SRF 2026 2nd Quarter Newsletter
Drawing From the Wells of Salvation
Submersible Water Tower Project Serves Juba
In South Sudan, a community can be transformed by the presence of clean water, a resource much of the developed world takes for granted. And the benefits one well provides last for decades, extending to subsequent generations.
SRF Vice President Matt Smith witnessed this miracle first hand during his recent trip here. Just outside the capital city of Juba, a blessed SRF donor funded the entire cost of installing a solar powered submersible well
— a simple yet powerful source of life changing water for potentially thousands who would otherwise go without it.
This project represents just one of dozens of new wells SRF funded this past year, with plans ongoing for many more. This particular well is unique in its design and its capacity, especially in contrast to more traditional hand pump wells.
The solar powered well provides continuous access to clean water, even in harsh environmental conditions. The system is powered by solar energy during the day, but crucially, it also functions manually, ensuring uninterrupted water access even when sunlight is scarce.
Perhaps most importantly, output from the well can be accessed from multiple points in the community through supply lines, rather than from a single pump. In Juba, this means a single well is now providing safe, clean water both within the city and to the local school. Countless people can access it, at the literal press of a button.
Measuring the Impact of Compassion
Health & Nutrition Programs Yield Results in Doro
In the Upper Nile State near the Sudan border is a crowded refugee camp in the village of Doro. In the past year this camp has grown so dense with refugees from Sudan’s civil war that it’s now one of the largest in South Sudan, with more than 100,000 displaced people calling this barren patch of land home.
With your partnership, SRF has provided critical aid to Doro through a much needed pharmacy expansion, and emergency food support during the famine that is ravaging so much of this region.
During the most recent reporting period (November 2025 to February 2026), the SIM Doro Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) treated 508 severely malnourished children, with its caseload rising from 86 to 286 children (233% growth) as food insecurity and displacement continue to worsen. Despite this surge in demand, the program maintained strong clinical outcomes, curing 221 children, with a mortality below 0.5% and default rates around 2.5%, a result well exceeding global Sphere standards for severe acute malnutrition treatment.
While the brutal realities of famine and food insecurity continue to impact innocent children, these results demonstrate that the program is effectively saving lives in an extremely fragile humanitarian environment. Increasing admissions and relapse cases highlight the urgent need for sustained support of nutrition programs here and indeed, across all of Sudan and South Sudan.
The Lives You’ve Saved
Hunting Trip Has Happy Ending
Twelve-year-old Yousif was hunting with his dog in the muggy heat of a spring day, His dog caught a squirrel and brought it to the boy. As Yousif took the squirrel from his dog’s mouth, the rodent sunk its teeth into the boy’s hand in a manic attempt to escape.
The bite was painful and immediately Yousif’s hand began to swell. Over the next several weeks, the untreated wound remained swollen, and soon he had welts all over his body. Ultimately, paralysis began to set it.
Desperate, Yousif’s parents had him transported multiple hours over rutted dirt roads to Mother of Mercy Hospital, SRF’s partner facility in the Nuba
mountains. By the time Yousif arrived, he had become fully paralyzed.
Dr. Tom Catena and his team sprang into action to treat the critically ill boy. Yousif received immediate injections to counterattack the deadly reaction he was having to the squirrel bite. Slowly his body began to fight its way back. The welts and rashes that covered his body started to disappear. His ability to move began to return.
By the grace of God, his mobility was soon fully restored — another life saved through the miraculous works of Mother of Mercy Hospital and its SRF supporters.
“The Ear of the Wise Seeks Knowledge”
Building Premier Education in Rimenze
Our Lady of Assumption Primary School in Rimenze stands today as a powerful testament to what sustained generosity can achieve. Thanks to the faithful support of our donors, this once-modest school has grown into a thriving center of learning, now serving more than 1,000 children and widely regarded as the premier school in the region.
For years, SRF has worked hand in hand with its dedicated partners, the Brothers of Christian Instruction, to nurture both the academic and spiritual development of students.
Together, we have transformed the school into an invaluable source of hope for families across the area.
The school has also provided a beacon of stability for over 100 orphans from St. Bakhita Orphanage in nearby Nzara, also supported by SRF. This year, ten children — five boys and five girls — received scholarships to full time boarding school here through our support.
Recent milestones highlight the remarkable progress being made here. We played a critical role in funding the construction of new dormitories, expanding access for students from distant villages. The development of the primary school facilities has created a safe and structured learning environment, while a newly built well now provides clean water — not only for the school, but as a vital resource for the entire community.