BRIDGE OF HOPE: Street Youth Centre

After two decades of civil war and conflict, the number of Sudan's street children and youths has grown steadily from 40,000 in 2002 to nearly 70,000 in 2007. These children and youth, many of whom are orphaned or have suffered from abuse, generally live on the streets of Khartoum in conditions of extreme poverty. Sudan's infrastructure is in need of rehabilitation; its neighboring suburbs require improved social services and agricultural reforms and there are few places for these children to receive a safe environment. Lundin for Africa is proud to support The Bridge of Hope, which is one of these safe places, and can be found 30km south of Khartoum in the suburb of Har-Yousif. The Bridge of Hope operates as a residential center, learning center, vocational center and drop in center for the street children in and around the markets. Here they are able to receive 2 meals per day of proper nutrition, and enjoy a safe place to learn, play, wash up and establish positive relationships both with other children and the Bridge of Hope staff. The older boys have additional access to vocational training and income-generating activities.

Success Stories

James Tong

Through the Sponsor-a-Child program, LFA was fortunate to locate a donor in Sweden for James Tong, who is now the first graduate of the Bridge of Hope program. Earlier in 2006 James was accepted into the University of Khartoum after passing his Sudanese Educational Certificate. He is enrolled at the Institute of High Banking and Finance. Apart from being an ambitious student, he is also still a loyal brother to the other boys at the Bridge of Hope.He acts as a role model and an example of how with a little hope, a lot of hard work, and the support of donor families around the world, ending the cycle of poverty can be achieved. He is a pillar of strength and above all else he maintains a great sense of humor. One volunteer quoted:

"James is so much fun, he is bright and eager to learn. He doesn't mind the long trek to his school every day and enjoys living with the boys. I have many fond memories of James and my time spent at the Bridge of Hope, My most special memory is when saying hello in the morning... a Canadian-ism he picked up from me was "EH" and this became our standard greeting followed by a "High Five". This is something I looked forward to every day."
– Sarah Jamieson, LFA Volunteer

Sponsorship

Direct sponsorships allow the children at the Bridge of Hope to have access to:

• safe housing
• clean water and proper sanitation
• proper nutrition
• basic health care
• educational resources and in house learning
• vocational and technical training

The Bride of Hope provides structured classrooms with basic academic curriculum geared towards providing a basis for the entry level enrollment in the Sudanese regular school system.

For the older children the Bridge of Hope provides vocational and technical training that can be used as a means of income generation for the center, providing a space from which they can learn a trade and gain confidence towards becoming change agents in their community.

When sponsoring a Bridge of Hope child you will receive:

• A letter of welcome and thank you
• A detailed profile and photograph of your sponsored child
• A description of the center and their latest developments that will help support and enrich your sponsored child's livelihood
• Updates on the Bridge of Hope and your sponsored child throughout the year

If you would like to be part of our direct sponsorship and sponsor a child please contact the Bridge of Hope's Sponsorship Coordinator, Sarah Jamieson, at .

The Lundin for Africa Foundation is a Canadian registered charity and has a more limited mandate than Lundin for Africa Society. The Lundin for Africa Foundation only grants to other Canadian registered charities (or "qualified donees") as that term as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada).

Our Partners

UN Refugee Agency
www.unhcr.org

Dal Group
www.dalgroup.com

Sayga Flour Mills