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.

2022 At Risk to Become Worst Food Insecurity Year in South Sudan

February 17, 2022

2021 became the worst food insecurity year for South Sudan since the budding nation’s ten-year independence. Devastating floods worsened already dismal economic and agricultural conditions that have plagued the country through years of civil unrest and lack of government aid.

Record-level flooding in 2021 – the worst in 60 years – killed livestock in the hundreds of thousands and buried farmlands and crops under several feet of water. Impassable roads impeded producers from bringing any available commodities to market and disrupted efforts by people to reach them.

Massive displacement of flood victims, now left homeless, have added to the mounting crisis and increasing food shortage.

“We’re eating leaves and look like skeletons,” one 60-year-old man told the AP. Displaced families in another district reported that ground-up water lilies were their only daily meal.

“No one’s looking out for the people,” said Byinj Erngst, who is the health minister in the Upper Nile state.

Preliminary reports by aid groups show nearly 8.5 million people of the country’s 12 million residents will face severe hunger this year, an 8% increase over last year’s already calamitous figure. Adding to the problem is the ongoing conflict between rebel militias and government forces in South Sudan’s southwestern region, known as the country’s breadbasket.

“If this country was really at peace, there wouldn’t be hunger like there is now,” said a 36-year-old mother from the hard hit Jonglei state, who waits for assistance at a hospital with her malnourished one-year-old daughter.

Her sentiments echo nationwide frustrations by citizens who have continually suffered the fallout of unresolved turmoil and breached peace agreements within the nation’s divided government. Meanwhile, health workers in northern Malakal report the number of malnourished children coming to their health center has more than doubled in the past twelve months.

In visits to three South Sudanese states in December, civilians and government officials shared their concerns to the AP that people are beginning to die of starvation. In the hardest hit area of Fangak County, aid representatives estimate some 30,000 people remain in a state of famine. Read more at AP News.

Children Return to St. Bakhita’s Orphanage Following Stay in Refugee Camp

February 10, 2022

Challenges continue for Sister Bianca Bii and the children of St. Bakhita’s Orphanage. But by the grace of God and goodness of supporters, they are faring with conditions and adjusting to circumstances as needed. Throughout their struggles, Sister Bianca has been stalwart and faithful to stay by the children’s side.

When rebel forces unexpectedly tore through Tombura Yambio in September, Sister Bianca and the children fled the orphanage grounds to a refugee camp that was spontaneously set up for displaced people escaping the violence. Sister Bianca has been caring for the children there ever since.

As the security situation became relatively calm, and the sheer number of refugees at the camp grew overwhelming, Sister Bianca recently made the decision to move the children back to the orphanage, where they are currently living. When they arrived, they found the structure intact, but rebels had vandalized some of the facilities, including the batteries and the clean water pump.

Sister Bianca and the children presently have about one month’s worth of food and supplies. These are stretched thin, as she is also caring for elderly men and women who were left behind during the initial turmoil and came to the orphanage for refuge. The orphanage’s volunteers and caretakers also scattered at the onset of the violence. Since then, Sister Bianca has single handedly taken care of all the children along with the elderly who came to her for help.

We are sending a food delivery to St. Bakhita’s this week by plane. But the children still lack clean water, and they don’t go to the river as it is too far and the trip too risky. Their other most pressing needs include additional food supplies, clothing for the children, and medicines for the children.

We are grateful for your ongoing prayers for Sister Bianca and all those in her care. Your support continues to be a crucial component in their well-being and cannot be underestimated. We thank you for standing by her side and standing with these children. It is accurate to say they would not be coming through these crises without you.

We will continue to share updates with you and news of their progress. Thank you again for being the hand of help reaching out to St. Bakhita’s Orphanage and the children whose lives you are blessing.

Sponsor the orphanage through monthly giving

I want to be a sponsor and support St. Bakhita’s Orphanage monthly.

Hanan

February 8, 2022

Nearly Comatose Young Woman Makes it to Medical Help Just in Time

Each person who helps support our work through donations, prayers, or volunteering on the ground is a hero in their own right. Just ask Hanan, a 20-year-old woman who wouldn’t be here to share her story without your support.

“Dr. Tom, plus his team and the generous donors who are behind the scenes, are our heroes,” she proclaimed, as Hanan recounted the story of the timely medical intervention that spared her young life.

Hanan is a high school student from Sarbule, who began to suffer from upper back pain a year ago. She visited clinics in the Kakuma Refugee Camp several times. Unfortunately, nothing helped and her pain continued to worsen.

Hanan’s older brother was able to take her on the long trip to Mother of Mercy Hospital. There, Hanan was seen by Dr. Tom and his staff. She was admitted immediately and underwent a series of tests. Hanan was suffering from such severe diabetes she had almost fallen into a coma. Diabetes mellitus, her diagnosis, can cause heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and coma. Without treatment it can become fatal.

Hanan began receiving a series of injections to reduce her high blood sugar. Now, Hanan is stable and looking forward to returning to school and her life as a young adult. “I am really happy,” she reports. “The back pain has been reduced greatly and I am generally much better.” She spoke of the heroes who are the medical team and supporters who make their work possible, as she expressed, “May God bless the work of your hands.”

Mother of Mercy Hospital in the remote Nuba Mountains is the only facility of its kind for many hours in each direction, serving a population of over a million people. Your help makes lives saved stories like this possible.

 

Would you like to pray for us? Lifting Up South Sudan is a group of people helping transform lives in South Sudan through the power of prayer. You’ll receive a new prayer request weekly by email. You’ll be part of a vital team praying to bring light and hope to this despondent part of the world. To learn more or sign up to receive prayer requests, go here.

Bishop Kussala Urges Conversion and Dialog as Path To Peace in Wake of Sudan Military Takeover

January 12, 2022

Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura Yambio in South Sudan, Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, issued a message urging reconciliation and avoidance of human rights violations, in the wake of aggression by military forces who seized power in the northern nation of Sudan in October.

The nation of Sudan was approaching a deadline to turn their transitional government over to civilian rule when the military instead detained the interim prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, among numerous others, and claimed control under the leadership of military general, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. Since that time the country has remained under military command.

In his Solidarity Message of Hope and Courage to the people, Bishop Kussala said, “We have been saddened by the event which has befallen you during these last days, where armed confrontations with civilians have erupted in the Capital of Sudan, Khartoum. This is not good news for us, neither for you or any peace lover.”

The Interfaith Council for Peace Initiative reports that “scores of people” have been killed or injured, as civilians took to the streets to protest the violation of the peace agreement that kept Sudan a comparatively free country since the 2019 ousting of former president Omar Al-Bashir. Bashir’s presidency was marked with a history of brutality and disregard for human rights.

“Such heart-rending scenes of innocent lives dying in the streets wound the conscience of a nation,” said Bishop Kussala, who implored “let the Sudan sacred ground not be soaked once more in fraternal blood. The sadness of parents burying their children has to stop.”

Bishop Kussala, who himself was raised in displacement camps, has been a prominent voice campaigning for peace in the region for years. He stressed how the area’s humanitarian situation is already precarious with many people lacking basic supplies due to COVID complications, and to avoid exacerbating the difficulties with violence.

The bishop exhorted the people to pray and fast for reconciliation and conversion of hearts while the nation struggles with a sense of despair following the military coup. “This is a time for prayer. This is a time for fasting. This is a time for conversion for all in this country,” he said.

Bishop Kussala further called for a spirit of true and honest dialog as a path forward, and shared passages from the Qu’ran showing that its teachings also forbid aggressive warfare and admonish peace.

Nasra

January 11, 2022

Being a forty year-old mother of a large family is a busy job, and as any mother knows, there is no time to be sick. For Nasra, the trouble began when she was weeding the garden one day at her home in the town of Tajura, and accidentally pricked her hand on a sharp piece of wood. Nasra found a sliver embedded in her finger – most of which she was able to remove, but not quite all.

As the days passed, rather than healing, she began to experience increasing pain from the injured area. Nasra tried to treat her finger with a warm sponge, but neither the pain nor the swelling was reduced.

She sought help at a local health clinic, where they drained fluid from the affected finger, but instead of reducing her pain and swelling, Nasra’s symptoms continued to escalate. Soon she was overwhelmed with headaches and dizziness, in addition to the excruciating pain of her injury.

At that point Nasra was transported by motorbike to Mother of Mercy Hospital, where she was examined and immediately taken to the operating room to drain infectious fluid from her finger. Over two days’ time it was determined Nasra’s infection had progressed too far and a portion of the injured finger had to be removed to save her from further illness. Dr. Tom Catena, the medical director and sole surgeon at Mother of Mercy Hospital, performed the surgery.

Open wounds like Nasra’s can unfortunately allow hostile bacteria to enter the body, and if left unchecked can lead to sepsis, a type of blood poisoning, quickly turning fatal.

Following the surgery, Nasra reports she is feeling greatly improved and her pain has reduced considerably. She is thankful to be recovering from what could have been a life threatening scenario had she not come to Mother of Mercy Hospital for treatment.

“I am grateful to have been treated and I am much better,” Nasra shared. “God bless Dr. Tom and his colleagues, and all those who help the poor like us in the Nuba Mountains.”

 

Would you like to pray for us? Lifting Up South Sudan is a group of people helping transform lives in South Sudan through the power of prayer. You’ll receive a new prayer request weekly by email. You’ll be part of a vital team praying to bring light and hope to this despondent part of the world. To learn more or sign up to receive prayer requests, go here.