Looking For a New Home

Answer the Cry of Saint Bakhita’s Orphans

Moses came to live with Sister Bianca Bii at Saint Bakhita Orphanage when he was eight years old. His parents were killed in a sudden violent attack on their village. He and his brothers ran, as family members were scattered. There was no time for a plan. They could only run for their lives.

When the dust settled, Moses and his brothers learned the terrible truth that their parents had been killed. Their home was burned down. Moses’ brothers were too young to take care of him. Thankfully, Moses was brought to Saint Bakhita Orphanage, where Sister Bianca Bii serves tirelessly as a guardian angel for children like Moses.

The Orphan Crisis in South Sudan

Years of war, disease, and famine in South Sudan have led to a catastrophic number of orphans. It’s estimated a staggering 60 percent of South Sudan’s refugees are orphaned children. Many of these children suffer trauma from the frightening things they’ve seen. With no one to take care of them, they are likely to die from disease or starvation. They face the added dangers of kidnapping, trafficking, and deadly wild animal attacks. The reality is, they can’t survive alone for long.

Sudan Relief Fund is fighting to make sure these little ones are not forgotten. With your help, we support orphanages in different parts of the country, to give children a place to call home and a chance for a future. We not only provide the essentials of food, clothing, shelter, and clean water, but also medical care and the opportunity to go to school.

A Faithful Sister for Saint Bakhita’s Orphans

Saint Bakhita Orphanage, where Moses lives, is one of the children’s homes the Sudan Relief Fund donor community funds. Run for decades by Sister Bianca Bii, she has remained a stalwart supporter of children through times of peace and peril. But now they need our help.

Sister Bianca Bii has raised generations of children at Saint Bakhita – named for the patron saint of South Sudan who overcame violence with peace, injustice with grace, and triumphed through sufferings. Many children in her care receive scholarships to attend school, and some have gone on to higher education. No matter their circumstance, all the children in her care are valued as a child of God.

Your support and sponsorship for the children of Saint Bakhita Orphanage has been vital through the years, especially in recent times.

Caught in the Crossfire

Fighting broke out months ago in Tombura and the residents of Saint Bakhita were suddenly placed in harm’s way. Frightened workers and volunteers fled for their lives. At nearly 80 years old, Sister Bianca was left alone with 70 children.

But Sister Bianca – the children’s guardian angel – refused to leave them. It was not the first time she faced down grave danger. Armed with faith and determination, she alone stayed with the orphans until they could all be safely evacuated.

Sister Bianca kept the children together, rallying their spirits while they lived temporarily in a refugee camp. During this time, your donations provided them with food and survival resources, as there was not enough aid at the camp for the vast numbers of displaced people.

They returned to the orphanage when the fighting lessened. But recently the situation has again become volatile and insecure. Fighting has come close enough to be heard right outside the orphanage’s gates.

Sister Bianca held fast to faith.  

“I put up a cross and no [militia]
ever came through our gate.”

Finding a Safer Place

Because of the continued instability, the children couldn’t risk walking outside the gates for fear of being injured or killed. For a short time, the government stationed soldiers to protect the orphanage. But eventually they were sent elsewhere and the children were left unprotected.

Relocation became the only choice to keep them safe. Transitioning to a safer long-term location wasn’t going to be easy, with the many transportation challenges in a place like South Sudan. But it was necessary to put distance between the children and the continuous instability of violent outbreaks. Thankfully, all the residents have now safely moved to Nzara.

These little ones need our help. There is a wonderful opportunity for a stable and successful future for the children in Nzara. Here, they have access to high quality medical care at nearby St. Theresa’s Hospital, a Sudan Relief Fund supported facility.

Benefits Available in New Location

• Access to quality healthcare at St. Theresa’s Hospital
• Ability to safely attend nearby schools
• Childcare assistance for Sister Bianca from local nuns
• A safe and stable location in the country

The children can safely attend school in Nzara, which is one of the key factors to help them overcome poverty. And a partnership with a local order of nuns could provide childcare assistance for Sister Bianca – offering a promising long-term care solution for an 80-year-old hero who’s been their primary caregiver.

Give Saint Bakhita’s Orphans a Home

Right now the children urgently need housing. Because they had to get out quickly, Sister Bianca and 70 children are living in tents for temporary housing. Their conditions may be primitive, but they are safe. They greatly need a new place to call home.

Together, we can provide a long-term home these orphans desperately need. A home with nearby access to quality medical care, schooling, and childcare assistance. A home where the children can lay their heads down on a bed at night. A home with sturdy construction to last them for years. Right now up to 30 children are sleeping together in makeshift tents as their only shelter. Will you join us to give them a suitable place to live?

We’re so grateful to our monthly sponsors of Saint Bakhita Orphanage. You’ve been steadfast supporters through the challenges they’ve faced. Your funding has cared for the orphans in their time of distress, and helped them transition successfully to their new location. We are so grateful for your continued support.

Become a Sponsor for Saint Bakhita Orphanage

We appeal to our larger family of donors and anyone whose heart is moved, to help these children get out of tents and give them a home. Your generosity will help give them a permanent place to live. And if you are able, please consider joining our monthly sponsors to ensure the children have the ongoing support they need to flourish.

“I was homeless and you took me in.” This is a stark reality for Saint Bakhita’s orphans. As many prepare their hearts during the Lenten and Easter season, there’s a special opportunity to live out this truth. You can give orphaned children a new home where they can thrive. You can be the hands and feet of Christ, to bless their lives in a meaningful way and provide their greatest need.

Help Them Come Home

During the past months, these children have gone through so much. They braved evacuation from violent militia. They endured life in a refugee camp. They returned to their orphanage only to live with the terrifying sounds of gunfire in the distance. Then they moved to a new part of the country where they’re living in provisional tents for housing. 

Will you join us in giving the orphans of Saint Bakhita a home? Please partner with us to ensure these exhausted and traumatized children have a permanent place to rest, to call home, and at last have a chance to just be children.

Sincerely,

Neil A. Corkery President