Fast for Darfur

The Fast

Those who are engaged in the fast are following different options:

  • 40 day 1000-calorie daily fast (May 9 - June 17)
  • One day, 1000-calorie fast (May 9, May 17, June 17)
  • Skipping a meal on a regular basis (daily or weekly) and donating funds to a humanitarian aid agency.

Sample foods for a 1000 calorie daily eating plan:

Beans (1.5 cups) 320
Brown rice, cooked (1.25 cups) 270
Cracked wheat bread (1 slice) 65
White sugar (1 tbsp) 45
Salt (1 tsp) 0
Raw fruit without skin (1 cup) 40
Cooked vegetables (1 cup) 40
1% fat milk (1 cup) 100
Vitamins 0
Total Daily Calories 1000
Darfur Refugee Diet

Minimum requirement: 2100 calories per person. New amount after the aid reduction: 1050 calories. Cut by half: cereals, blended fortified food, and oil. Cut by three-quarters: pulses, sugar, and salt. (BBC News)

The World Food Programme’s 1050 calorie per day food ration for displaced persons in Darfur and refugees in Chad includes sorghum/millet, beans, oil, corn soya blend, sugar, and salt. Sorghum and millet are an important part of the traditional sub-Saharan African diet.

For more info, got to Fast for Darfur.

Some fast participants are making a drink with soy protein concentrate powder as a way to ensure that they are still getting enough protein in their diet. CAUTION: Nothing on this page should be construed as a recommendation or endorsement for particular food products or a particular dietary regimen. If you choose to join the fast, whether for one day or for the entire fourty days, please consult a physician before you begin fasting. Persons with health problems and physical conditions that make fasting a health risk or danger should not join the fast. Those who are not fasting may still give their support by making a donation to help provide food to the uprooted people of Darfur.