Our Journey
Darfur Network for Development (DND) was founded by a group of Sudani Americans & Sudani British who share more than a mission, we share family! Every member of our founding board has relatives living in the refugee camps of eastern Chad: siblings, parents, cousins, and childhood neighbors who fled the violence in Darfur and Sudan and now call these camps home. Our organization did not begin in a boardroom. It began with phone calls across continents, in the weight of knowing that the people we love are living in conditions the world too often ignores.
We came to the United States & UK carrying both opportunity and obligation. The skills we built here in engineering, medicine, education, and community leadership were always meant to serve a larger purpose. DND is how we honor that purpose.
We have seen firsthand that the people in these camps are not defined by their displacement. They are teachers, engineers, mothers, healers, and future leaders waiting not for charity, but for the conditions that allow their potential to flourish. We built this organization because we refuse to look away, and because we believe that proximity to pain is also proximity to power.
Today, DND bridges two worlds: the resilience of refugee communities in eastern Chad, and the resources, advocacy, and determination of a diaspora community that has never forgotten where it came from
Our Core Values
Our Board of Directors
DND is governed by a Board of Directors with diverse expertise spanning engineering, biomedical sciences, education, humanitarian leadership, and community development. The board works collaboratively to provide strategic oversight, ensure accountability, and advance the organization's mission.
Board members bring both professional excellence and lived experience almost everyone having direct personal or family ties to the communities we serve. This connection is not incidental; it is foundational to how we design, implement, and evaluate our work.
Dr. Ahmed Hassan
Board Chairperson - President
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An engineer with a Master's in Mechanical Engineering from University of Minnesota with over 10 years in Automotive . A proud member of the Sudanese diaspora, he brings the same systems-thinking and precision he applies in his engineering career to the strategic leadership of DND , ensuring programs are designed for measurable, lasting impact.
Fatima Osman
Vice President :Mrs. Ekhlas Osman
Osman is a specialist in refugee education. She oversees DND's educational programs, ensuring that displaced children have access to critical learning opportunities under our 'Acacia Tree' initiative.
Ekhlas Osman is a Sudanese development practitioner and civil society leader with over Ten years of experience in women’s empowerment, youth development, and peacebuilding. She has led and supported community-based initiatives in Egypt and West Darfur, Sudan, focusing on economic empowerment, social cohesion, and sustainable development.
Through her work with Basma Center and the Dar Andooka Initiative for Peace and Development, Ekhlas has designed and implemented programs that provide women and young people with vocational training, entrepreneurship support, leadership development, and peacebuilding opportunities. She is committed to advancing gender equality, strengthening community resilience, and promoting inclusive participation in development and peace processes.
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Ekhlas is passionate about empowering vulnerable communities, particularly women and youth, and believes in locally driven solutions that foster resilience, dignity, and lasting peace
Michael Deng
Mr. Mohamed Yaqoub - General Secretary :
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He holds a B.A. in Political Science. With more than two decades of experience working alongside organizations that support refugees and vulnerable communities, he brings deep familiarity with the challenges facing displaced populations and the practical realities of humanitarian work. His background as an entrepreneur has further strengthened his leadership, management, and problem-solving skills. This combination of academic, humanitarian, and business experience enables him to help lead DND with professionalism and effectiveness.
Mr. Bukhari Muhmad- Treasurer:Â
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An adjunct professor with an M.A. in International Affairs. He is a member of its Peace and Reconciliation Committee. His academic and professional interests focus on international affairs, development, peacebuilding, nuclear nonproliferation, and international conflict and cooperation. Through his leadership and commitment to community services, he is dedicated to contributing positively to the organization.
Mr. Hashim Zakira- Project & Events Associate Director & Education Committee Chair:Â
Mr.Hashim Zakaria is a senior undergraduate student at the Ohio State University majoring in Public Policy Analysis with a minor in Education Policy. He is passionate about education, community development, and public service. Through his role with DND, he is committed to applying his academic knowledge and policy skills to support educational initiatives, youth empowerment, and community-based programs. His work reflects a strong commitment to expanding opportunities for underserved and refugee communities through education, advocacy, and community engagement.
Sarah Williams
Vice General Secretary and Chair, Peace, Resettlement, and Reconciliation Committee
Dr. Abdulhafiz Musa - :
He is a Senior Biomedical Scientist with more than 30 years of experience in diagnostic laboratories across the UK, Qatar, Libya, and Sudan, including several senior management roles. He currently serves as Senior Biomedical Scientist in Pathology at Great Western Hospital in Swindon, UK, where he leads operational performance in the Chemical Pathology Department. Among his career highlights is the successful commissioning and leadership of the Central Clinical Laboratory project at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar.
He holds an MSc in Biomedical Science with Distinction from the University of Greenwich, along with two BSc degrees in Biomedical Science and Medical Laboratory Technology, reflecting a sustained commitment to professional development and evidence-based practice.
Alongside his professional career, he has spent the past 25 years actively engaged with Sudanese civil society organizations, participating in dozens of conferences, workshops, and advocacy meetings. Highlights of this work include:
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Co-founding the Darfur Union–UK in 2004
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Meeting with US President George W. Bush at the White House in 2006
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Meeting with the President and the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC)
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Attending the 23rd Assembly of States Parties (ASP23) to the Rome Statute in The Hague, Netherlands
Mr.Nourleldin Mohammed - Project & Events Director :
Mr. Mohamed Nourledin is a petroleum engineer based in UK with more than 17 years experience in the oil and gas industry. His decades of experiences working within multinational companies on multiple projects would help support DND to navigate through challenges within their project management department.