The Devil Came on Horseback. Working towards peace in Darfur, Sudan.

Adam has now lived in a refugee camp for over three years and volunteers as an interpreter for a local clinic.  Adam is fiercely committed to providing the gift of education to all who surround him.  Though their monthly food rations barely feed their hunger and though firewood and water are scarce, when asked about his greatest needs, Adam speaks of the tools to teach his own children - a blackboard, some chalk, a little paper and a few pencils.

A true social entrepreneur and passionate educator, Adam is seeking to build a series of adult libraries. Most of the refugees in his camp are rural farmers, many of whom have never attended school and have little understanding of their rights as refugees. With no access to a meeting place of their own, the refugees gather daily in the outdoor markets. Seizing on this opportunity to engage his peers, Adam enlists the help of literate shop keepers to read aloud the UN documents he has obtained regarding refugee rights while their customers sit and play cards. The result has been a growing dialogue as displaced families discover what it means to be a refugee. Adam believes that his fellow refugees are eager to know more and that all they need now is a structure that can serve as a place of learning. 

Adam’s next step involves constructing a library center.  He envisions electric lights, satellite internet and television to draw members in to hear educational lectures on issues of refugee law, women’s rights, children’s rights and UN resolutions on Darfur.  Adam also wants to address what he calls the "bad habits" of his culture impacting women, such as the practice of female circumcision and domestic abuse. He aims to use the library to promote conflict resolution, psychological healing and collaboration among the many Darfurian ethnic groups. Adam’s commitment to education is profound.