Sudan takes a lesson from SiO

– Norway has an advanced student welfare service, and I am impressed with how this is run by the students, says Mohamed Abdalla Alnagarabi, Secretary General of the National Student Welfare Fund (NSWF) in Sudan.

Alnagarabi is here in connection with Norway arranging a donor country conference for Sudan in Oslo this week, and he took use of the opportunity to visit the Foundation for Student Life in Oslo (SiO) and the Welfare Council (VT) to share experiences.

– We are especially impressed by the fact that the students themselves have the power, and control what kinds of services are available. This is something we need to develop in Sudan, as it is the students themselves who know what kind of offer is best, says Alnagarabi.

After a long meeting he and his colleague Tarig Omer M. Omer were given a tour of the different places that SiO and VT are responsible for at Blindern, such as the health station, the cafeterias, Akademika and the sports hall. In response to a comment about the gymnasium at Blindern being one of the oldest that SiO has, this reaction followed:

– This is an old gymnasium? Send it to us, Omer laughed.

Growing student numbers

According to Alnagarabi, the number of people taking higher education in Sudan after the war has risen, and the demand for the services provided by NSWF is great.

Sudan has been ravaged by civil war for forty years, and it is estimated that two million people have lost their lives in the conflict between North and South Sudan. After three years of intense negotiations, the government in the capital Khartoum and South Sudan managed to sign a peace agreement – the so-called Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Norway has played a central part in this process, and has strongly supported the country with bilateral aid according to the agreement. Sudan currently receives approximately 750 million kroner in aid from Norway. Between the 5th and the 7th of May this year, Norway is once again hosting the donor country conference. Here the international community, the World Bank and the UN will commit to the further rebuilding of the country.

Alnagrabi thinks that the need for Norwegian aid is growing.

– There are an extremely high number of poor people in Sudan, and although we have some special measures with which we can help the most vulnerable, the country needs continual aid, he says.

Keeping in touch

After the quick visit, SiO and NSWF have not yet entered into a binding collaboration agreement. All the same, they had productive conversations, according to Alnagarabi. The leader of VT, Fredrik Refsnes, followed the delegation during their visit, and hopes to keep in touch.

– The most important thing about today is that we have shown how student-led welfare is carried out. I hope we can continue to have a fruitful cooperation.

He thinks that the two organizations have a lot to learn from each other – even if it is only on an organizational level.

– This is a nationwide organization, and yet we are only based in Oslo. Naturally, there is a lot we can learn about organization, he says.