My name is Richard Delongte, a proud Rotarian based in Caledon, Ontario.

Last month, while visiting the Rotary Peace Center at Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul, Turkey, I had the privilege of meeting an inspiring young Sudanese woman named Arwa Suliman who is training to become a Rotary Peace Fellow. She is now heading back to her home country to lead a critical peacebuilding project in a rural village in North Kordofan, Sudan.

The village is currently facing deep tensions caused by the ongoing conflict. RSF forces recently entered the area and seized assets from some families, creating mistrust and conflict between neighbours. At the same time, internally displaced persons (IDPs) are living alongside host communities, adding even more complexity and strain to already fragile relationships.

This young Peace Fellow’s project will bring these divided groups together through structured dialogue sessions and collaborative community activities designed to rebuild trust, reduce tensions, and strengthen social cohesion. The goal is simple but powerful: help people talk to each other again, work together again, and begin healing.

Because there is no local Rotary club in the area that can directly fund the project through Rotary channels, she is short the final funds needed to complete it. That is why I have created this GoFundMe. Every dollar raised will go directly to the materials, logistics, and facilitation costs required to make these peace dialogues happen on the ground.

I have attached photos from similar peacebuilding activities she successfully implemented last year. They show exactly the kind of positive, community-led work this project will continue — people from different backgrounds sitting together, sharing meals, solving problems side-by-side, and beginning to rebuild what conflict has broken.

This is not just another aid project. It is grassroots peacebuilding at its most human level — exactly what Rotary stands for.

Any amount you can give — $10, $25, $50, or more — will make a real difference in the lives of families who have already endured so much. Please also share this campaign with your friends, family, and networks. Together we can help turn mistrust into understanding and conflict into community once again.

From Caledon to North Kordofan — thank you for standing with us for peace.

With gratitude,

Richard Delongte

Rotarian, Caledon, Ontario, Canada