the depth of this crisis because it is so far away. When asked what he thinks US citizens can do to help this awful situation, Mohy responded with a very deep answer. “I think there is a lot you can do to dramatically change the circumstances in the region of Darfur. But before I answer that, I’d like to say something about US citizens here. People in this country should know that they have enormous opportunities to make a difference, improve the world, and make it more peaceful. More importantly, they should know that they have the ability to save lives of innocent people.”

Citizens within Fargo-Moorhead have come together to help initiate an effort to make a difference in Darfur. Mohy Mohamed, John Strand, Folly Kouvahe and a few others helped to form a humanitarianism movement called Vitamins for Darfur. Swanson Health Products, a direct-to-consumer retailer of affordable vitamins, supplements, organic foods and natural health products, has generously offered a donation of vitamins toward this effort (http://www.swansonvitamins.com). Vitamins for Darfur has also teamed up with a local non-profit organization called United for Africa. United for Africa is a humanitarian organization founded to help educate the local community about what is taking place in Darfur, and other parts of Africa. Helping can be as simple as offering vitamins, that some may take for granted, to the women and children of Darfur to help save their lives.

Mohy said it could be as simple as taking the time to “write letters to your senators and ask them to put pressure on the government of Sudan to stop killing.” It could also be as simple as donating as little as 25 cents a day to the victims in Darfur. It may be small to us, but that will bring hope and dignity to the genocide victims. Another way to help the genocide victims is to donate Delta Skymiles at no cost to the Vitamin for Darfur Project team.

The majority of the vitamins will be taken to Sudan and distributed in advance. All of the others will arrive via Mohy, and the humanitarian team of Vitamins for Darfur. They have all graciously offered to personally deliver them directly to the refugee camps in Chad and Sudan. To help facilitate these many important flights, you are able to donate a portion of your Delta Skymiles toward the cause, at absolutely no cost.

Since it began, more than two million civilians have been forced to flee their homes. Aerial bombings by the government of Sudan’s military have become a daily trend in Darfur. As you read this, the government of Sudan is resisting the UN security council-mandated peacekeeping operation that is desperately needed. People are still dying, the crisis is still on the move. Since moving to the US, Mohy says he doesn’t view the situation in the region of Darfur differently because the situation is not getting better, people are still dying. Since the move, his way of looking at the situation as a whole has changed. He says that “before I came to U.S I was almost hopeless and helpless, but now I feel I can do something about it.”

The international community must do their best to put a stop to this un-called for violence and help bring relief to those who have survived. Vitamins for Darfur has the potential to be a huge success to help save the refugees in Sudan. You can give hope to those like Mohy, who now has a more optimistic outlook on life. “I started a new beginning and let me tell you - I am very hopeful, optimistic, and energized to do something about not only Sudan, but Africa. I am working on my bachelor degree and then hoping to go to law school. Moreover, I am so grateful to be in this great country.” Join the growing movement of citizens here in Fargo-Moorhead, and worldwide, who are taking action for Darfur. For more information on how to help visit the Vitamins for Darfur website at http://vitamins4darfur.com/ or log in at Delta Skymiles Giftmiles at http://tiny.cc/darfur1 .

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