Emergency Surgery Saves Mother and Baby

June 22, 2022

“Thank you for saving our lives”

Marsila was excited to find out she was going to become a mother. At 20 years old she was carrying her first child, who would be a baby boy named Almushaki.

While becoming a mother should be an exciting time, it’s also a dangerous prospect for women of South Sudan, where most pregnant women receive no prenatal care. The majority of women still endure childbirth outside of medical facilities, making South Sudan one of the most dangerous places to have a baby, and ranking its mother-infant mortality rate among the highest in the world.

During the early months of her pregnancy, Marsila suffered from a lot of morning sickness and dizziness, and she found it difficult to eat. But eventually those problems disappeared as she progressed in her.

All continued to be well until it was time for Marsila to deliver. Progress was very slow and something seemed wrong. She struggled in labor for two full days, vomiting excessively throughout the process and growing extremely weak. Marsila was taken to a health clinic who referred her to Mother of Mercy Hospital.

Mother of Mercy is the only facility of its kind for hundreds of miles, treating people who come from many hours or days away to find help.

Missionary doctor and medical director, Tom Catena, has served for years as the hospital’s only surgeon, committed to helping people who have no access to needed treatment anywhere else.

By the time Marsila arrived, she was nearly unconscious. She was quickly diagnosed with a narrow pelvis that was preventing the baby’s head from crowning. An immediate emergency C-section was ordered to save them both.

Marsila was put on oxygen and ushered into surgery. The operation was successful and her baby boy was delivered by Caesarean section. Due to the extended period of stalled labor that totaled nearly three days, Baby Almushaki was placed on oxygen for several hours, but soon was able to breathe on his own.

Now mother and baby are healthy and safe. Marsila expressed her gratitude for “the people who keep this hospital open and help the needy like me and my baby.” She said, “If it were not for this hospital, we would both be dead now. Thank you for saving our lives.”

These stories are made possible by your support of Sudan Relief Fund. Thank you for partnering with us to save lives.

Would you like to pray for this work? Sign up for our email prayer group. You’ll receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. Join a faith community around the globe praying to bring hope and help to suffering people in a forgotten part of the world. Click here to find out more.

The Silent Epidemic in South Sudan

June 17, 2022

One boy’s snapshot illustrates the plague of
trauma-induced mental illness no one is talking about

As told by missionary nurse and Sudan Relief Fund partner, Noeleen Loughran:

“Michael is a 24-year-old boy from the town of Yirol. He came to Rumbek at the height of the war in 2013. At that time, he was only 15 years old. Fighting had broken out, as rebels from the nearby cattle camp came to raid the town. His mother, two sisters, and a younger brother all scattered and ran through a hail of gunfire which lasted for four days. He never saw them again. And he never returned to the town. 

Michael walked for three days straight, eventually reaching Rumbek. Over time, he forgot where he had come from. He even forgot his own name. It wasn’t until two years ago that his uncle from Yirol recognized him as he was visiting. 

Michael is a mild mannered and gentle boy with a beautiful smile, but he rarely speaks. On occasion he reaches high levels of overactive behavior, which leads many locals to fear him. But eventually he will return to his current state of silence. He unloads trucks to earn money to eat, and sleeps in a doorway to rest. 

You will often see Michael under a tree at our local church. It was not until recently that I realized he was praying with his Rosary Beads. He always smiles when he sees me, but currently, as seen in this photo, he has returned to a state of silence. A local tradesman remembered him coming to Rumbek as a young boy, and narrated his story to me. 

Trauma victims like Michael often withdraw into a place of silent isolation to escape their pain.

Michael is one of many, many young men in this town suffering from severe mental trauma as a result of the war. There is no medical help of any kind for people such as him or any of the others. Victims live in a daze, going from day to day, wandering around with a black glaze in their eyes. 

While Michael is clothed, many of those in need of great help refuse to wear any clothing. In one such case a few months ago, we did manage to start a young man on medication which resulted in great improvement – so much so that he inquired four weeks after treatment why he had no clothes on. Unfortunately, he moved on and now we no longer know his whereabouts.”

Hope on the Horizon

Sudan Relief Fund is taking steps to address mental illness and support developing programs that minister to trauma victims. With your help we funded the construction of a church and community building to provide spiritual and social healing for boys who escaped the horrors of conscription as child soldiers. Together we expanded the Blue Sisters’ Women’s Center, where female victims of violence can live in a supportive and peaceful environment while recovering from traumatic experiences.

In Juba, Father Federico of St. Clare’s Home for Children opened a new Pastoral Center and has begun teaching courses in Trauma Awareness. These courses have been enthusiastically received by the community, and already people are asking for more. It’s just a start. But treating this problem on a wide scale begins with small steps in the right direction.

Would you like to support Sudan Relief Fund’s work to address victims of trauma?

Flood Food Relief

May 23, 2022

Food Shipments Send Lifeline to Victims Devastated by Record-Setting Floods

With the help of our supporters, we were able to deliver lifesaving food shipments to thousands of desperate families displaced by the country’s worst flooding disaster in sixty years.

Internally displaced people in the region of Malakal were some of the hardest hit by the massive natural disaster, which destroyed vast expanses of croplands and killed hundreds of thousands of livestock, leaving its victims with nothing.

Fred Otieno, Program Coordinator and one of our partners on the ground, helped oversee food distribution channels. “I am in Malakal Diocese to witness the third distribution of food items to the people affected by the floods,” he reported. “It’s encouraging that the Diocese procured 2,200 bags, 100 kilograms each (approximately 220 pounds per bag). The happiness of the people receiving the food is awesome!”

Other expressions of gratitude for the lifesaving intervention came from the Bishop of the Malakal Diocese, Reverend Stephen Nyodho.

“I am humbled for the support the Diocese received from Sudan Relief Fund toward the people affected by the floods. Please accept my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation on my behalf and on behalf of the Catholic Diocese of Malakal. The support from Sudan Relief Fund has made a positive impact in the lives of the marginalized.”

Bishop Stephen continued to share how the support received from Sudan Relief Fund enabled the Diocese to provide food to more than 5,000 families devastated by the flood’s aftermath, which left them homeless and with no hope of finding food in the flooded regions. Victims trudged many miles to seek dry land and were reported to be eating leaves to stave off starvation.

“I am happy to convey this message of good will,” Bishop Stephen said. “A message of hope to Sudan Relief Fund and the benefactors supporting them, that the flood victims within the Diocese received. We will continue to offer (prayers) in all the parishes within the Diocese, so the good Lord may continue to bless and reward Sudan Relief Fund and the donors supporting them.”

I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. -Matthew 25:35.

These stories of lives saved are made possible by your support. Thank you for partnering with us to save flood victims and many others through your gifts of compassion.

Would you like to pray for this work? Sign up for our email prayer group. You’ll receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. Join a faith community around the globe praying to bring hope and help to suffering people in a forgotten part of the world. Click here to find out more.

New Bishop, Special Visitors, Highlight Month of March at Loreto Rumbek Schools

May 9, 2022

March saw many visitors and lots of activity at the Loreto Rumbek Schools. The highly anticipated ordination of Rumbek’s new bishop, Christian Carlassare, took place amid much ceremony in the city on March 25th. The event was attended by visitors and dignitaries as far away as Italy, in addition to a large contingent from all around South Sudan. He is the first bishop to be officially appointed to the area in more than ten years. Bishop Carlassare spoke to attendees with a message of forgiveness, trust, and new beginnings.

The school received the Irish Ambassador to South Sudan, Nicola Brennan, in early March. She and her aide, John Callaghan, toured the school compound and had the opportunity to see firsthand much of the work being done. School Principal, Sister Orla Treacy, has previously received honors by Irish dignitaries for her service to the school and local community.

In addition to the Irish Ambassador, members of the Mennonite Central Committee paid a visit in March. They met with students of the Peace Club and other individuals to see how their activities and efforts are being carried out at the school.

What more can be done to help students be successful? That’s a question leaders of Loreto Rumbek Schools consider continuously. In March, a feasibility study was done to assess a potential plan for a new educational center onsite for graduates. The purpose would be additional skills training to enhance job opportunities and promote graduates’ ability to become self-sustaining in their occupations.

One such successful graduate is alumna, Sophia Piath Martin. Hailing from the Class of 2015, Sophia went on to achieve the unusual occupation for a woman as a plumber for the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Rumbek. “Everything begins with education and skill-building,” she says. “Women and men have the same abilities, it is just that boys traditionally have more access to education as well as employment opportunities.”

Loreto Rumbek School for Girls is pioneering ways to shape successful futures for young women in this nation. Read Sophia’s story here.

A Cry in the Night

May 5, 2022

As told by missionary nurse, Noeleen Loughran, our partner on the ground in Rumbek.

Just around Christmas time, as I was sitting outside the Parish House as usual here at night, I found myself listening to the sound of a baby’s cry.  It was a lingering cry, and it stood out from the usual cries one hears from babies in the distance.  It bothered me, but being late at night there wasn’t much I could do.  The following night, the cry pierced my head again, and so on and so on every night.  I knew it was the same baby’s cry. 

Every night I complained to the church Fathers, “Where is that child crying from?”  Everywhere I went I could hear the cry.  It began tormenting me with frustration as to where the child was and how I couldn’t do something.  We made inquiries to no avail – no one knew the whereabouts of the child.  I felt like I was the only one who could hear the painful sound, and no one else seemed overly concerned, as it is quite regular to hear children crying here.  There were times I felt God was purposely making me hear it more than anyone else.

In my frustration one night, I could stand it no longer and I got out of bed just after midnight.  I awoke the guard at the gate and told him to open the gate. Against his advice, I proceeded with a flashlight toward the sound, knowing very well I could get bitten by the snakes that come out at night. But with trust in God I proceeded.  I knew a girl in this area called Lucky, and I woke her up to ask her if she knew where the child was.  She knew. At last I had found her.

Under the stars lay a young woman with a tearful baby wrapped in her arms – a very frail young lady. Beside her lay two more children sleeping, and beside them lay an elderly woman with her legs tied together and her arms tied together, chained to a pole.  They had no shelter of any kind, no blanket, and only a piece of plastic over four sticks to cover their heads. 

The old lady gave me a beautiful smile. I later learned that she was an elder in the church from the town of Yirol, some 3 hour’s journey by car, and they had walked to Rumbek looking for medical help.  Due to the war, the elderly lady had – as many do here – temporarily lost her sanity from the trauma, and was tied up for her own safety. 

The baby was so hungry and the mother could not produce enough milk to feed her.  Being late, both Lucky and I ran back to the parish house, and gathered up anything I could find in terms of food. We ran back to them with a few slices of bread, a box of porridge, and a half of a yogurt for the baby.  That would see them through until morning, I thought.

The next day I bought everything they needed in terms of food, and powdered baby milk for six months.  Now there was the issue of what to do for the elderly lady.  At that time, I had a doctor come from Uganda to work with trauma victims for one week, who was a psychiatrist and medical doctor.  When he came with me to see the woman, he wept. He said it was so sad to see the pain in her eyes, and yet a little help can change all that. And yet a little help can change all that. We bought her some needed medicine for her trauma, and now she sits comfortably smiling, no longer needing to be tied up or of any danger to herself.  I have not yet found somewhere for them to live, but I am working on it.

There is no longer the cry of a baby each night. I have comfort and peace now in my heart knowing she is ok.  What I have learned in this experience is that God makes us hear things that others may not hear. He makes us feel things others may not feel. And he gives us the strength and courage to do something about it.  We sometimes think God is far away and that we can’t hear him. But in truth, his voice comes to us in many ways, and we can see him in the places we least expect.  The infant – a little girl – did not have a name. And as she was born at Christmas, we have called her “Iosa,” the Irish name for Jesus.

-Blessings, Noeleen

Your support makes these life changing stories possible. Would you like to pray for this work? Sign up for our email prayer group. You’ll receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. Join a faith community around the globe praying to bring hope and help to suffering people in this forgotten part of the world. Click here to find out more.

Pope Francis Set to Visit South Sudan in July

March 25, 2022

In a historic move, Pope Francis announced plans to visit South Sudan in a joint trip to include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from July 2-7 of this year.

Other dignitaries expected to accompany the Pope include Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the moderator of the Church of Scotland, Jim Wallace.

Pope Francis will begin his visit in the Congolese cities of Kinshasa and Goma July 2-5, then on to South Sudan’s capital city of Juba, July 5-7.

It will be the first visit by a pope to the nation of South Sudan since the country declared its sovereignty in 2011. The trip is made “at the invitation of the respective heads of state and bishops,” according to the press office of the Holy See.

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign minister, traveled to Juba in December in anticipation of such a trip, and confirmed the Pope’s intentions to visit South Sudan in the near future.

The Pope has shown great interest in promoting peace within South Sudan, a nation that is 37% Catholic with over 4 million followers. In 2019, Pope Francis met with the country’s president and rebel leadership at the Vatican, urging a resolution to prevent civil war and secure a stable peace.

Bishop Calls for Continued Faith to be Ambassadors of Peace

March 21, 2022

Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of the Tombura Yambio Diocese in South Sudan, urged his people last month to stand firm in their faith and pursue peace always, as a foundation to achieve a successful path forward individually and as a nation.

“Our diocese is also known as a region of peace,” said the bishop. “We have conflicts, but the good news is that people turn to God and urge him to take control and address their problems. We leave all difficulties in God’s hands.”

Bishop Kussala reminded that it isn’t sufficient to call oneself a follower of God, but people must change their hearts and minds to act accordingly. “It is not enough to call ourselves Christians or disciples of God or children of God. We must work within ourselves, within our hearts.” He continued, “Only if we continue to act as believers will we be able to solve our problems.”

The bishop expressed his gratitude to God for progress in his diocese. “The Church is moving forward,” he said. “We are grateful to God who, despite the countless challenges in the country, gives us the strength to resist.”

He noted there is a strong interest in religious life among the youth in his diocese, and an increase in the number of young people who want to pursue a vocation in the Church, calling it “a very large and fertile ground.”

Bishop Kussala reiterated how his people’s strength must always derive from faith. “Our true pride and strength is faith,” he shared. “My diocese is a diocese of faith, a people who identify with God, and this gives us the motivation to continue on this path.”

Bishop Kussala is well known for his commitment to pursuing peace talks and campaigning for peace among his nation’s people, tribes, youth, and heads of state. He exhorted, “We must never stop being ambassadors of peace.”

Baby Grace

March 7, 2022

Sudan Relief Fund is dedicated to changing lives, relieving suffering, and bringing hope to struggling people.

Baby Grace is an 18 month-old living in the Leper Colony of Maloh. Her father died before she was born, and her mother died when she was six months old. After that, Baby Grace’s aunt, who is herself stricken with leprosy, was trying to take care of her.

But to say there was little food was generous. Adults in the community were eating leaves to avoid starvation. The complete lack of medical help meant the onslaught of disease in her family would continue until the inevitable happened. The future held nothing hopeful for this baby girl.

That was before our partner and missionary nurse, Noeleen Loughran, found this community and Sudan Relief Fund stepped in to help. Today there is clean water, new housing, new clothing, and sufficient food. There are crops growing in the fields. And most importantly, a new health clinic onsite where people can get treatment for this curable disease. And Baby Grace can look forward to a life marked with hope instead of tragedy.

Baby Grace is one of the many here who have been saved by the intervention of Sudan Relief Fund. Says Noeleen, “Baby Grace is now supported through food and healthcare and continues to grow, thanks to all of our donors.”

Noeleen continued, “Baby Grace always shows her great love for me with hugs and smiles. I am greeted every day by gestures of love from Grace, as well as by the many children of this colony.”

Thank you for helping transform lives like that of Baby Grace and countless others. Your support is what makes stories of lives saved like this possible.

Baby Grace’s aunt now receives treatment for her leprosy.

Would you like to pray for this work? Sign up for our email prayer group. You’ll receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. Join a faith community around the globe praying to bring hope and help to suffering people in a forgotten part of the world. Click here to find out more.

Sudan Relief Fund Announces Changes to Our Team

February 18, 2022

Sudan Relief Fund would like to take this opportunity to express our deep appreciation to Brendan Gotta, who has served with us for the past two and a half years as Director of Stewardship. During his time with our organization, Brendan has been an integral part of our team, meeting with donors and sharing the plight of the people of Sudan and South Sudan to bring help and hope into their lives. We are grateful for his dedication, commitment, and the time he spent striving to pursue our mission.

We extend our best wishes to Brendan as he enters a new chapter, looks forward to getting married, and transitions from our organization to pursue new and different opportunities to serve God’s people. We are confident Brendan will continue to bless lives in his career path.

We’re pleased to introduce you to Matt Smith, who will serve as Vice President of Development for Sudan Relief Fund. Matt is well acquainted with Sudan Relief Fund, having spent years as a fundraising consultant for many non-profit organizations. Matt will serve as an advocate for the vision and mission of Sudan Relief Fund, overseeing fundraising strategy, and working closely with leadership to cultivate domestic and international partnerships.

Matt has chosen to spend his entire professional career in the non-profit sector out of a strong desire to use his gifts to “help the least of these.” We welcome the talent and commitment he will bring to our organization.

Please reach out to Matt Smith at msmith@sudanreliefund.com, for questions regarding your donations or ways to support the work of Sudan Relief Fund. Thank you for partnering with us to save lives in South Sudan.