Soap Making Project

Introduction

On behalf of the Darfur Women Network (DWN), we extend our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude to the Decolonize Sudan Organization for your extraordinary fundraising support. Your solidarity reached us during one of the darkest and most traumatic moments in our history — the genocide committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher on October 26–27, continuing to this very day.

We also extend our sincere thanks to Decolonize Sudan and to everyone who organized gatherings to ensure that the voices of those who cannot speak for themselves are heard loudly around the world. Thank you for standing in solidarity with the survivors of genocide in El Fasher and with the people of Sudan. Together, we keep their hope alive.

For more than two years, El Fasher has been under siege. Once a vibrant city full of life — families, students, and farmers — civilians are now trapped without food, medicine, or shelter. Even animal feed, the last means of survival, has disappeared. Mothers cradle their children with nothing left to give.

The attacks have been merciless. Civilians are hunted like animals. The elderly and the wounded lie waiting for help that never comes. El Fasher has become a graveyard of dreams. This is not a civil war — it is a war on civilians, targeted because of their ethnicity and their land.

Many have been killed, others wounded, and thousands have fled — weak, starving, and terrified — searching for safety. Families are separated; loved ones are missing. Their absence is an open wound in every heart that longs for peace.

This is not only a tragedy for Darfur — it is a failure of humanity.

The international community has watched in silence as women and children are hanged, burned alive, or left to bleed to death. Villages have been destroyed. Women and girls endure brutal sexual violence. More than 450 injured civilians and sick patients in the only hospital were executed — along with doctors, professors, and journalists. No one was spared.

Most of the victims were already displaced — survivors of the 2003 genocide — forced to flee yet again from camps like Zamzam and Abu Shoug, which were once promised protection under the United Nations.

Before the escalation of violence, DWN’s soap-making project was in its recovery stage, moving steadily toward a long-term sustainable development model. The project empowered displaced and vulnerable women with technical knowledge and practical skills to produce high-quality liquid soap, bar soap, and detergent — enabling them to earn income and improve their livelihoods with dignity and independence.

However, in April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces destroyed the region and turned it into a graveyard of civilians’ dreams. We lost everything. Our progress toward sustainable development was shattered, forcing us to return from long-term programming back to emergency life-saving assistance. Families were killed by the RSF. Families were separated. Loved ones went missing. Livelihoods and entire communities were destroyed.

This report reflects not only the devastation endured, but also the lifesaving impact made possible through the support of Decolonize Sudan.

Here is your project link: http://goto.gg/51384

Thank you

Empowering Women through Soap-Making: A Journey from Hope to Hardship and the Power of Partnership
Project: Soap-Making Incubator Program – South Darfur

Dear GlobalGiving Team and Compassionate Donors,

Subject: A Beacon of Hope — and a Renewed Call for Partnership in Women’s Economic Empowerment

When the Soap-Making Incubator Project launched in 2020, it became Darfur Women Network’s first long-term recovery and economic empowerment initiative—supporting displaced women to move from dependency on aid to self-reliance, dignity, and leadership.

Across four displacement camps in South Darfur, women received hands-on training in liquid soap, bar soap, and detergent production, along with basic business and cooperative management skills. Through shared equipment, raw materials, and ongoing coaching, women began earning an income—many for the first time in their lives.

“I didn’t have to wait for aid. I earned money and bought food and shoes for my children.”
— A displaced soap-maker

The incubator became more than a worksite—it became a source of purpose, confidence, and community. Women organized production teams, managed schedules, tracked inventory, and made collective decisions, emerging as capable leaders in their households and neighborhoods.

A Devastating Setback: The Destruction of Nyala

In April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked Nyala, destroying the DWN community center and soap facility. Equipment and supplies were lost, and our participants and staff were displaced. Many fled to Zamzam Camp and El Fasher, where they now face siege, famine, and drone attacks; others remain missing or trapped.

This tragedy wiped out infrastructure and income, shattering hard-won stability and progress.

When the World Looked Away, GlobalGiving Did Not

Thanks to your compassion, DWN pivoted immediately from development to emergency response. Together, we provided:

• Hot meals and emergency food
• Soap and hygiene materials
• Dignity kits for women and girls
• Support for displaced DWN staff
• Assistance to families trapped under siege

Your solidarity allowed us to remain present, responsive, and courageous in the darkest moments.

Where We Stand & The Road Ahead

Because Nyala is still unsafe, restarting the incubator there is not possible at this time. Most beneficiaries are now in El Fasher, while thousands of newly displaced families have gathered in Khartoum, struggling to survive economic collapse and war.

To continue our mission of women’s economic empowerment, DWN will restart the program in Engaz, Khartoum, where operations are currently safer and the needs are urgent.

Proposed Restart (Khartoum, 2025–2026)

War-Affected Women’s Soap-Making Recovery Program

• Target: 300 women and girls (heads of households and youth)
• Objective: Provide soap-making skills, start-up kits, and cooperative support within 12 months
• Expected Results:
• 300 trained and equipped
• 70–80% earning income within 3 months
• Steady soap production for local markets
• Thousands of vulnerable families accessing affordable soap
• Sustainability: Cooperative model, savings groups, reinvestment, and peer-trainer replication

Our Gratitude and Our Promise

To GlobalGiving and every supporter: thank you for believing in the power, resilience, and leadership of displaced women. Although the war destroyed our building, it did not destroy our determination or our vision.

The women are ready to rise again. We will rebuild—stronger, safer, and more resilient—because you stood with us, and we hope you will continue to walk beside us in the next chapter.

Here is the link:  http://goto.gg/47978

With deepest gratitude and unwavering commitment,
Mastora Bakhiet
Executive Director, Darfur Women Network (DWN)