Dance for Darfur

Charlotte Stemmer tells us about an inspiring event she recently attended in Sydney which raised money for the Darfur crisis - and has some ideas for how you could do something similar

A spontaneous celebration breaks out during the distribution of non-food items in Kalma camp, Darfur. Women sing and dance, waving the lids of their buckets in the air. Marguerite Hondow/Oxfam

I graduated from university last year and decided I needed some time out before I entered the ‘real world’ of jobs and commitments. My adventure began in Africa, where I did voluntary work and travelled through a number of countries. It was a fantastic experience that I’ll never forget. In March I started the final part of my big trip – a working holiday in Australia. I have been based in Sydney, which is a great city and has so many opportunities to continue my interest in humanitarian issues.

On Friday night I went to a ‘Dance for Darfur’ night to raise funds for the crisis in Sudan and Chad. The evening was a great success, the club was packed and there was brilliant African singing and dancing.

The event got me thinking about how important it is to raise awareness of the situation in Sudan. So, how can you do this? Here are some ideas…

* Put on your own ‘Dance for Darfur’ evening. First, hire a room at your school, uni or community centre. Then, make some posters to advertise this fantastic event. For a small entrance fee people can come and listen to African music and dance to raise awareness of the Sudan crisis.

* Have a sponsored dance. You and your friends get sponsorship and see how long you can dance for without stopping.

* Bake some cakes and sell them at lunchtime at your school or uni. All the profit goes to Oxfam. Why not try cooking up some traditional African food to sell as well?

* Screen a film night with African films and hand out leaflets to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

* Put on a sports tournament. All the teams give a small amount to compete and donations can be taken from the spectators.