NBA star and humanitarian Tracy McGrady has made a commitment to expand direct online communication between U.S. and Darfuri refugee students for the Darfur Dream Team Sister Schools Program. His “commitment to action,” announced at the annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting at the end of September, is an extension to his continued efforts to advocate for quality education in Darfuri refugee camps in eastern Chad.
McGrady, co-captain of the Darfur Dream Team, or DDT, is also a member of the Clinton Global Initiative. He was selected for CGI membership because of his advocacy and dedication to humanitarian work. As a CGI member, McGrady has chosen to expand the DDT Sister School Program’s innovative efforts to foster connections between American and Darfuri refugee students to generate greater understanding and action for the issues faced by displaced African youth.
“When I was in the camps, every parent I talked to desperately wanted their child to receive an education, and I was moved to help them achieve that dream,” McGrady said. “This commitment will take us one step closer to fulfilling that promise of providing quality education to Darfuri refugee children.”
McGrady’s pledge will take DDT’s goal of connecting the students in the Darfuri refugee camps and the United States to the next level and directly promote the growth of deeper personal connections between them. One way that DDT will do this is by increasing the capacity of the private social network so that more students from both the refugee camps and their sister schools in the United States can consistently exchange pictures, videos and messages.
This commitment will expand the network and increase participation from students in both Darfuri camps and their U.S. sister schools. Using the network, Darfuri students will be able to share their experiences in a tangible way. “By sharing in each other’s lives, we expect to see greater advocacy and philanthropy among U.S. students,” said Darfur Dream Team program manager Buky Williams. “We want the Sister Schools Program to be a bridge between American and African youth.”
Photo: Students working on a MacBook in Djabal camp in eastern Chad (Darfur Dream Team/iAct)