Saul Williams Calls for Donations to Support Sudanese Families
Poet-activist joins local groups raising relief for communities uprooted in Sudan crisis.
Image: Instagram
Poet and spoken-word star Saul Williams has once again turned his creative influence toward humanitarian aid with a fresh appeal on Instagram. In a post shared this week, Williams urged his followers to contribute to families affected by conflict in Sudan, highlighting a series of accounts leading local relief efforts.
Saul Williams Amplifies Sudan Relief Effort
Williams’s latest caption reads: “⚫️⚫️⚫️ Please donate & help support the families of: @bilal_apood @family_of_mohammed @mohammed_jamous12 @ahmad.kh.alboji Also: @thesameerproject @khartoum_aid_kitchen #keepeyesonsudan.” Accompanying the plea was a carousel of photos showing community organizers distributing food and essentials to displaced households.
The spotlight falls on four individual campaigns:
• Bilal Apood (@bilal_apood)
• Family of Mohammed (@family_of_mohammed)
• Mohammed Jamous (@mohammed_jamous12)
• Ahmad Al Boji (@ahmad.kh.alboji)
Williams also tagged two grassroots initiatives—The Sameer Project (@thesameerproject) and Khartoum Aid Kitchen (@khartoum_aid_kitchen)—urging donations to sustain their on-the-ground operations. The hashtag #keepeyesonsudan underscores the urgency of the crisis and the need for sustained international attention.
Who To Support
Bilal Apood and the other individual organizers have been coordinating mutual-aid networks that deliver staple supplies such as rice, bread, and water to families uprooted by widespread fighting. The Sameer Project focuses on distribution of cooked meals in Khartoum neighborhoods, while Khartoum Aid Kitchen runs community kitchens that feed hundreds daily.
These efforts picked up momentum after the shutdown of USAID operations earlier this year. Food stocks dwindled for many households, fueling a spike in local fundraising. Williams’s platform—which counts more than half a million followers—amplifies these appeals, driving traffic to GoFundMe pages, payment links, and direct wallet donations.
Previous Fundraising Milestone
This is not the first time Williams has leveraged his reach for Sudan relief. In mid-2023, he launched a campaign to raise $50,000 for feeding displaced families after USAID funding cuts. In an Instagram post dated September 2023, he wrote: “We’re raising $50,000 to feed displaced Sudanese families after the devastating shutdown of USAID operations. Every dollar counts, your support fills a plate, saves a life. GoFundMe link in bio. Share this post, donate, and email your representatives. Sudan can’t wait.” That initiative surpassed its goal within weeks, providing thousands of meals through grassroots partners.
Williams’s advocacy builds on his longstanding record of activism. According to his biography, the Brooklyn-born artist rose to prominence as a slam poet in the late 1990s, later branching into music, film, and social commentary. His art consistently addresses themes of social justice, and he has collaborated with nonprofits on issues ranging from educational equity to anti-war movements.
How To Donate
To contribute to the current drive, followers can visit Williams’s Instagram profile where he has pinned links to individual fundraisers and organizational pages. Donors are encouraged to select one or more of the named campaigns and to include the hashtag #keepeyesonsudan when sharing their support on social media. Those without access to digital payments can reach out to the tagged accounts directly for alternative methods.
Local relief workers stress that small, ongoing contributions are as important as large, one-time gifts. Regular monthly donations help cover the cost of logistics, fuel, and staffing for meal distributions and supply convoys. Williams has emphasized that this model of mutual aid—community-run and peer-to-peer—is vital when official channels face bureaucratic constraints.
Among the families benefiting are those who fled fighting in Darfur and South Kordofan states, where clashes between armed groups forced entire villages to seek shelter in Khartoum camps. Reports cited by relief organizations estimate that over two million Sudanese remain internally displaced, with food insecurity reaching critical levels.
Williams’s call adds to a growing wave of diaspora and celebrity activism focused on Sudan. Other artists and public figures have echoed similar appeals, but his repeated engagement—and ability to mobilize both artistic and activist communities—has drawn particular attention.
As the conflict grinds on, individuals like Bilal Apood and the teams behind The Sameer Project and Khartoum Aid Kitchen continue to rely on digital solidarity. Williams’s latest post serves as a reminder that, even in the midst of global news cycles, grassroots action remains a lifeline for vulnerable populations.
Moving forward, organizers hope that the momentum generated by Williams’s platform will translate into sustained support, keeping meals on tables and hope alive in communities facing severe hardship.
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