Hello everyone and sorry for radio silence! We've been busy and we're excited to announce that we've just soft launched a new community for supporters of ninemillion.org! You can find it here http://www.community.ninemillion.org/ and we'd love to hear what you think...

Even better - join up! We love hearing from you and the new community is the place to reach us and hear what we're doing...

 

Look forward to seeing you there!

 

ninemillion.org

 

 

 

 

 

Refugee teacher seeks to "write" the wrongs

DJABAL CAMP, Chad – "I knew how to read and write, that is why I was selected to be a teacher in Djabal camp," says Aziza Souleyman Mahamet. A modest claim, but one that reflects the serious lack of trained and qualified teachers in the schools of eastern Chad's refugee camps.

Aziza, a 40-year-old mother of three, is herself a refugee from West Darfur. "The Janjaweed attacked us and an Antonov plane bombed us," she recalls. Her family walked for seven days before reaching the border with Chad, where they lived for many months through the rainy season. It was only in mid-2004 that UNHCR found them and brought them to Djabal camp. In her four years of teaching Arabic, Aziza has met many traumatized children.

"You have children who saw their parents being murdered – by gunshot or shrapnel from the bombings," she says. "These children have not forgotten the images, and it impacts a lot the way they learn and remember things. Some have dropped out of school because of it."

Thankfully, various psycho-social programs in the camp have provided counselling to many children, helping them focus better in class.

But the physical infrastructure is often missing. "Now they are learning while sitting on the sand," says Aziza. "We need tables and chairs for the children to be able to sit." There is also a huge need for more textbooks – on average, there is only one book for three pupils, which is not enough to follow classes and do homework. Basic stationary such as notepads and pens is also in demand.

In addition, the harsh weather conditions in eastern Chad, including sand storms and the rainy season, cause school buildings to deteriorate quickly. "Some parents are afraid to send their children to school because they fear the building will collapse on them," says Aziza. With no glass windows, classrooms are exposed to wind and sand storms.

Teachers are trained by UNHCR, UNICEF and NGOs, but the incentives are weak. "Teachers are not paid enough," says Aziza, who makes 25,000 CFA ($50) monthly. The schools' director earns 40,000 CFA per month, based on local rates.

Still, Aziza would not trade her job for any other. "I thank God that now I can teach children," she says with emotion. "For their future and mine, I hope to be able to return to Darfur, to study for myself and continue to teach in my village."

In the meantime, she continues to encourage parents to send their children to school so that when it is safe to return to Darfur, "they will have knowledge and education to rebuild the region."

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie Photo by: Chip East / Landov(2)

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are making the most of their time in New York: The high-wattage couple have packed their schedules for Wednesday, meeting with diplomatic and financial leaders to promote various causes.

The first stop of the day... The Clinton Global Initiative, where Pitt asked for support for his Make It Right program. He's partnering with billionaire Steve Bing on the project, which plans to build 150 affordable – and environmentally sustainable – homes in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward. Pitt and Bing have each promised to match donations pledged during the initiative up to $5 million.

"These people will not be beaten," Pitt said at the luncheon. "In the past year, we've been meeting with the community, building their trust ... We need your help."

In the afternoon... Jolie attended a press conference with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guteres, to talk about a new campaign, Nine Million, aimed at improving education for refugee children around the world.

Then in the evening... Jolie, a Goodwill Ambassador for the U.N. refugee agency, spoke at a session focused on education for children in war-torn areas such as Darfur and Iraq.

"These are the children who most need a safe place to learn, a place to heal, a place to learn reconciliation, and a place to just be children," said Jolie, who is the co-chair of the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict. "Some think we should only provide emergency relief to children in conflict ... They say education is not life-saving. All of us here today would beg to differ."

The busy day of high-powered goodwill work is hardly unusual – Pitt is already working with Global Green to create environmentally friendly housing in New Orleans, while Jolie has done extensive work in her role at the United Nations.

In was also announced Tuesday that Jolie would meet with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband in New York to discuss global diplomacy.

And if that's not enough, Pitt's doing a little acting, too: He's filming Burn After Reading, which costars his pal George Clooney.