The children’s community learning centre, built in partnership with popular American YouTuber, songwriter, and educator Ms. Rachel and the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA), has officially opened in Tawila, North Darfur.
The opening was announced by both parties on their social media platforms on 30 July 2026.
The community centre will support local families, particularly mothers and children affected by the ongoing war in Sudan, by providing a safe space for play, learning, and community support. It will also offer facilities for community gatherings, educational activities, child-focused programmes, and family support services tailored to local needs.
SAPA and Ms Rachel announced their joint initiative to establish the children’s community learning centre in Sudan in May 2026. As part of the announcement, Ms Rachel introduced six-year-old American-Sudanese child Mila, the daughter of a SAPA member, as the centre’s ambassador and partner.
Based in Plano, Texas, SAPA is a non-profit organisation founded in 2019 to provide critical medical care, food supplies and shelter to the people of Sudan. Following the war in Sudan, SAPA has played a vital role in rebuilding and transforming lives. With a committed team of doctors and healthcare professionals, SAPA has tirelessly worked to enhance healthcare access, deliver medical aid, and foster community resilience. Their efforts have significantly impacted the region, bringing about positive changes and improving the lives of many in Sudan.
Ms Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin-Accurso, is best known for her children’s YouTube series Ms Rachel and the Songs for Littles brand. Across her social media platforms, she has consistently spoken out about the suffering of children affected by war, violence, and displacement, particularly in Gaza. She has also highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and its devastating impact on children.
Using her extensive global platform, Ms Rachel has helped raise awareness of the humanitarian crises in both Sudan and Palestine. In October 2025, she donated US$50,000 to SAPA to support its humanitarian relief efforts and has since continued fundraising to help expand the organisation’s aid programmes in the region.
Sudan is currently facing one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises, marked by the largest displacement crisis globally, with an estimated 12 to 14 million people forced from their homes. The country is also on the brink of becoming the largest hunger crisis in recent history. All of this is a result the war that erupted on 15 April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has already claimed more than 150,000 lives.
North Darfur, along with the wider Darfur and Kordofan regions, remains at the epicentre of the war, with intensified fighting around Dilling, Kadugli, and Babanusa as rival forces vie for control of strategic areas. Recent drone strikes targeting bridges and key transport corridors have further disrupted humanitarian access, leaving entire communities isolated. According to a United Nations (UN) report, atrocities committed by the RSF in Al Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, bear “the hallmarks of genocide”.
