The Church in Sudan has much that it would like to do, but often lacks the resources to achieve it. We work together with the church there through prayer and encouragement, giving some funding, and occasionally through providing expertise. All money given by churches here goes to Sudan as other expenses are paid for from our own diocesan funds. Send donations to our Diocesan Office marked 'For Sudan'.
- Cheques should be payable to Leeds DBF, and posted with a a note saying it's 'for Sudan' to:
Leeds Diocese Finance Dept, 17-19 York Place, Leeds LS1 2EX - BACS transfers should be made to Leeds Diocesan Board of Finance, sort code 09-02-22 account 10466302. Don't forget to reference your donation as 'for Sudan'.
- A Gift Aid declaration form for donations to the Sudan Link account can be found here. Please email completed forms to sudanlinkcontact@gmail.com
Please email sudanlinkcontact@gmail.com with news of what you have done so that we can track your donation through. We may be in touch with you to ask about Gift Aid, and whether you would like to be added to our Sudan Link e-News mailing list.
Providing Relief COVID
Many thanks to those who gave to our Special Appeal for Relief. Over £70,000 was donated by over 310 donors and churches across our Diocese. Of the funding, by October 2020 we have transferred £50,000 to Khartoum with £20,000 held waiting for their call. In the first round of funding we think about 1,000 families were helped through distribution of hampers and other support. A report on work done with the first £15,000 is available here. The Diocese of Port Sudan reported to us "This was a great blessing for the people: all expressed their joy for the food. Our thanks and appreciation to our friends in the Diocese of Leeds for the generosity they have shown to the people in our Diocese." Here is a thank-you video.
High inflation coupled with the coronavirus outbreak is causing shortages of basic necessities. The church in Sudan is sometimes desperate for funds to help distressed people: the situation they face in 2020 is acute, especially because of exceptionally heavy monsoon rains which have caused much flooding and damage. There are no food banks in Sudan, and Islamic Aid customarily is not given to Christian believers.
In 2021 we hope the immediate crisis will be past and we will be able to return to funding sustainable projects. In previous years we have funded grinding mills, and even an agricultural project, and we hope to get back to that, but in 2020 with overwhelming economic forces sapping the life of the country, we needed simply to help supply daily necessities, sharing in the pain of the Sudanese.
Please pray for the Church in Sudan as they face great need with nothing in their hands.
Send donations to our Diocesan Office marked 'For Sudan'.
Income generation projects
Before Covid-19 arrived, this was the main strategic initiative for which Archbishop Ezekiel was asking help. The Church in Sudan has extremely low financial resources. The long term way in which we can help them best is to enable them to be self-sufficient, investing in projects which give the church its own income tomorrow. Amongst other things, in the past we have sent funding to provide materials to build shops they can rent out, or to pay municipal fees for the right to build.
Please pray for the Church in Sudan as it tries to be entrepreneurial, to fund its own vision, mission and ministry.
Send donations to our Diocesan Office marked 'For Sudan'.
Building Schools
'Please help our children' has been a frequent request. Parents desperately want their children to go to school, to have a proper education but also a Christian one. State schools are Islamic and Arabic. A Church school must teach Arabic and about Islam, but can also teach the Christian faith and nurture the children’s identity as Africans.
Church schools are local to the community, creating a greater chance of orphans and street children enrolling, encouraging attendance and drawing parents to participate in their running.
They provide a basic education in the 4R's helping girls and boys to be equipped for further education or employment.
Church schools are self-built by parents. They lack basic resources and often in the rainy season need repairs. Some of the schools try to give the children food and water. Many teachers are unpaid as the children come from impoverished homes and cannot contribute. We send funding to help them fulfil their vision.
Please pray for parents, teachers and church leaders as they try to help their children grow in faith.
Send donations to our Diocesan Office marked 'For Sudan'.
Other initiatives
The Shokai Bible Training Institute, based in Omdurman, trains ordinands and Readers and Women Workers, and supports Bible teaching courses across Sudan. We have been providing £3,000 p.a. as many students lack the resources to pay fees, and trainers are then unpaid. From Shokai a few students go on to further education elsewhere, and we sometimes pay their tuition fees or travel costs.
We are concerned to support work by women, a vital part in the life of the Church. Their Diocesan and parish branches often lack funding for basic working. This year we are giving funding to Wad Medani Diocese to help establish an office as a centre for the Mothers Uniion workers.
The dioceses in Sudan are enormous areas, typically 500 miles across, so sometimes we've helped with transport, to help the Church hold together.
For current information on work we are supporting in Sudan, email: sudanlinkcontact@gmail.com
Send donations to our Diocesan Office marked 'For Sudan'.
Current items for Prayer
See Pray for Sudan on our Diocesan Prayer Diary webpage.
Stamps for Sudan
The Church Association for Sudan (a national charity) sells old, mint stamps that can be used as current postage. They buy them at a discount and so make a profit of 20% to support the Church in Sudan. Email orders can be sent to mintstampscasss@gmail.com Say what value stamps you need.