(Osman Al-Jundi), a media-man with the rank of (Marshal) in a humanitarian action

 

Interview: Khalifa Hassan Balla

 

 

The activist in the field of humanitarian Action and founder of the Fakat Reeg (breakfast) Initiative and renowned media professional, Osman Al-Jundi, revealed horrific and touching stories that happened to Sudanese families as a result of the war in Sudan between the Sudanese army and the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Militia.
Al-Jundi, a correspondent for Cairo News Channel, said that the most heinous thing the militia did was to kill scholars and teachers, rape and displace women, promote racist language and intensify hate speech.
He said with regret “The militia prevented people from their past and memories.”

 

 

Fakat Reeg “Breakfast”

 

 

 

Regarding his humanitarian initiative (Fakat Reeg), Al-Jundi said that it is a humanitarian work that began by providing milk tea and pastries (Zalabia) to those affected by the war, then expanded and branched out into paths accompanying the food path to include providing (medicine, clothing, and financing for affected families to start small projects).

 

Al-Jundi pointed out that the project initially served those affected by the war who came to areas north of Omdurman from areas controlled by the militia, as well as helping families originally residing in the area. He explained that the project initially provided various meals to more than 300 families, and the number later doubled, due to the war and the high rates of internal displacement, to include hundreds of families arriving in the area.
According to Al-Jundi, the meals provided include a variety of food containing (lentils, beans, rice, pasta, sakhina and kisra).

 

 

Funding the initiative

 

 

Al-Jundi revealed that the volunteer (Engineer Hussein Mohamed Hussein) donated a headquarters for the takaya (hospice) with a food store and a kitchen with all the requirements. While the number of volunteers began with 16, it later increased to dozens of volunteers.

 

 

Regarding the means of distribution to families, Al-Jundi explained that the distribution is done through serially numbered cards distributed daily to the beneficiaries to ensure fair distribution.
As for the financing of (Faka Reeg), he revealed the formation of an emergency room that receives constant support from Sudanese inside and outside the country, as well as support from the cooperative institution affiliated with the Sudanese army. In addition, the member of the Sovereignty Council, General Yassir Al-Atta, sponsors the takaya (hospice).

 

 

Touching Stories

 

 

Osman Al-Jundi recounts that the most painful and touching scenes he encountered, during his daily work at the hospice, were families drinking lentils as tea due to the lack of bread, and families distributing their members to a number of hospices that provide food to obtain a sufficient amount of food during the day.

 

 

The most painful thing, from his point of view, was the suffering of women while waiting for meals to be distributed.
With respect to the end date of the (Faka Reeg Initiative), he denied that the initiative would end with the end of the war, as some imagine, pointing out that they developed the concept of the hospice to become a permanent emergency room that provides, in addition to food, (clothing, medicine and financing for poor families), stressing that they decided to continue the initiative after the war, revealing the high rates of very poor families, particularly that the war caused them to lose all their money and their jobs.

 

 

Weak-hearted people

 

 

 

Al-Jundi acknowledges and regrets the existence of parties that exploit voluntary action to profit from it, describing them as weak-hearted because they did not take into account the harsh ordeal of the affected Sudanese families.

 

 

Regarding the accusations against the well-known cleric, the owner of humanitarian initiatives (Sheikh Al-Amin), during the period of the militia’s control over the Old Omdurman area, Al-Jundi defended Al-Amin, saying that he contributed greatly to providing food and treatment to a large number of families in Omdurman in his mosque. He explained that he worked under stressful conditions and preferred to provide support to the families instead of opposing the militia and fleeing the area.

 

 

I escaped death twice!

 

 

 

Al-Jundi disclosed that he escaped death more than once as a TV reporter during the war. He confirmed that he escaped certain death twice; the first time near the Halfaya Bridge linking the cities of Bahri and Omdurman. He said that while he was filming and broadcasting an event for Cairo News Channel, a cannonball fell near him and thankfully it did not explode. The second time was when he went to Al-Merreikh Stadium to produce a report on the stadium, explaining that he thought the place had been liberated from the militia, but he saw a number of militia elements near him, but “Allah’s protection and care caught up with me and I quickly left.” He added.