Economic Growth Sudan Project #51384

Soap Making Project

by Darfur Women Network, INC.

Project Report | Jun 24, 2025
Updated report

By Mastora Bakhiet | Executive Director

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 Our Donors

Subject: A Beacon of Hope: Economic Empowerment through Skill-Building

Launched in 2020, the Soap-Making Incubator Project was Darfur Women Network’s (DWN) first long-term recovery and economic empowerment initiative, aiming to rebuild lives beyond emergency aid. This program was designed to transition displaced women from survival to resilience and development, equipping them with practical, income-generating skills that would lay the foundation for dignity and self-sufficiency.

Targeting women in four displacement camps in South Darfur, DWN provided intensive, hands-on training in soap-making—including high-quality liquid soap, bar soap, and detergent—while also introducing basic business and cooperative management skills. Each participant gained access to a shared incubator space with equipment, materials, and continuous on-site technical guidance.

The result was powerful: women began earning their own income, purchasing food, medicine, and school supplies for their children—many for the first time in their lives.

"For the first time, I didn’t have to wait for aid. I earned money and bought food and shoes for my children."
— A displaced woman and soap-maker

This incubator model gave survivors more than income—it gave them confidence, a sense of purpose, and the means to lead. Women began organizing themselves into teams, managing work schedules, tracking inventory, and making decisions together—building not just soap, but solidarity, agency, and leadership.

Unimaginable Setback: The Destruction of Nyala

In April 2023, just as momentum was building, the project suffered a tragic and unforeseen blow. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked Nyala, where DWN’s community center was located. The assault devastated everything—killing civilians, displacing families, and destroying the infrastructure we had painstakingly built.

The women we trained were forced to flee. Many ended up in Zamzam Camp in North Darfur, where they now face siege conditions, widespread famine, and relentless drone attacks. Others were scattered to unknown locations. Our local DWN team was also displaced, some losing everything they owned.

This loss was more than physical—it was the loss of economic independence, community cohesion, and the first hopeful steps toward post-conflict recovery.

When the World Looked Away, GlobalGiving Stepped In

As global institutions failed to adequately respond, GlobalGiving and our donors became a lifeline for the displaced. Through the Sudan Emergency Fund and targeted donor support, DWN was able to pivot and continue providing critical support:

Delivered hot meals and hygiene supplies to displaced families in Zamzam and El Fasher
Supported displaced DWN staff with food, transport, and emergency needs
Provided soap and dignity kits during a time when hygiene was essential to survival
Maintained community kitchens and emergency distribution points even under siege

Your support allowed us to stand with the most vulnerable, when they needed it the most.

Our Gratitude and Our Call to Action

We are deeply grateful to GlobalGiving and each donor who believed in the power of local leadership and the potential of displaced women. This was not just a soap-making project—it was our first step toward recovery, long-term development, and community resilience.

Even in loss, we see what is possible. The women who once relied on aid proved they could lead. They were on the path to independence—until conflict uprooted them again. But we are not giving up.

This project showed what’s possible when women are empowered.

Now, we must begin again—with your help. We invite you to stand with us as we rebuild, recover, and reimagine what comes next: more incubators, small businesses, farming cooperatives, handmade cultural items, and training programs.

Together, we will help displaced women rise again—with strength, dignity, and resilience.

With deep gratitude,
Mastora Bakhiet

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Mar 2, 2025
Updated report

By Mastora Bakhiet | Executive Director

Empowering Displaced Communities Through the Soap Making Incubator Program: A Journey from Survival to Recovery

The Soap Making Incubator Program was designed to provide displaced individuals from four camps in South Darfur with the knowledge, technical skills, and small business guidance needed to stabilize their livelihoods. Initially, our intervention was focused on life-saving assistance in response to immediate disasters. However, this phase of our work aimed to transition people from mere survival to recovery—helping them rebuild their lives with dignity and self-sufficiency.

For many, this program was a beacon of hope, offering not just skills but a pathway to economic independence. Women who once relied entirely on aid were now learning to produce high-quality soap, generate income, and sustain their families. The project’s impact was tangible, restoring dignity and empowering survivors of conflict to take control of their futures.

Unimaginable Setbacks: The Attack on Nyala

Despite the program’s success, tragedy struck in April 2023 when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched an attack on Nyala, where our community center was located. The brutal assault devastated everything we had built. Lives were lost, families torn apart, and the infrastructure we had worked so hard to establish was reduced to ruins. Many of our program participants were killed, while others were displaced—either within the city or forced to flee to North Darfur’s Zamzam Camp.

Those who sought refuge in Zamzam found no respite. Instead, they became trapped in a besieged city, facing relentless drone attacks and bombings. Others who remained in South Darfur were displaced once again, their whereabouts unknown. The destruction of our community center was more than just the loss of a building—it was the destruction of livelihoods, hope, and years of effort to create stability in an already fragile community.

A Failing International Response

It is deeply disheartening to witness established organizations like the United Nations, with their vast resources and expertise, failing to make the right decisions when it comes to feeding and protecting those trapped in conflict zones. The international response to ethnic cleansing in Darfur has been shamefully inadequate. The people of Zamzam and El Fasher continue to suffer from starvation, violence, and displacement, yet little meaningful action has been taken to address their plight.

When the world's most powerful humanitarian organizations faltered, our partnership with GlobalGiving became a bridge to survival. Through the Sudan Emergency Fund, we provided essential resources, ensuring that the most vulnerable families in Zamzam Camp and beyond received life-saving assistance. At a time when many international actors failed to act, this partnership allowed us to stand with those in dire need.

A Call for Continued Action

We extend our deepest gratitude to GlobalGiving for their unwavering support and to every individual who has contributed to sustaining our mission. Together, we have proven that even in the face of unimaginable violence and displacement, hope and resilience can prevail. The fight is far from over. Families in Sudan continue to endure unthinkable suffering, and we cannot turn our backs on them now.

Now more than ever,let’s stand together. Let us continue to be the voice for those silenced by war. Let us provide for those abandoned in their greatest hour of need. Let us ensure that the world does not forget the people of Darfur.

With your continued support, we will rebuild, empower, and protect the most vulnerable. Together, we are not just providing aid—we are restoring humanity.

Thank you for standing with us and the families of Sudan during this time of crisis.

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Oct 30, 2024
Update Sudan Emergency Fund

By Mastora Bakhiet | Executive Director

Sudan Emergency Fund

Location: Zamzam Displaced Camp, El Fasher, Sudan
Beneficiaries: 600 families and 200 children
Stage: First Stage - Team 1

The Darfur Women Network (DWN), with generous support from GlobalGiving, continues to provide life-saving assistance to displaced families in Zamzam Camp and surrounding areas. Through the GlobalGiving Sudan Emergency Fund, DWN is reaching those affected by ongoing violence, delivering critical aid to people in the camp and those who have fled to seek safety in remote areas, under trees, or in makeshift shelters.

DWN Teams on the Ground in El Fasher

DWN has two teams operating in El Fasher, providing essential food and water to displaced families living in the seized city under constant airstrikes and ground attacks by the Rapid Support Force (RSF) militia. Despite the risks in the conflict zone, DWN and GlobalGiving are committed to delivering aid to the most vulnerable. Many families have fled Zamzam Camp, now hiding in small groups to escape airstrikes, enduring extremely dire conditions with limited protection, resources, or shelter.

Health Crisis

The conflict has caused numerous injuries, and the only hospital in the area has been destroyed. Among the injured is my cousin, who sustained broken legs and feet in the violence and is currently recovering. Medical staff are working under immense pressure to treat critical injuries from airstrikes, and some medical personnel have lost their lives.

Impact of the GlobalGiving Sudan Emergency Fund

Thanks to support from GlobalGiving, DWN has been able to:

Distribute emergency supplies, including food, water, and basic aid to those hiding outside the camp.
Provide aid to 600 families, distributing millet (a staple grain) that was previously unavailable due to shortages.
Supply 200 children under two years old with 1.5 pounds of milk powder each to meet their nutritional needs.
Support families in Zamzam Camp as they navigate daily threats of violence and instability. Please , check this link https://youtu.be/uW06_kBnU2c

Challenges and Ongoing Needs

Since our team began working, there have been seven ground attacks and four airstrikes, including one today targeting the only remaining hospital. We are currently without information about my injured cousin, her sister, and her son, who were being treated there.

Displaced families continue to face:

Lack of shelter and healthcare.
Water shortages: families fetch water from open ponds shared with animals.
Food shortages and nutritional needs for children and the elderly.
Risks to women and children who are vulnerable to violence in isolated makeshift camps.
Mosquito infestations causing malaria, which remains a serious health risk.

Message of Gratitude

We extend our deepest gratitude to GlobalGiving for their continued support. Thanks to the Sudan Emergency Fund, we have been able to provide essential resources to the most vulnerable families in Zamzam Camp and beyond.

Together, we are making a difference in the lives of people displaced and affected by unimaginable violence. Thank you for standing with us and the families of Sudan during this time of crisis.

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