Several months ago, as I drove my daughter down I-30 in Dallas, we saw a banner draped across the front of a church. It said, “SAVE DARFUR.” She asked what that meant, so I tried to explain. Her next question immediately (and logically) followed: “What can we do?”

I saw the sign again three days ago on my return from the hospital. Good for them! Something as simple as a banner has people talking and asking questions.

The “in” box stacks up in my absence. The emails needing replies now number over 100. And a cold that has me hacking has affected my optimism (and energy) about a relatively pain-free recovery. Still, I can’t stop thinking about that water thing, especially in Darfur.

There women must leave the relative safety of refugee camps to find potable flows. Husbands cannot do so because of the risk of death from enemy bullets. Women face “only” the threat of rape. Can you imagine choosing between death by thirst or risking rape? On a regular basis? The Janjaweed rape and mutilate hundreds of thousands of women and girls as young as eight. Then victims’ husbands disown them and entire communities shun them. It amazes me that females face all that for the stuff we get free and limitless directly into our homes via a faucet. (My place has six.)

Picture a country the size of Texas with only seven thousand soldiers and you can understand why even with troops accompanying their convoys, women need far more protection.

How can we help?

First, shoot a message to our representatives in Washington (link below). Darfur lost a couple of key allies in the Bush Administration several months ago, so we need to stay especially vigilant about keeping the genocide in the forefront of our politician’s minds.

Second, click on links to Darfur news stories whenever we see them. One study showed fifty times more coverage for Michael Jackson and Tom Cruise than the genocide. But news organizations sell what sells. If we click on hot stories about Britney or Paris but neglect the hard news in Africa, we send a message about what we want crews to cover.

Third, write. Craft a letter to the editor of your local paper. Or post something in the blogosphere. Stick a reminder on your church’s announcements page and or on the prayer list.

Fourth, pray. Pray now. Pray often.

For more info, check out http://www.savedarfur.com/.