To raise awareness of the crisis in Darfur, Oakland University’s Hand in Hand student organization will hold the “Step Up!” festival and fundraiser Saturday, April 5, at 4 p.m. in the Oakland Center Gold Rooms.
The event will include a garage sale; an auction of autographed items, including those signed by Manna and Quail, Rob Paravonian, and Dashboard Confessional; a live performance by Akwaaba, the African drum ensemble; and, most importantly, a showing of “God Grew Tired of Us: The Lost Boys of Sudan,” a documentary about the atrocities in the Darfur region and the thousands of boys who have lost their families or been displaced as a result of the crisis. Following the documentary, Jacob Atem, one of the Lost Boys, will speak about his experiences in Sudan and how he managed to escape.
The money raised during the “Step Up!” fundraiser will go toward the Michigan Darfur Coalition, a group of individuals and organizations who have come together to respond actively to the crisis and genocide in Darfur.
Hand in Hand is a student organization that focuses on helping children. Most of its efforts have been local; during the Christmas season, presents were purchased through fundraising and distributed to the Grace Centers of Hope in Pontiac. The organization has recently been reaching out to children in need around the world, like the ones in Darfur. “When you hear about what’s going on there, you can’t forget it. You just want to help out in any way that you can,” said Raluca Szabo, president of Hand in Hand.
The “Step Up!” festival and fundraiser is sponsored by Oakland University’s Hand in Hand organization and the anthropology club. For more information on the “Step Up!” festival and fundraiser, contact Raluca Szabo at raszabo@oakland.edu.