Healthcare, Education, Water and Food Initiatives Mark Progress Made in Past Year with Support
The past twelve months at the Loreto-Rumbek campus have seen unprecedented challenges with COVID-19 affecting the complex and inter-related way the world operates. Yet Sister Orla Treacy, Irish missionary and Principal of the Loreto-Rumbek schools, gratefully recapped many steps forward that were achieved in spite of the uncharted circumstances.
Healthcare
Earlier this year the government asked the healthcare clinic which operates onsite at the Loreto-Rumbek campus to remain open during COVID, to help serve the swelling needs of the surrounding community. Shutdowns had affected nearly all other healthcare services in the area, and the clinic on the school compound became the sole source of help for thousands of people.
Sister Orla recounted how the clinic typically addressed 1,500 new COVID cases a month at the outset of the pandemic. Now that figure has more than tripled, as they have expanded capabilities to treat 5,000 cases every month from patients coming to their facility for help. “We have been able to expand our healthcare and a greater number of people are able to receive needed medicines because of your support,” she reported.
Clean Water
With help from donors, three different clean water access points were provided to the local communities. Sister Orla noted how women and girls are spending less time and walking shorter distances to obtain clean water, since it is now available in or near their villages. She added that hygiene conditions are also greatly improving as people in the communities have access to clean water.
Education
Sister Orla shared how the campus was able to provide shelter and education for 300 girls this year from all over the country. She said the girls feel secure and happy living here and thrive in their environment at the secondary school. The school continues to make great strides in providing education to girls in a nation where secondary school is not traditionally viewed as necessary for young women, as well as to protect them from the perils of early marriage. The school also sustained a live-in population of students and staff during the pandemic lockdowns.
Food Security
Because of ongoing support, food assistance was provided to many vulnerable families in the community. “A lot of them can’t come in to the compound to receive food help (because of COVID restrictions), but many of our graduates were able to reach out and deliver food to help the families in need,” explained Sister Orla, demonstrating a rewarding example of young adults giving back to the community.
“None of this would have been possible without the ongoing support we receive from the Sudan Relief Fund,” Sister Orla stressed. She urged supporters to share with others the good news of what’s being done in this corner of South Sudan, with the collective help of individuals who are making a difference from thousands of miles away.
Bishop Kussala Calls for Unity as Remijio Is Appointed New Bishop of Wau
Bishop Eduardo Kussala of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura Yambio, attended the recent ceremony of the newly appointed bishop in Wau, Reverend Matthew Remijio. The celebration took place in the Wau Diocese, which reaches a population of some 3.7 million people, of which 75% are Christian, with 22 parishes and 29 clergy. The arrival of Bishop Remijio brings to an end a ten-year period of the Diocese having no bishop.
A delegation of church dignitaries, sisters, and hundreds of lay people among others, attended the event. A large caravan carrying many of the local governmental and church dignitaries was flanked by hundreds of people cheering and singing hymns as they followed the procession, despite the dusty conditions and extreme heat.
A native of Wau, the newly appointed Bishop Remijio was originally ordained a Comboni priest in 2004, of the Comboni Missionaries of the Love of Jesus, and served as such until his appointment as bishop.
Bishop Eduardo took the opportunity at the expansive gathering to urge local people to turn from divisions and tribal dissension, and to embrace forgiveness and unity moving forward.
“Forgive the past, open a new page with this new bishop; build new ways in your relationships so that all of you would celebrate the joy that God has brought to you,” he said. Adding, “You have a gift now, make use of it, celebrate it; work together to reclaim the glory of the Catholic Diocese of Wau.”
As part of the rebuilding of the Wau Diocese, renovations have been underway on the church building and surrounding structures that have fallen into disrepair, to improve the offices, the kitchen and dining areas, and the priest’s half-completed residence. Construction is also taking place on a new boarding school in Rimenze. Sudan Relief Fund donated a Land Cruiser vehicle so that the school and Diocese could have a reliable source of transportation to serve the many needs of those in their area.
At the consecration ceremony, Bishop Kussala expressed gratitude for the arrival of the new bishop. He further gave thanks for Pope Francis for “being so keen about the needs of his children” there, and reiterated the Pope’s “desire for a peaceful and prosperous South Sudan.”
To read more, click here: https://rurugene.com/bishop-hiiboro-urges-people-of-wau-to-put-their-differences-aside-and-work-closely-with-their-new-shepherd-bishop-remijio
Mamma
As told by Noeleen Loughran, missionary nurse and partner on the ground in South Sudan.…
Mary Adout is about 95 years old. She has leprosy, is blind, and cannot walk. When I first met Mary, it was a harrowing sight. It was a wet and rainy day in the leper colony of Malo, South Sudan, and to my horror, I found her crawling in the mud, unable to see where she was going. She was wearing little to no clothes, was covered in mud, and was shivering.
We came to know that Mary has no children and therefore has no one to look after her. I cannot imagine how she had managed until we found her. We took her to the nearby town of Rumbek, as it was obvious she was sick as she was crying and in pain. Unable to hold herself up in the car on the journey, she rested in my arms.
We proceeded to the Health Care Clinic and were told she had typhoid, malaria, brucellosis and stomach ulcers. She would be treated there for 14 days on strong IV medication. We got her some clothes, a blanket, hot food three times a day, and plenty of juice to give her strength. It was apparent after some time by the wonderful smile on her face that she had never received the comforts of good food and a warm bed before. She began to refer to me as her “daughter” and from there our friendship took off and remains to this day.
Mary is a strong Christian and has a very quiet but cheerful personality. Her smile is empowering. After Mary became well again, with great thought, I realized it would never be possible for her to return to the colony with no one to look after her. So with great appreciation for the Missionaries of Charity here in Rumbek, she now lives with them. Many of the workers recognized Mary when she arrived, and she had lots of stories and conversation for them. She seems so happy and content compared to the lady I first met. I am content now, too, knowing she will be cared for and loved in the Sisters’ home and will bring joy to many as she has done to me.
The Missionaries of Charity do wonderful work here to save the lives of the very desperate, weak, and dying. We are very lucky to have them here and commend their Godly love for those in deep need.
Preemie Twins Saved at Birth
The life of a pregnant woman in South Sudan can be challenging. Lack of access to healthcare or even hospitals within many hours’ drive can make any complication turn deadly for both mother and child. An insufficient diet, lack of clean water sources, and strenuous work conditions can exacerbate the problem. But the dedicated staff at Mother of Mercy Hospital – the only referral hospital in the entire Nuba Mountains region of South Sudan, supported by the Sudan Relief Fund – is making tremendous progress to improve these circumstances for women and infants.
One example is the young woman named Nawal who was expecting twins. She was working at home carrying stones for a construction project when she was eight months pregnant. While working, she was suddenly stricken with sharp pains – so severely that she was immediately rushed to the Mother of Mercy Hospital. She discovered she was going into early labor and would deliver imminently.
In less than 12 hours, Nawal’s twin babies arrived prematurely. At a combined weight of only 5 and a half pounds (2.6 and 2.8 pounds each), the twins were in need of lifesaving neonatal care. They were unable to breastfeed, so the nurses instructed Nawal in how to bottle feed the tiny babies.
Under constant supervision at Mother of Mercy Hospital, the twins began to take a turn for the better. After five days, they were strong enough to breastfeed on their own, and six days later they weighed in at 2.8 and 3 pounds respectively, showing encouraging signs of progress.
Neonatal care for premature babies is critical. Without immediate hospitalization and medical intervention, most of these tiny babies will not survive. To have this specialized critical care available for neonatal emergencies in such a remote area is an unheard of blessing in South Sudan. Pictured here at eleven days old with a mother full of smiles, both the hospital staff and Nawal are confident the twins are thriving and on course to grow into healthy, normal children.
Nawal is overjoyed, wishing to thank Mother of Mercy Hospital and those who help to keep it running. She knows very well, “Without this hospital and their donors, my twins would have perished at birth.”
Triumphs Mark 10-Year Anniversary of Independence of South Sudan
As the world’s newest nation celebrates the tenth anniversary of its independence, we gratefully reflect on the tremendous accomplishments forged in the midst of overwhelmingly difficult conditions, to bring aid and relief to the people of South Sudan. These successes were made possible by people like you – the donors and supporters of the Sudan Relief Fund. Your faithful contributions enabled great progress despite ongoing challenges.
With your partnership, we provided clean water and agricultural initiatives to communities in South Sudan. We delivered malaria prevention to children and families. We built and supported hospitals and health clinics, bringing direly needed medical treatment to thousands of people. Essential services like surgeries and urgent care, maternity wellness and neonatal care. Much needed medicines, including COVID response. We supported eyecare clinics that brought sight to people for the first time in years. We operated trauma centers to rehabilitate women and girls who’ve witnessed the horrors of war.
With our donors’ help, we’ve built and supported schools, working to give the children of South Sudan an education for a hopeful future, including daily meals and healthcare services that are provided at these facilities. The schools are also protecting young girls from the entrapments of childhood marriage, opening their world to education to equip them for brighter futures.
Your gifts sent vital resources to orphanages, keeping children alive who have nowhere else to go. Your donations have given orphaned children a home, food, clean water, clothing, security, healthcare, a chance to go to school, and the opportunity to feel loved. Consider how much that changes even one child’s life, let alone the many who live in orphanages supported by Sudan Relief Fund. Your gifts touched the lives of displaced families languishing in refugee camps, and are bringing lifechanging treatment to victims of terrible illnesses like leprosy. Your gifts are sharing God’s love with desperate people.
As we look ahead, we know there remains much work to do to help South Sudan secure a viable future. But the light of hope continues to shine in this struggling land with every life that is changed. THANK YOU for making every step forward possible.
I would like to help continue the lifesaving work being done in South Sudan!
UN Organizations Gain Access to Previously Unreachable Regions in Sudan Due to Ongoing Conflict for First Time in Ten Years
A cooperative of UN humanitarian and charitable organizations have been able to reach marginalized people and communities in remote parts of Sudan for the first time in ten years – areas previously inaccessible for much needed humanitarian aid due to the ongoing conflict and instability that has plagued the region.
The team of UN organizations recently reported they were able to reach the Nuba Mountains, an area running near the southern border of Sudan and the northern border of South Sudan, a disputed territory between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, where a greater concentration of the strife has raged since 2011.
Agencies that have been able to enter the area during the past six weeks included the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Program (WFP), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
“For the first time in ten years, United Nations humanitarian agencies have been able to access conflict-affected communities in the five non-governmental areas controlled by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), El Hilu in South Kordofan and Blue Niles states of Sudan,” a joint statement by UN agencies UNICEF and WFP said.
The six-week campaign to bring long awaited relief to these areas cutoff from assistance has just concluded its first wave, during the same time as ongoing negotiations and peace talks continue to take place in the South Sudanese capitol city of Juba, between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North.
The findings of the agencies indicate some 800,000 people living in areas devoid of support and under SPLM-N control since 2011, are in “dire need” of improved food security, education, health, water, and sanitation services. The mission calls for increased access to the five disputed regions where people “have been struggling and surviving on little to nothing” for a decade, and emphasized that vital ongoing humanitarian access to these vulnerable communities is critical to saving and rebuilding lives.
“With improved food security and other opportunities, families will be able to reintegrate with the rest of Sudan and start to recover and rebuild,” Eddie Rowe, United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director in Sudan, was quoted as saying.
That humanitarian agencies have been able to reenter the area is deemed a considerable breakthrough at this time and a positive step forward. Approximately 100 metric tons of nutritious biscuits for 25,000 school children in 83 schools were successfully delivered throughout five mission campaigns, according to the UN statement. Food scarcity is an ongoing problem for students in Sudan and South Sudan, and one of the primary challenges to maintaining school enrollment in isolated areas, making the provision of school meals a top priority for humanitarian response.
Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in Sudan, stressed that “No conditions should ever be set on access; humanitarian assistance should be provided at all times and from all places to those that need it.” He continued, “Findings from this mission are bleak. These children have been entirely ‘left behind’. We have to act now to ensure these children have a future.”
Read more on this story here: https://allafrica.com/stories/202106140711.html
Children Fill Up Classrooms Again as Teaching Resumes at Loreto Primary School Following COVID Shutdowns
Following a year-long lockdown due to COVID-19, students of the primary school at Loreto-Rumbek are filling up classes once again. Over 600 boys and girls in grades 1 through 8 returned in May to the primary school, where they are resuming their studies in Dinka (the local language), English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Christian Religious Education (CRE).
As part of ensuring their wellness and ability to learn, each student at Loreto Primary School receives one nutritious meal per day and free medical treatment for basic ailments. The students can also avail themselves of afterschool programs in a number of offerings, including extra support in literacy and math as needed.
The primary school serves as an important pipeline where girls can continue on to secondary level education at the Loreto campus, combating traditional restrictions of early childhood marriage that keep many young girls out of higher education.
Since 2006, Sister Orla Treacy has partnered with the Sudan Relief Fund when she founded the first girl’s boarding school in South Sudan. Born in Bray, Ireland, and a member of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (known as The Loreto Sisters), Sr. Orla currently serves as Principal of the Loreto Rumbek Primary and Secondary Schools. The faculty and staff are grateful for the vital support received from Sudan Relief Fund which helped them meet critical challenges during the COVID crisis.
Relief Funds and Supplies are Transforming Lives In the Leper Colony of Malo, South Sudan
Over 500 people comprising a modern-day leper colony who’ve suffered from the terrible illness for years are now receiving help, thanks to supporters of Sudan Relief Fund and efforts on the ground by missionary nurse, Noeleen Loughran.
It’s hard to say whether the joy of receiving desperately needed supplies, or the joy from being offered hope for the first time in years, brought the smiling faces to these people of Malo, South Sudan. But their smiles were radiant and unmistakable nonetheless.
“Today we gave two goats, 50 kilograms of maize, 50 kilograms of beans, salt, oil, sugar, and tea” to the villagers of the Malo leper colony, said Nurse Noeleen. “The people were overwhelmed with happiness.”
Residents were also overjoyed to receive 190 pairs of new shoes – not just a luxury but a necessity for sufferers of leprosy. Since the disease causes numbness in the extremities, victims cannot feel if there is an injury to their toes or feet. If a cut or a burn occurs, the sufferer won’t be aware. Without proper foot balance, some victims are unable to walk. Protective shoes not only guard from potential injuries but also help some sufferers to walk once again.
Medical treatment to cure the leprosy will also be a part of the recovery process that is bringing new hope and new life to these people. Cast aside until now, Noeleen remarked with gratitude, “At last they are being treated as they always should have been.”
Nurse Noeleen has been instrumental in bringing together groups and coordinating resources to provide relief to the men, women, and children of this community who were found in destitute condition. One partner group includes the Jesuits pictured here with the tractor they brought to help jumpstart an agricultural project.
Special thanks is expressed to the donors and supporters of Sudan Relief Fund who responded to the appeal for help. Your gifts are making this transformation possible in the lives of hundreds of people previously held captive by the devastating effects of this curable disease.
Mary Abdallah
While many of us take transportation opportunities for granted, getting from here to there in South Sudan can be overwhelming, if not altogether impossible at times. Automobile ownership is virtually nonexistent, fuel is costly, and modes of transport are further inhibited by impassable roads during the rainy season. Most travel is by foot or farm animal.
So when 37 year-old Mary Abdallah took off on a 4-hour walk to the neighboring village of Gardud with her young daughter, Rehab, while carrying her sixth month-old baby boy, Kumi, she was grateful to receive the offer from a tractor driver heading in her direction. Even if it meant they would have to stop here and there along the way to pick up and unload.
On a typical day, Mary Abdallah is busy being the mother of nine children, living with her family in the village of Al-Hamam, an 8-hour walk from the Mother of Mercy Hospital which is located in the Nuba Mountains of South Sudan. When she left on her walk that day, she couldn’t have known how vital that facility would be to her and her family.
Mary climbed onto the already overloaded trailer and settled in with Rehab and Baby Kumi. Two hours passed when suddenly the trailer overturned without warning, injuring all seven of the passengers. Mary and her children were alive but in need of emergency care. Providentially, the accident occurred near a police checkpoint, and police immediately sent out a motorbike to find any means of transportation to get the wounded to a hospital.
A tuk-tuk – a three-wheeled motorized vehicle often used as a small taxi – was commandeered to take Mary and her two children to the hospital in Luwere, the nearest medical facility, but they were sent on to Mother of Mercy Hospital to treat their greater needs. Mary had sustained a head wound and broken her arm; her daughter, Rehab, was suffering from internal bleeding. Miraculously, the baby was bruised but not seriously injured.
At Mother of Mercy Hospital, Mary received sutures for her head wound, and a cast for her fractured arm. Young Rehab was sent into surgery and underwent a laparotomy for internal bleeding. Incredibly, the family came out on the other side of the life threatening ordeal well, and are now on the road to recovery. Overturned farm vehicles can so often result in crippling injuries and fatalities. Fortunately Mary, Rehab, and Kumi were able to make it to a facility that was equipped to handle their urgent care.
“We were so close to death, I and my two children,” Mary expressed. “We were suffering, and without such medical and surgical care the Mother of Mercy Hospital provided, my daughter Rehab would have died from internal bleeding. I thank Dr. Tom and his team for saving our lives. I also thank those who help this hospital. God bless you.”