Graduation: Mayo Building Workshop hosted by Mayo Women’s Association – ‘Dalu for Development’

The team returned to the building site for a lovely graduation ceremony planned by USAID/TEPS. The project was a great success for the Mayo team (SHPDO, NOHS, University of Khartoum, Homes for Sudan, For A Purpose, ARC Peace Sudan, Mayo Women's Association Dalu for Development, Malam Darfur) and USAID/TEPS. Our thanks to the Mayo community!

The community women and some of the team gather in front
of the new women's training center after graduation!

Our sincere appreciation to the fine young men and women who participated, and to our funders: USAID/TEPS, the Stead Family Foundation, the Seeds for Jubilee Foundation, the Haggar Group, and Afra Plastic Industries, Co.

[Also a reminder to visit our earth-builder's Nepal website at For A Purpose: www.facebook.com/4APNepal/ 
Remembering Nader Khalili and his partnership and inspiration for safe affordable housing for the world: www.Calearth.org
And shout out to our Ustaz Hooman Fazly: https://www.instagram.com/hooman_fazly/]

Charge d'Affaires Steven Koutsis, Commisioner of Jebel Aulia, Engineer Amir Eltayeb USAID,
and Markus Dausses USAID Sudan help us celebrate

Maude Koutsis (Madame Chief of Mission), Chief of Mission Steven Koutsis,
Mr. Markus Dausses USAID, and Ladies of Mayo

USAID officer Markus Dausses, the Chief of Mission Steven Koutsis, and the Commissioner from Jebel Aulia helped the team celebrate their big day; this was an empowering gesture that meant the world to the newly minted 'trainers'! Mr. Wallace Bain (Political Economics Officer at the US Embassy) and Deputy Chief of Mission Ellen Thorburn, J.D. were at the graduation as well. Since they had come with us on the Nile cruise and were honored guests with the team at Imam Ahmed Al Mahdi's picnic they were 'old friends' to the trainees by graduation day.

Back row: Asjad from ARC Peace Sudan, Mubarak from NOHS, Jebel Aulia Commissioner,
Chief of Mission Steven Koutsis, Abdlrazeg from the City Council,
Ahmed Abdulrahman assistant manager, Abubaker from SHPDO
Front row: Abeer, Lila, and Bushara from Mayo

Charge d'Affaires Koutsis, Boushara, Abdlrazeg, Ahmed Abdulrahman, Abubaker,
Mujtaba from NOHS, Amjed, Ahmed Ali, and Fatima from Mayo

The day was festive and the women from the Mayo Women's Association Dalu for Development showed up to show off their wares!

Miriam and Fatima sitting on the 'angareb' (daybed) in the back, pose
with some other ladies from the association with traditional wedding decorations

The ladies have their sewing machines moved into the new building and are already working

 The men of the community were starting to feel left out, and were complaining that the new building was for women only. They wanted to know 'what about the men who helped.' We explained that men and women got trained so they could all know how to build many more buildings, and the men could build a center for themselves! The Mayo Women's Association awarded a certificate to Mr. Jabir, director of the adjacent Peace Park and community liaison officer, for his assistance with their incorporation as Dalu for Development and his support with the project.

Big men from the community of Mayo (Jabir with the white shirt)

Dr. Abdulla AECOM/USAID/TEPS
with the men from
Shadow Organization for Development
in the Nuba Mountains

Yisryya, head of Mayo Women's
Association, gives a certificate to Jabir,
the director of the Peace Park

Members of the US Embassy staff on the left with Mr. Maher Moussallati owner of
Afra Plastic Industries, Co.

Everyone is waiting for the next steps.

Markus Dausses from USAID cuts the second ribbon inside the building after
Chief of Mission Koutsis and the Commissioner cut the outside ribbon -
the ladies have their craft purses for sale on a table in the foreground

Ladies using the loft

Curious neighborhood boys

Amjed's father (with the turban) joins a picture with Amjed, Doc, and members of the team and community

Mr. Markus Dausses USAID joins
Dr. Abdalla Mohammed from TEPS

Jebel Aulia Commissioner with
Charge Koutsis, Awadia Mahmoud,
and Markus Dausses

Doc poses with Lila, Rihab, Abeer, and her sister

Yup, all of us on our big day! very happy! - but missing our Malam team members who
already returned to Darfur... we are glad that we had the Nile cruise to give them
their graduation, and grateful to the Deputy Chief of Mission Ellen Thorburn
for awarding their diplomas

Stay tuned for updates on next project possibilities this winter. We will be re-incorporating Homes for Sudan as a 501c3 in the next few months to begin fundraising for several more building projects with our newly trained 'trainers.' Additionally some joint efforts with the Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Khartoum and with Portland State University, some faculty and student exchanges between the USA and the Sudan assisted by Seeds for Jubilee, and - Inshallah - a conference on 'Democracy 2020: Parties, Leadership, and Elections' with the Department of Political Science at the University of Khartoum.