Our Story

Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) came into existence  at a time of desperation and greater sorrow for the people of Darfur when everything seemed impossible. DWAG was founded on June 25, 2009, soon after the  former President of Sudan Al-Bashir’s  expulsion of all humanitarian aid organization from Sudan following the indictment of al-Bashir by the International criminal Court. At the time, while attacks continued, rape  and starvation was used as  a weapon of war; Darfur was extremely isolated and there was no news coming out of Darfur. Only those of us who have families on the ground can tell the magnitude of the catastrophe.

Since there was no news, the activists, advocate and policymakers out of Sudan who have once mobilized demanded an action on Darfur assumed since there was  no news that the Darfur crises was over.

The attention among the anti-genocide movement has sharply declined and gradually faded  out, while funding for both humanitarian & advocacy declined and organizations in the US started moving away to other crises. 

It was devastating to see the movement that we worked  alongside many others so hard to build, is  going away while millions of genocide victims were suffering, abandoned and dying  in silence. 

As someone who was lucky to flee genocide, I told myself you don’t  have an option of being disappointed or walking away-instead I felt compelled to do something.

That is when I decided to revive the promise I made 5 years ago to my fellow Darfuri as I was fleeing.

The answer was to establish DWAG with three fundamental priorities. 1) To keep Darfur in the agenda of international community, empower and amplify the voice of women and genocide affected communities to speak for themselves and fight for justice,  and that women and the historically marginalized Sudanese’s  leadership,  priorities and the atrocities prevention must be the fundamental priorities for DWAG’s program  interventions and advocacy.

I was in Darfur when the genocide started, we have worked hard to document the violations and to assist those in need. Due of my work and  being outspoken against the genocide, I was forced to flee leaving behind, family, fiends and the only place I have ever known as  home. It was such difficult decision to make, I didn’t want to leave, but many have advised me including my mom. They said, “Niemat, if you stayed, we may all be killed but if you leave, you can be safe and be a voice for our people by telling the world about the Darfur genocide.”

With that hope, I left the Sudan 21 years ago, and came to the US two years later. I was hopeful that the genocide will soon be over and I can go home. Before I leave  have made a promise to the Darfuri women who were in the frontlines- that wherever I go, I will create an organization   that will not only recognize their plight but it will recognize their resilience, courage and resolve and to help our community restore their dignity. Despite their remarkable effort, surviving genocide, taking charge in aiding their community, documenting atrocities and keeping our community together, women were perceived as solely victims, but DWAG is there to correct the narrative.  

Founding and running DWAG was not an easy task, but it has provided me with hope and purpose. Started out of my studio apartment in Washington, DC while working another full-time job, working 16 hrs, a day- weekends, vacation and night times. I have inspired friends and strangers alike who were soon  rallied behind DWAG and supported its mission 

Despite all the challenges facing Darfur, Sudan and the nonprofit world, DWAG has defied conventional wisdom .

Started as a self-funded, volunteer run organization has just turned fifteen years old. Today, DWAG has not only grown as an organization or sustained its effort, but it has recently expanded to operate across eleven states in Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Chad, aiding those who were forced to flee their home survive and, providing capacity building  in relatively safe areas and it has opened a branch in Geneva to increase our international reach. 

When the war erupted in Sudan, all the international organizations abandoned  Sudan and left our people to fend for themselves.  DWAG team have been on the ground among the affected community from day one, providing desperately needed emergency lifesaving humanitarian  and protection aid while documenting atrocities and keeping the international community informed. 

Our advocacy continued to raise the alarm, held the international community accountable and effectively brought the voice that once seemed so removed to the center of the  international policymaking arenas. Eventually DWAG have become a trusted go to organization for policymakers, partners and the affected communities.

We have come a long way, regret that Genocide have yet to be resolved but DWAG have shown our people that they have their own power, and  if they have the resources, tools and  opportunity that they will make a difference  for themselves and their community. 

Today, we are proud to say that DWAG has become a symbol of hope for millions.

Through DWAG we have met the promise that was made twenty years ago- is not sufficient but it has reinforced our conviction to strive for the day that DWAG’s overall goal of -a World Without Genocide can be realized.