DND Supports Sudanese Secondary School Students Sitting for Their First Certification Exams Since the War
HAJAR HADID, EASTERN CHAD — On September 1 and 2, 2025, the Darfur Network for Development (DND) successfully implemented a community support initiative at the Hajar Hadid Exams Center in eastern Chad, reaching 605 Sudanese secondary school students as they sat for the Sudanese High School Certificate — the first time these students had been permitted to take this exam since the outbreak of war in West Darfur in April 2023.
For these young men and women many of whom fled violence, crossed borders, and rebuilt their lives in refugee camps. This exam represented far more than an academic milestone. It was an act of perseverance, and a statement that their futures had not been erased by conflict.
A Historic Moment for Sudanese Refugee Students
Since the outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023, an entire generation of secondary school students from West Darfur and surrounding regions has been cut off from the formal education system. Displaced to refugee camps in eastern Chad, many of these students continued studying under extreme hardship, with limited resources, overcrowded learning spaces, and deep uncertainty about their futures.
In 2025, for the first time, Sudanese authorities authorized students residing in eastern Chad to sit for the national high school certification exams. This opened a narrow but critical window one that DND moved quickly to support.
The decision to act was driven by a simple conviction: that these students had already overcome the hardest part. They deserved to walk into that exam room knowing someone believed in them.
What DND Did: A Simple Yet Powerful Action
DND’s intervention was deliberately focused and community centered. Rather than attempting a large-scale material distribution under tight resource constraints, the team chose actions with direct emotional and practical impact:
• Refreshments provided to all students after completing their exams each day , a gesture that acknowledged their effort and provided a moment of relief
• Motivational posters displayed at the exam center, carrying the message: “You Are Not Alone… Your Community Believes in You”
• A visible DND presence that ensured students felt seen, supported, and valued throughout the examinations period.
• Media coverage coordinated through correspondent Adil Atir to document and amplify the students’ stories
The project was carried out under DND’s motto for this initiative: “Learning Today… Leading Tomorrow” , a phrase displayed in both English and Arabic at the exam center.
Students’ Voices
The impact of DND’s presence was captured in the words of the students themselves:
“It’s hard — a moment we crossed one of the hardest in our life, which is about the Sudanese Certification.”
— Student, Hajar Hadid Exams Center
“We feel encouraged. We want to continue our education.”
— Student, Hajar Hadid Exams Center
“We need more scholarship opportunities in Chad, Sudan, and abroad.”
— Student, Hajar Hadid Exams Center
These voices reflect both the weight of what these students have endured and the renewed sense of possibility that comes with being supported by their community.
How the Project Came Together
The project was funded through a community fundraising effort in US. Local partners at the exam center procured the refreshments and printed the posters. Community volunteers coordinated distribution and student support across during exams dates.
The choice of Hajar Hadid as the project site was itself the result of adaptive decision-making. DND’s original plan had been to serve the Adré Examination Center, the largest in the region with approximately 2,200 students and 100 staff. However, a careful budget analysis revealed that the fund raised was insufficient to cover Adré’s full student population. With a shortage of approximately 920 people worth of supplies and a funding gap of roughly $450, the team had to pivot.
Acting on a recommendation from Exams Central Committee member who noted that smaller centers outside Adré received far less attention and support. DND redirected its efforts to Hajar Hadid. With 605 students and staff, the available funds were sufficient to cover the full center for several exam days, with a small remaining balance for future use.
The decision exemplified something important about DND’s approach: when the original plan is not feasible, the mission still moves forward.
Challenges Encountered
Executing a field project in a remote camp setting during the rainy season is never without difficulty. DND’s team encountered several operational challenges:
• Transportation barriers: The media correspondent needed to arrive two days ahead of time to account for rainy season road conditions. His late departure on September 1st — the first day of the exams , resulted in a loss of media coverage for Day 1.
• Logistical complexity: Routes from Maje via Arkum to Hajar Hadid, and from Abu Tanque to Hajar Hadid, were disrupted, with no vehicles traveling on certain days.
• Communication difficulties: Network outages in the area made real-time coordination with local teams challenging throughout the project.
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These challenges are documented not as failures, but as lessons ,part of DND’s commitment to transparent, learning-oriented program management.
What We Learned
DND’s after-action reflection identified three key lessons that will shape future programming:
• Early planning is critical: Fundraising, logistics, and media coordination must begin well in advance of execution, especially during the rainy season when travel is unpredictable.
• Donor and volunteer networks must be strengthened: The team’s ability to respond to budget gaps and field challenges depends on having a deeper, more engaged base of supporters who can be mobilized quickly.
Looking Forward
This project demonstrated what is possible when a small organization acts with clarity of purpose and community trust. DND is committed to building on this foundation:
• Start fundraising earlier for future exam-period interventions to allow sufficient time for planning and procurement
• Expand the donor base to reduce dependence on a small number of contributors
• Engage student leaders in the design and planning of future support activities
• Scale the model to reach multiple exam centers so that more students across eastern Chad feel encouraged and supported
• Determine the best use of the remaining project balance for continued student benefit
DND’s vision is clear: every Sudanese student in eastern Chad regardless of which exam center they attend should walk into their exams knowing their community stands with them.
“A small act of kindness… a big step toward hope.”
DND Project Motto, September 2025
About Darfur Network for Development
Darfur Network for Development (DND) is a Colorado-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Sudanese refugee communities in eastern Chad and in the United States. DND’s programs focus on education, humanitarian assistance, community development, and human rights documentation, with a commitment to dignity, inclusion, and accountability in all its work.
Contact: Darfur Network for Development | 1500 N Grant St, Denver, CO
© 2025 Darfur Network for Development. All rights reserved.
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