Answering the Cries of the Forgotten

February 13, 2023

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.

Pope Francis Admonishes Leaders to “Leave War Behind and Let a Time of Peace Dawn” in Historic Visit to South Sudan

February 6, 2023

Throngs of people from the nation of South Sudan came together to celebrate the long awaited arrival of Pope Francis, who visited the capital city of Juba February 3rd through 5th. Cheering crowds amid colorful murals lined the streets that were newly paved in honor of the occasion, waving flags and shouting jubilant greetings as the Holy See came to encourage the people of this war-torn and impoverished country.

The Pope wasted no time emphasizing his message of peace, urging leaders at the Presidential Palace on Friday that there be no more destruction, and to leave the time of war behind in order that a time of peace may dawn.

In his pointed message, Pope Francis boldly expressed that “History itself will remember you, if you work for the benefit of these people that you have been called to serve. Future generations will either venerate your name or cancel their memory based on what you do now.”

Directly addressing the president and vice president, Pope Francis admonished, “No more bloodshed, no more conflicts, no more violence and mutual recriminations about who is responsible for it, no more leaving your people athirst for peace.” He reminded the governing body the purpose of power is to serve the community and to place themselves at the service of others.

“They need fathers, not overlords; they need steady steps towards development, not constant collapses,” Pope Francis rebuked. He added his hope that the painful steps the young nation has endured would lead to “a peaceful maturity.”

The Pope’s visit was also purposed to bring hope and encouragement to the people of South Sudan, where approximately six million of the country’s ten million people are Catholic.

His tour included a visit to St. Teresa’s Cathedral in Juba on Saturday, where he greeted hundreds of women waving signs calling for hope and peace. A group of girls attending with Sister Orla Treacy, Principal of the Loreto School for Girls in Rumbek, were among those to receive the Pope’s message. The school is supported by Sudan Relief Fund, and serves as a pioneering institution helping girls become educated in a country still reluctant to permit them.

In a nation where, according to UNICEF, approximately 75 percent of girls don’t attend school, graduates from Loreto Secondary School going on to higher education are blazing a new path for women in the country.

“A 22 year-old girl going to university is like a taboo for many of the society…but it is changing and the young women are now coming with a vision for what they also want for their country,” Sister Orla said.

On the final day of what Pope Francis termed his “Pilgrimage of Peace,” the Holy See concluded with his strong message of reconciliation, calling for the laying down of weapons and forgiveness for one another.

Presiding over a Mass before an estimated crowd of 100,000 people at the nation’s monument for independence – a group which also contained the country’s leadership – he beseeched the people, “Even if our hearts bleed for the wrongs we have suffered, let us refuse, once and for all, to repay evil with evil. Let us accept one another and love one another with sincerity and generosity, as God loves us.”

A message echoing Pope Francis’ call for peace was posted by a group of students at Solidarity Teacher’s Training College, a Sudan Relief Fund supported facility, in honor of the historic event. Reflecting the innate hope the people continue to grasp for the future of their country, the students sang a song of unity with a simple, but profound message:

“We are one though we are many. From all tribes of South Sudan we come. We share a dream and sing with one voice: I am, you are, we are from South Sudan.”

South Sudan Reflects on its Catholic History As Nation Prepares for Pope’s Arrival

February 2, 2023

As South Sudan gears up for the anticipated visit of Pope Francis, the nation celebrates ties to its Catholic and Christian heritage, an identity safeguarded in its constitution preserving religious freedom in the newly sovereign nation.

Achieving independence from Sudan in 2011 after a bloody struggle that raged for years, the South Sudanese were liberated from the brutal reign of Omar al-Bashir – a dictator bent on waging genocide against all Christian and non-Muslim people within his country.

Over half the citizens of South Sudan consider themselves Christian, with a Catholic majority representing about 52% of that population. Christianity came to the region of Sudan as early as the sixth century, and experienced a significant revival in the 1800s through the ministry of Italian Comboni missionaries, who remain active in South Sudan today. 

South Sudan’s independence opened the door for the Church to freely operate throughout the country, and it continues to play a significant role – not only spiritually but also through service and human development. Church parishes have been on the frontlines in providing refugee aid during times of conflict or natural disaster. Christian and Catholic organizations operate hospitals, run schools and seminaries, and are an influential voice for peace in a nation that remains internally divided.

Throughout his tenure, Pope Francis has consistently demonstrated concern for the struggle of the South Sudanese people, and worked to encourage peace among its factions. Some of these appeals included holding a Prayer Vigil for South Sudan in St. Peter’s Basilica in 2017, and designating a special Day of Prayer in 2018 after canceling a trip due to security concerns.

In 2019, the Holy See hosted South Sudanese leaders at the Vatican, calling for peace between rival political parties. In 2021, Pope Francis, in conjunction with the Archbishop, wrote a joint message to the nation’s leaders urging heightened efforts to end internal violence for the sake of its conflict-weary people.

After Pope Francis was forced to postpone a visit last July for health issues, he released a video message urging the South Sudanese “not to be robbed of hope,” a message he will no doubt reinforce during his upcoming trip February 3-5.

Read more here. 

Pope’s Visit to Congo and South Sudan Reinstated for End of Month

January 23, 2023

The much anticipated visit by Pope Francis to the Congo and South Sudan is set to take place at the end of this month, according to the Vatican. 

The Holy See is slated to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo January 31 to February 3, after which he will spend two days in South Sudan’s capital city of Juba.

The pope had previously been expected to arrive the first week of July in 2022. That trip was postponed as Pope Francis was dealing with complications from knee problems.

The pope has long expressed a desire to travel to the predominantly Christian nation of South Sudan, but ongoing instability in the nation had complicated efforts. At a prayer service in St. Peter’s Square in December, Pope Francis called for the violent clashes to stop and requested prayers of reconciliation. He also appealed to the people to show respect for civilians.

While in South Sudan, the pope is expected to meet with internally displaced people and participate in a prayer service at Juba’s John Garang Mausoleum, where he will also celebrate Sunday Mass before leaving the country for his return to the Vatican.

Many in the region described the anticipated visit as “a dream come true.” Pope Francis expressed his hope to “awaken faith in those who do not have it, and strengthen the joy of those who do.” 

Read the full article.

School Continues Blazing Trails for Girls’ Education

January 16, 2023

Helping Women Lift Up their Country’s Future

See the complete story as reported by EWTN here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Aa-GCBsqhA

“In the future women will do great things,” is the founding motto of Loreto Secondary School for Girls – a school unique in South Sudan in its quest to overcome cultural ideas that girls don’t need education.

The school is also remarkable for its success in pioneering steps to turn the tide. Said Sister Orla Treacy who directs the Loreto Schools, “At first it was difficult to get any girls to come to the school. Today there are 400 girls fighting for 100 openings every year.

Loreto Sister Orla Treacy is principal of the Loreto Girls’ Secondary School in Rumbek, South Sudan. The school is run by the Institute for the Blessed Virgin Mary–the Loreto Sisters–of Ireland.

Against the Odds

Historically, only 30 percent of girls in this country attend primary school, and just a scant two to three percent of those go on to secondary school.

The stigma is deeply rooted in the tradition that daughters are exchanged for cows in marriage. Cows are wealth to South Sudanese families, needed not just for survival but also for brothers to exchange for brides. Asking an impoverished family to delay their daughter’s marriage for up to 8 years to attend high school and university is a significant sacrifice.

A girl studies in class at the Loreto Secondary School in Rumbek, South Sudan.

But Loreto’s girls are taking the lead in demonstrating to their families and nation it’s a worthwhile investment. Sister Orla tells how the first group of female graduates are now working, earning, and giving back to their families. And living the example to others that it’s worth the wait.

Their determination and progress despite incredible odds is highlighted in this news feature story by Colm Flynn of ETWN. Watch the compelling full story in this video.

Last month a representative from the Vatican visited Loreto Secondary School. The girls performed a traditional dance for their guest, and the head girl spoke for the occasion. Pope Francis’ representative, Msgr. Ionut Paul Strejac, encouraged the girls to continue their efforts to lead in their nation for the betterment of its future.

Two alumni who just completed their degrees in education returned last month to serve at Loreto Schools – a significant event in a nation that sorely needs more teachers, and an illustration of Loreto’s work coming full circle to bring back educated young adults, who then teach others and lift up their country.

Students work together on an experiment in the chemistry lab at the Loreto Secondary School in Rumbek, South Sudan.

Promoting Peace

The school is also a promoter of peace, bringing together students from all tribes and backgrounds. Here they learn to see themselves as one people with a unified bond as South Sudanese. The school’s Peace Club recently did an outreach at a local hospital, where they visited patients, served snacks, helped with cleaning the facility, and performed a peace presentation.

The primary school, a co-ed program, now has over 1300 students in attendance. Afternoon classes are provided for older students who couldn’t attend school earlier in their lives. Parents who never had the chance for education are now starting to attend the classes, too.

Go here to learn more about the transformative work of Loreto Schools.

Vicky Alison

December 27, 2022

Rescued From Her Deathbed

Courageous Little Girl Fights Back With Help

Little Vicky Alison had a rough start in life. The family was very poor, and her mother died when Vicky was just two years old. She was being raised by her grandmother when outreach personnel from a local organization identified Vicky as HIV positive.

The organization in Nzara partners with Sudan Relief Fund to provide medical and vocational assistance to children born into HIV, because they are often ostracized by their community and left with no means to survive.

Left Homeless By Fire

In early 2020, Vicky’s grandmother’s thatched grass hut caught fire. The flames completely destroyed the structure along with their few belongings. Even though Vicky’s father was alive, he refused to offer any help. Without the means to rebuild, Vicky and her grandmother slept under a tree every night, with Vicky’s other three siblings.

Sleeping outside in this region isn’t just a problem of weather exposure. Malaria is common. Poisonous snakes regularly emerge at night, and the homeless face threats from attacks by hyenas and other dangerous wild animals. It was a precarious situation for Vicky.

Through the support program, Vicky regularly received nutritional support, which is critical to survival for an HIV positive child. However, at one point a relative took her to a local practitioner known as a witch doctor, who removed Vicky from her antiretroviral meds. Vicky’s condition drastically worsened.

Fortunately, outreach workers checked on Vicky. The organization’s tracing program follows up with patients who have lost touch and no longer come in to receive treatment. Vicky was almost at the point of death when they found her.

Fighting Back

Vicky was immediately rushed to St. Theresa’s Hospital, a Sudan Relief Fund supported facility in Nzara. She was treated in intensive care for almost a month. When she continued to decline, she was put on the “last resort” round of HIV medication treatment, which caused disfiguring swelling of her limbs and body.

After a long stay and her discharge from the hospital, Vicky clearly needed a roof over her head to survive in her tender condition. Her father, who had remarried, was located and agreed to let Vicky stay there temporarily. The organization continued to check on Vicky to monitor her well-being, and supplied her with milk, fruits, and other nutritious body building foods.

Somehow this little girl kept fighting back. Remarkably her health gradually improved. She gained strength and was moved to a foster home to live under the care of a foster parent associated with the outreach program. Here she is at last thriving in a comfortable and supportive environment.

Vicky is able to attend primary school now, and she even excels as one of the brightest students in her class. Vicky feels valued and cared for. These days she is often seen running and playing, with a radiant smile across a face filled with hope.

Would you like to pray for us? Sign up for our email prayer group to receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. You’ll 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.

Nania and Najma

December 15, 2022

Father Braves the Flames to Pull Daughters from House Fire

The day started like any normal day. Omar kissed his wife and children goodbye as he left his meager hut for a long day at work. He never imagined the tragic events that would follow later that day and the way it would change his family forever.

After toiling for hours in difficult conditions, Omar made his way home. As he neared his village, Omar saw a bolt of lightning strike from a distance, resulting in a tremendous fire. His heart sank as he drew closer and realized the flames engulfed his family’s hut.

Without hesitation, he ran towards the fire, not knowing if his wife and daughters were safe. As he pushed his way inside, he saw his wife lying on the floor. Tragically, she was killed instantly by the lightning strike. But Omar knew he still needed to save his daughters, six-year-old Nania and five-year-old Najma. He managed to pull them both out of the flames, but all three suffered serious burn injuries.

Burns are particularly volatile wounds that pose a high risk of infection and require specialized medical treatment. Omar knew where to go for help. He took his daughters to Mother of Mercy Hospital, a missionary hospital in the Nuba Mountains run for years by Dr. Tom Catena and supported by Sudan Relief Fund donors.

The girls’ Auntie Samia stayed with Nania and Najma at the hospital while the little girls received the critical burn treatment they needed. Burn injuries are slower to heal and require much follow-up care, so Nania and Najma would stay at Mother of Mercy Hospital for some time.

Due to the timely, high-quality care at this facility, the girls’ wounds are healing without complications. Pictured here, Nania and Najma smile sweetly. Behind the precious smiles, the emotional wounds may take longer to heal. But thanks to the care the girls received from Dr. Tom and his dedicated staff, they are recovering well from their injuries, and Omar would not lose any other members of his family.

Nania and Najma’s family – their father and aunt – shared how thankful they are for the critical treatment received at their darkest time of need. They’re “grateful to God for saving the girls’ lives,” and also “to those who keep the doors of this hospital open to ease the pain of many innocent children.” They added, “May God bless them all, wherever they may be.”

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 us? Sign up for our email prayer group to receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. You’ll 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.

Baby Rita

December 12, 2022

St. Claire orphanage

in Rock City-Jebel Juba South Sudan

St. Claire orphanage was founded in 2017 as a result of the 2013/14 war in South Sudan. Many children lost their parents and were left loitering along the streets of Juba and some were left in the juvenile prisons of Juba.

Through a well-wisher Mrs. Betty was touched by the suffering of the orphan children and through her intervention she contacted the Franciscan Fathers on the level of intervention to help the suffering orphan children.

The Franciscans primary role for the orphanage is resource mobilization and Sudan Relief Fund has been very supportive financially to St. Claire orphanage.

The orphanage has a capacity of 67 children. The facility where the orphanage is operating is a rental house and there is a plan to acquire a parcel of land to build the orphanage.

A photo of the ovc watching movie

During my visit to the orphanage, I had an interest in one of the OVC who was picked in a dust bin within Juba and she was taken to the police. The girl was picked when she was very young almost less than a week after birth.

The young girl’s name is Rita she was picked by the Police and the orphanage director Mrs. Betty was called by the Police to pick the kid to the orphanage and provide all the necessary support to ensure that the young girl Rita survives.

She (Rita) is now four months old and she is a living testimony of the orphanage. She is well taken care of and she is in good form. Nobody knows the biography of Rita being that she was just picked from the streets at a very tender age and through the support that the orphanage is getting from Sudan Relief Fund the young is able to crawl and be fed.

Would you like to pray for us? Sign up for our email prayer group to receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. You’ll 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.

Rebecca

November 21, 2022

Lives Saved – Overcoming Adversity

Lifting Up A Community and a Remarkable Woman

Using her God-given talents and a simple foot pump sewing machine, Rebecca (seen in the photo above) is known in her village for creating beautifully sewn garments. She uses her skills to teach other ladies in her community how to sew, and develop a means to support themselves.

But Rebecca is not your typical seamstress. She lives in the leper colony of Malo, which is situated on the outskirts of Rumbek, South Sudan. Rebecca has suffered from leprosy her whole life, which has left her with just one finger and no toes. Yet despite her handicap, she continues to transform brightly colored fabrics into attractive and useful apparel.

Adversity is nothing new to the residents of the leper colony. But overcoming their disease seemed like an impossible dream until recently. Families with leprosy are typically expelled from communities and driven forcibly away. They find themselves completely cast out and cut off from society. As a result, they end up with nothing and become destitute.

Just months ago, the people of this community were on the brink of death from starvation and illness. Driven from everywhere they went and unable to trade, they were homeless, sick, and ravaged by hunger. Their clothes were worn and ragged, and some had none left at all. They were eating leaves and waiting to die.

When Sudan Relief Fund partners discovered this group of people in their desperate state, their lives began to turn around. With generous support from our donors, Sudan Relief Fund delivered emergency food, medicine, and clothing. Homes were built, a health clinic and maternity ward were constructed, and now this community even has a church to celebrate their joy and thank the Lord for their blessings.

Rising above. A courageous woman overcomes her handicap and learns a marketable skill.

The loss of extremities from leprosy cannot be restored for people like Rebecca, but the progression of the illness can be stopped in its tracks with simple treatment. No longer is this community starving and homeless. Today, because of the generosity of donors, the village is slowly turning around.

You will see people working in planted fields, or like Rebecca, using their God-given talents in productive enterprises. Children have the chance to go to school. There is still much work to be done to cure the ill, to provide enough housing, and to rebuild a community. Medicines will always be needed. But hope has returned.

Sudan Relief Fund partners recently visited the leper community. What struck them most from their visit was the joy the people radiated in the midst of their circumstances. Their smiles were contagious and their gratitude immense. Some are still fighting leprosy, but now they have the hope of a better future. And their children are now spared from contracting the horrific disease.

There under a tree, surrounded by other ladies watching and learning, you’ll see Rebecca maneuvering her sewing machine and fabric with her one good finger and her foot without toes, singing while she works.

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 us? Sign up for our email prayer group to receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. You’ll 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.

How You've Helped

St. Theresa Hospital Nzara

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Read More

Agok Leper Colony

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Read More

Mother of Mercy Hospital

Friday, September 1, 2023

Read More

St. Bakhita Gives Orphans a Home and a Future

Saturday, August 26, 2023

Read More