Writing a New Chapter for South Sudan

Students Walk for Peace in Historic Pilgrimage to Meet Pope

Students from different tribes and regions of South Sudan came together in a nine-day pilgrimage called “Walking for Peace,” a journey led by Bishop of Rumbek, Christian Carlassare, that culminated in the opportunity to greet Pope Francis during his historic visit to the nation February 3-5.

Sixty students ranging from 18 to 20 years old, and 24 support staff, traveled on foot from Rumbek to South Sudan’s capital city of Juba – a distance equivalent to walking from New York City to Washington, DC. Among the support staff was Sister Orla Treacy, Principal of Loreto Schools, a Sudan Relief Fund partner and a leading force for girls’ education in the nation. 

From January 25th to February 2nd, the group walked through towns and villages as a demonstration of unity and peace, a startling and encouraging entourage in a nation that’s been plagued by political turmoil and tribal divides since its independence in 2011.

Bishop Carlassare described the journey as “a beautiful experience of encountering different Christian communities, because every evening…we were praying, celebrating, passing on the message of reconciliation and peace.” He told how each night as they stayed in a different parish, the hosts as well as local people would join their group and come together to pray.

“I think we were the hope, somehow, for all the people who were seeing us, and a hope for the country,” said the bishop. “People responded by joining us…walking together and joining us for prayer. The pilgrimage was really done by hundreds, if not thousands, of people who felt like we need to join together…We felt a common humanity.”

The bishop described the experience’s impact on the students – most who had never been to Juba or traveled that far within their country. “It empowered them and exposed them to the idea that…together we can do great things and bring change. So it was a powerful encouragement and hope for them.”

Pope Francis had heard of the students’ pilgrimage and asked to meet the young people who made the journey. Meeting the students on the steps outside the cathedral in the capital city, he told them, “You are a great witness to me and to the Church. Please continue on this way.” The pope then blessed the students and gave each of the participants a rosary.

The students’ portrayed a powerful message of reconciliation in each town they passed through, by representing a peaceful and diverse group themselves – young adults from different tribes and villages in South Sudan who come together harmoniously each day in pursuit of their studies and a more positive future for their country.

If children are the future, these young adults are ambassadors for a different South Sudan – a nation whose future is marked by change from its history of divisiveness, and replaced by a yearning for a people who simply see themselves as South Sudanese. 

As Pope Francis said so poignantly to Bishop Carlassare, “Thank you for the witness of these youth; they are writing a new chapter for South Sudan.” Read more about this story here.

Female Graduate Returns from Medical Training to Serve at Clinic

Racheal Piath is blazing trails for girls in South Sudan as one of the first female graduates to return with a degree in the medical sector.

Racheal just completed her higher education to earn a Diploma in Clinical Medicine, and has come back to her alma mater to serve at the Mary Ward Primary Healthcare Center, located on the campus of the Loreto Rumbek School for Girls.

Racheal is an example of an initiative directed by Sister Orla Treacy, Principal of Loreto School for Girls, whose motto is, “In the future, women will do great things.” The school is a catalyst for girls’ education in a country that has traditionally denied females the opportunity for higher education, or nearly any schooling at all.

Typically only 30% of students enrolled in school are girls. Of that group, a scant 2-3% go on to secondary school. It is estimated only 8% of women in South Sudan can read – one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. Tragically, a girl has historically been more likely to die in childbirth here than to finish primary school.

But all that is changing with the pioneering work of Loreto School for Girls. The school recently boasted their first female alumni who became a lawyer, and each year more girls are going on to seek higher education after graduation. The benefits of Sister Orla’s work come full circle when these young ladies return to serve in their home areas, where their skills are greatly needed.

The school’s health clinic is a light to the community, and its services were integral during COVID when the government asked the clinic to remain open, as shutdowns affected nearly all other healthcare services in the area. Initially the clinic saw 1,500 patients a day, but eventually expanded to more than triple their capacity, administering medicine to 5,000 patients daily at the height of the pandemic.

The clinic also sponsors nutritional and wellness programs for new mothers, and outreach programs in the community. Racheal will work at Mary Ward as a Clinical Officer, sharing her skills, and offering inspiration to other girls of what can be achieved with their potential.

New Life Springing Up in the Desert

Garden Project Grows Food and Hope

Before, hundreds of families here were suffering from leprosy. When they were discovered, they were homeless, dying from illness and starvation, and devoid of hope – continually forced far away from any help society might offer.

But that was before. Today they are beginning to thrive, thanks to the blessings of medical care, shelter, clothing, clean water, and an agricultural project sponsored by Sudan Relief Fund that is bringing new life to a formerly desolate land and people.

It is a story of new beginnings. With the help of Sudan Relief Fund supporters, families received emergency food relief. A clean water well was drilled. New homes providing shelter are being built across the community. A small medical clinic stands on the grounds – a crucial component where residents now receive medicine to stop the progression of their illness. Regular treatments will eventually cure this community from the scourge of leprosy entirely.

Now hope grows here daily, springing up as visibly as the green crops that the fields are beginning to yield. The availability of water and tools to work the fields have given new life to this community in more ways than one. Crops feed the body, while having a purpose like working the ground feeds the soul. Occupational training is helping injured people find gainful ways to support themselves. Children can go to school.

Now the people here think about a future – one not filled with despair, but with potential. A potential the leper colony of Malou never thought they would have.

Your help is making this possible, and your support is transforming lives in the most literal sense. Thank you for standing with us until the day the leper colony of Malou is no longer a leper colony at all – just the community of Malou, with people tending their fields and raising their families.

“’…the desert will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will bring forth bountiful crops.”

– Is. 32:15

Sudan Relief Fund Partner Reflects on Historic Visit with Pope Francis

Pope Francis recently visited South Sudan in what he called a “Pilgrimage of Peace,” the first of its kind since the nation’s independence, and a long-awaited event for many in the largely Catholic country. Sudan Relief Fund Program Coordinator, Fred Otieno, was on the ground in South Sudan to experience the historic visit and shared his firsthand account.

My Solemn Meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis

“I was privileged to meet Pope Francis during his Pilgrimage visit to South Sudan in early February. The Pope’s visit to our country was very significant, a culmination of God’s divine evangelization to share a message of lasting peace to a wounded country.

South Sudan was very blessed by the three-day apostolic journey of his holiness Pope Francis. The culmination of the three-day event was the celebration of the Holy Mass led by Pope Francis. The theme centered on peace and reconciliation, and called on political leaders to be light and salt to the people of South Sudan – a role model for the people to emulate, working for the common good of the country so it may grow holistically.

I was honored to be among the few people able to meet His holiness, Pope Francis, on behalf of Sudan Relief Fund. This invitation to meet the Pope was extraordinary.

During our time together, I was able to briefly share about the work Sudan Relief Fund is doing to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of the people. It was an encounter that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. It’s evident the Holy Father cares deeply about the people of South Sudan, and he stands with all those suffering.  

My personal encounter with Pope Francis was a miracle – a lifelong experience that I’ll forever cherish. I am humbled to be a part of Sudan Relief Fund, to be a voice for the voiceless in South Sudan. May the blessings I received from the Holy Father strengthen and sustain Sudan Relief Fund and all the generous donors who support this organization.”

-Fred Otieno

Program Coordinator, South Sudan

Answering the Cries of the Forgotten

Beyond Pope’s Visit, Much Work Remains to Alleviate Suffering in South Sudan

The historic visit of Pope Francis to South Sudan in early February brought moral support and inspiration to a people reeling so long from conflict and poverty.

Importantly, the move by the Vatican demonstrated an appreciation for the people of this new and volatile nation, made an express call for peace, and reminded weary citizens of the troubled nation they are not forgotten.

As Colm Flynn of EWTN News expressed in his NCR article, “The Forgotten Souls of South Sudan,” such a visit is merely the first step in a long-term commitment needed to ultimately help this people live in dignity and sufficiency. After the pomp and circumstance has settled, a challenging road still lies ahead for this nation.

Flynn highlights some of the most heartrending sights of his visit: vast numbers of homeless children living alone on the streets of Juba; the plight of orphans in an austere shelter on the outskirts of the capital; the shocking existence of leper colonies in our modern age with people still suffering in unimaginable ways; the corruption even he and his news crew encountered in their travels, and the necessity of armed police escorts accompanying them everywhere they went.

Compounding these scenarios are the climatic conditions that swing from massive floods to devastating droughts; and world political events putting a strain on a deadly food shortage where more than a million people could starve this year.

But despite the dire sights and encounters, Flynn’s report shares stories of hope sprinkled among the images of suffering – stories of organizations like Sudan Relief Fund bringing food, medicine, and shelter to communities. Missionary individuals partnering to save lives at great sacrifice to themselves. Nuns helping orphaned children believe they have value for the first time in their lives. Holistic efforts that are meeting both physical needs and planting seeds of hope for people who desperately need it.

Flynn shared how the government of this country seems unable or unwilling to take up the cause of their people. If help is to be received, he noted, it is left to humanitarian organizations, missionaries, and lay volunteers who refuse to look the other way, to answer the cries of the South Sudanese.

Said Flynn, “Following the visit of Pope Francis, and while the images of him driving through the capital are still fresh in our memory, it’s important we raise awareness of the forgotten souls of South Sudan, and the horrific reality they have to face every single day.”

If you are compelled to help the work of Sudan Relief Fund through donation, go here.

You can also join the Sudan prayer list by going here.