South Sudan - MissionNewswire

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesians provide humanitarian relief to people who are displaced

MissionNewswire — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 08:30:13 +0000

More than 700 families receive food supplies

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with the St. Patrick Province in Ireland have been providing humanitarian aid, including food aid and education, for people who are internally displaced because of violence in South Sudan*. In Morobo, Salesians were able to provide 700 displaced families with basic food supplies that lasted for several weeks, despite the serious difficulties in the region.

In Morobo, teachers from St. Charles Lwanga Primary School have been providing support for people who are poor and vulnerable. The distribution of food was carried out in collaboration with local authorities, community leaders and humanitarian staff from the United Nations Regional Collaboration Center. In addition, the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Yei attended the distribution of aid, emphasizing the Church’s continued support and solidarity with those affected in Morobo.

The beneficiaries expressed relief and gratitude after receiving the food parcels. “We had nothing left to eat,” said a mother of four children. “This food will help us survive. I pray that there will be more support and that peace will return so that we can go home.”

The crisis in Morobo is part of a wider humanitarian emergency in the country where millions of people remain displaced due to conflict and economic instability. South Sudan has faced recurring violence, forcing people to abandon their homes and livelihoods. Many of the displaced are women, children and the elderly, groups particularly at risk of malnutrition and poor health.

In addition to the distribution of food items, a key component of the program was the education provided to 21 teachers and 14 student representatives from St. Charles Lwanga School. The education focused on child protection and topics such as water, sanitation and hygiene. These topics are essential for promoting a safe, inclusive and healthy learning environment, especially in Morobo, where access to public services is limited.

Father Anthony Doss Leo Arokianathan, economer of the Salesian Delegation of South Sudan, reiterated the importance of partnerships in responding to the needs of the community. He thanked Misean Cara, an international missionary development movement based in Ireland, and the Church for their support of the mission.

These activities are part of the ongoing efforts of the Salesians and their partners to provide holistic support to communities affected by conflict and displacement in South Sudan. By combining immediate relief with education and capacity building, the Salesian community aims to empower communities to rebuild and thrive even in difficult circumstances.

The Salesians in Ireland said, “As conflict and economic crisis continue to devastate communities across South Sudan, it is our privilege to help provide assistance to the affected populations. We ask for your prayers and support for the displaced, to help bring hope in these difficult times.”

###

Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesians of Don Bosco Ireland: https://www.salesiansireland.ie/story/supporting-idps-and-school-leaders-in-south-sudan/

ANS – So uth Sudan – Salesians Ireland support internally displaced persons and school leaders in South Sudan

Salesians of Ireland

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

*Any goods, services or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesians provide humanitarian relief to people who are displaced first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: St. Vincent De Paul School launches gender equality initiatives thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions

MissionNewswire — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:42:50 +0000

Girls have improved bathrooms, take part in new equality club

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Youth attending the St. Vincent De Paul School, run by the Salesian sisters in Gumbo, South Sudan*, have improved sanitation and access to workshops, along with a new equality club, thanks to donor funding. The funding was provided by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Donor funding helped with the construction of new bathroom facilities for girls, strengthening gender equality in the school community. Dehay Company LTD, a local firm employing local workers, built the structure. The roof was then finished and a rainwater disposal system was installed, along with doors, windows, walls, flooring, ceiling, plumbing and fittings.

While construction was happening, teachers implemented regular hygiene and gender equality awareness sessions. From March to September 2025, the sessions were delivered during daily school assemblies. In total, 24 awareness sessions were conducted, covering topics such as personal hygiene, hand-washing practices, oral hygiene, safe use and maintenance of toilets, menstrual health, body changes, and maintaining a clean environment at school and at home. More than 1,100 students participated in these sessions.

In addition, an equality club was established and became active during the academic year. The club reached 53 students from grade 3 until grade 7. The club promoted equal participation among boys and girls in the school and strengthened gender-sensitive practices. A total of 14 leaders were appointed to motivate their peers and support the implementation of the planned program. Under the guidance of teachers, the club organized mixed sports tournaments, gender-themed debates and shared responsibilities for school duties. These activities fostered collaboration, encouraged balanced participation and promoted positive gender roles across the school community.

Charity Poni Lino, one of the teachers at the school, said, “Life in Gumbo is challenging and it is not easy as a teacher. I see that most of people struggle even to pay school fees, but we know that education can change our future. My wish is to study hard and become a doctor so that I can help others girls and my community.”

About the project, she noted, “Before the construction, most of the girls faced challenges with the lack of enough toilets. Both students and teachers were excited by the changes as well as the gender awareness campaign. It helped the whole school community.”

Salesian missionaries in South Sudan are dedicated to providing programs and services across the country. Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs, and health clinics for poor youth and their families. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

###

Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: St. Vincent De Paul School launches gender equality initiatives thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: More than 5,000 internally displaced people receive better nutrition through partnership between Rise Against Hunger and Salesian Missions

MissionNewswire — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 08:32:26 +0000

Meals distributed at various locations, including schools

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) More than 5,000 people, most of whom are internally displaced in Gumbo, on the outskirts of the city of Juba, South Sudan*, had access to better nutrition during the first half of 2025. The food shipment was the result of a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, a nonprofit that helps underserved people worldwide achieve food security and resilience.

At the Don Bosco Gumbo Camp, Rise Against Hunger meals, which consist of rice, soy, vegetables and a vitamin packet, were distributed to 2,958 people, ensuring that all the families received essential food supplies. Meals were also served at the Don Bosco School, benefiting more than 1,500 students in the regular morning classes and more than 500 in the accelerated learning program in the afternoon. The meals served during their break provided much-needed nourishment to support their learning and well-being.

In Tonj, 180 people who are affected by leprosy also received meals. This outreach emphasized inclusivity and compassion, reaching one of the most marginalized groups in society. Additionally, meals were distributed to refugees in Wau, reinforcing efforts to support displaced communities and uphold their dignity through food assistance.

At the Don Bosco Gumbo Primary School, James is one of the students who received nutritious meals. Before the Rise Against Hunger meals were introduced, his family often managed only one meal per day. He now has breakfast at school and a second meal when he returns home. This improvement in nutrition has helped him and his classmates focus better in class and improve their grades. James dreams of becoming a doctor if he continues to do well in school.

During one school lunch, James said, “Since we’ve been having these meals, I feel stronger and don’t get tired very fast. These meals are my favorite part of my day. I get to eat with my friends and then play afterwards.”

James is deeply grateful for the support and says that one day he hopes to help others just as he has been helped through the meal program. He has observed that the entire school community is happier and more engaged with the consistent meals. Attendance has improved, and more students come to school regularly.

Paul Mutte-Atelio, community leader and teacher, said, “The Rise Against Hunger meals are very good. The students and teachers are happy and appreciative of the support. In the internally displaced persons camp, we have some women who are vulnerable and cannot do much, but with the meals, their life has improved so much, and they are very grateful. Now they help prepare the meals and have found food stability for them and their children.”

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 but has faced an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and continues today. This has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis. According to the United States Institute of Peace, more than 10 million people have been forced from their homes. The war has also triggered the world’s worst hunger crisis with more than 18 million Sudanese living in acute food insecurity.

###

Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: More than 5,000 internally displaced people receive better nutrition through partnership between Rise Against Hunger and Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Don Bosco Morobo renovates community house thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions

MissionNewswire — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:45:05 +0000

Facility benefits more than 20,000 people across 25 sub-stations

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesians with Don Bosco Morobo in South Sudan* have finished renovations on the community house thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The rehabilitation provides a safe, functional space for governance of Don Bosco Primary School and coordination of parish activities across 25 sub-stations.

The Don Bosco Community House in Morobo was fully renovated including work on structural repairs to the roof, walls, and flooring, as well as adding essential equipment for educational and pastoral use. The renovation further included complete plumbing and electrical installations to ensure safety and functionality, and the addition of a new 15kV solar power system for reliable energy. A 20,000-liter water tank with a tower and solar pump was installed to serve both the school and community, addressing critical water needs.

Furthermore, a protective fence was constructed to safeguard the property from wild animals and theft. These enhancements ensure the long-term sustainability, security, and usability of the community house and its services. The renovated facility now serves as a hub for education, pastoral care, youth development, and community gatherings.

The donation has impacted more than 1,000 children enrolled in Don Bosco Primary School as well as 40 teachers and more than 20,000 parishioners across the sub-stations. Many of these people have returned to their homes after conflict drove them to Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Anthony Ukwar Uber, a member of the parish choir, explained, “I run a small shop in the local market, where I sell basic household items to help support my family. Life in Morobo hasn’t always been easy. We are still recovering from the effects of the war, and many young people like me are trying to rebuild our lives from scratch. But having the church and the Salesians back with us has been a big relief. It brings hope.”

He continued, “When the civil war started in 2015, everything collapsed. The Salesians had to leave because of the fighting, and many of us — including my own family — fled to Uganda as refugees. Life in the camps was difficult. When we returned around 2020, the Salesian compound was destroyed and abandoned. There were no priests, no parish activities, and we felt spiritually empty. We had no one to guide us, no sports or music, and no place to come together as before.”

Uber is grateful the Salesians have returned. He concluded, “When we heard that Salesian Missions was supporting the renovation of the Salesian house, it brought excitement and a sense of hope. We saw the house being rebuilt, and with it, we saw our parish life slowly coming back. I was excited and just prayed the priests would return. There was no anxiety, only joy. We have a resident priest who celebrates Mass daily, works with school children during the day, and organizes games and sports for us youth in the evenings. The community feels alive again. We are seeing improvements in both our spiritual and social lives. Youth are more united, and there’s less idle time. The project gave us exactly what we needed.”

###

Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Don Bosco Morobo renovates community house thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Don Bosco Morobo has new Land Cruiser for mission outreach thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions

MissionNewswire — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 08:23:53 +0000

Close to 10,000 people benefit from services

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesians with Don Bosco Morobo in South Sudan* have a new Toyota Land Cruiser to facilitate mission work thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The primary goal of the new vehicle is to strengthen the pastoral outreach to remote areas of Don Bosco Morobo Parish.

The Land Cruiser is enabling the pastoral team to access outstations regularly and provide sacramental services, youth ministry activities and support for people who are poor, elderly and vulnerable. The entire parish community includes close to 10,000 people who benefit from improved access to sacraments and emergency transport.

Morobo County lies along South Sudan’s southern border with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The region features hilly terrain, tropical vegetation, and fertile soils, with savannah grasslands and patches of forest. Some roads are unpaved and become impassable during rainy seasons, limiting movement and access to services.

Anthony Issac Oromo, catechist and parish counselor, explained, “Before we received support from New Rochelle, we faced serious challenges in reaching the outstations. Many of our communities are far apart — some up to three or four hours on foot. This made it difficult for catechism classes, choir practice and youth group meetings. We were committed, but it was tiring, and sometimes we had to cancel activities if the weather was bad or if someone fell ill on the way.”

He added, “The new car has changed everything. Now, we travel with the parish priest to all the outstations regularly. We bring the message of God, offer catechism classes, organize choir practice and meet with the youth — all in a day, something that used to take several days. The people’s morale has gone up. They feel cared for, and I feel proud to be part of something that brings them hope. This vehicle isn’t just a means of transport — it’s a symbol of connection, unity and hope. We are very grateful to Salesian Missions for supporting our mission.”

###

Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Don Bosco Morobo has new Land Cruiser for mission outreach thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: More than 5,000 people have safe shelter from rain with tarpaulin donation

MissionNewswire — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 08:21:14 +0000

Families now sleep in dry conditions with greater sense of security

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in the Gumbo refugee camp in Juba, South Sudan*, are improving the living conditions of vulnerable families by providing waterproof tarpaulins for the rainy season. More than 5,000 people are impacted by this donation.

The humanitarian emergency in South Sudan continues to worsen because of 12 years of internal war, which is compounded by the conflict in neighboring Sudan. Thousands of people flee every day from violence and insecurity, and many have found refuge in the camp for displaced persons run by Salesian missionaries in Gumbo.

A Salesian explained, “In this extremely precarious environment, where more than 6,000 people survive in very difficult conditions, the arrival of the rainy season always poses an additional threat. The plastic sheets that served as roofs for many of the makeshift temporary shelters were worn or torn after years of use in extreme weather conditions, with high temperatures, strong winds and torrential rains. Without adequate protection, families, especially those headed by women, the elderly, persons with disabilities and young children, were at real risk of disease, flooding, and losing what little they had.”

Salesian missionaries, with the support of the Provincial Planning and Development Office, launched an emergency response to distribute quality waterproof plastic sheeting to the 750 most vulnerable families in the settlement. Thanks to substantial funding and rapid logistics, UV-resistant tarpaulins were purchased. Each family received two, which is enough to cover their temporary shelter.

Father Leo Arokianathan, who heads the project, said, “It was not just about delivering materials, but about ensuring the dignity of these people and showing them that they are not alone. The seemingly simple gesture has had a profound impact. More than 5,000 people, including 3,610 women, now sleep in dry conditions, protected and with a greater sense of security.”

A mother who received the tarpaulins added, “The sheet is more than just a roof. It’s the difference between a peaceful night and a frightening night in the rain.” The sheets also help to preserve the privacy of families and protect essential items, including kitchen utensils and children’s clothes.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – Tarpaulins to shelter from the rain and give dignity to displaced persons in chaos

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: More than 5,000 people have safe shelter from rain with tarpaulin donation first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: More than 1,800 displaced persons receive better nutrition through partnership between Rise Against Hunger and Salesian Missions

MissionNewswire — Wed, 28 May 2025 08:01:52 +0000

Salesians rely on donor support to address food insecurity at camp

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) More than 1,800 people in a Salesian camp for people who are internally displaced, located in Gumbo, on the outskirts of the city of Juba, South Sudan*, had access to better nutrition during the second half of 2024. The food shipment was the result of a partnership between Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization growing a global movement to end hunger.

People in the camp face challenges, including the rising price of commodities and the weakening of the local currency. Food insecurity is a major challenge. Thanks to the meals, Salesians have seen reduced hunger, improved nutrition and enhanced food security.

Salesians have tried to address food challenges by offering small plots of land, encouraging people who are displaced and the local community to cultivate crops to supplement the meal rations that are offered. However, this can only happen during the rainy season and not everyone can receive a plot. Therefore, Salesians heavily rely on partner support to address the food insecurity.

Selwa Atoo Ukech was one of the recipients. She is a 57-year-old South Sudanese woman who was living with her family when the civil war broke out in 2014. During the war, she lost family members and, with her children, sought refuge with the Salesians in Gumbo.

Ukech explained that the Rise Against Hunger meals brought relief and created a sense of joy and food security for her family and the camp community. She said, “The meals provide energy for us to complete our daily duties, help our bodies to rebuild and repair, and provide overall well-being both mentally and physically. Most importantly, it has provided a sense of food security for us.”

###

Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Rise Against Hunger

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: More than 1,800 displaced persons receive better nutrition through partnership between Rise Against Hunger and Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesians continue support as violence increases in country

MissionNewswire — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 08:48:55 +0000

Salesians provide aid to displaced persons, women and children

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are providing aid and support for people as violence continues to escalate in South Sudan*. Tensions have now reached the capital of Juba, where several explosions have been reported. Fear of a new surge in violence is driving thousands of people to flee their homes.

Salesians remain committed to supporting women, children and displaced persons. Manuel Ballester, a humanitarian worker with the Salesian organization Youth & Development, said, “In recent weeks, tensions and violence have resurfaced in South Sudan. The fragile peace built after the 2018 agreement is once again under threat.”

The situation in the world’s youngest country — officially established in 2011 — had already been deteriorating for some time. In March, the president dismissed several government officials, while violent clashes between rebels and government forces erupted in the north. The first vice president was arrested by government forces, further inflaming tensions between rival factions. The situation is extremely dangerous, compounded by the looming threat of a cholera outbreak among the displaced, reported Doctors Without Borders.

In Juba alone, Salesians provide aid to more than 6,000 people who have been displaced, most of whom have fled from central South Sudan. Many have been living in Salesian facilities for more than 13 years, where they receive care and education. At the Juba educational center, Salesians ensure access to schooling for 3,000 children and young people.

“We are present in Juba, as well as in other areas of the country such as Tonj, Maridi, Wau, and Kuajok, where we run schools and training centers for youth,” explained Father Luis Manuel Moral, director of the Salesian Mission Office in Madrid.

Salesian missionaries in South Sudan are dedicated to providing programs and services across the country. Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs, and health clinics for youth and their families. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

Representatives from the Salesian Missions Office in Madrid have expressed concern over the renewed conflict and its devastating impact on millions of women and children. The situation is dire — especially considering that over 90% of South Sudan’s population lives below the poverty line, more than 1.7 million children are out of school, and over 75% of the population depends on humanitarian aid for survival.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo via Misiones Salesianas (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – The Country Once Again on the Brink of Collapse Amid a New Wave of Violence

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesians continue support as violence increases in country first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Teachers take part in training to start school year

MissionNewswire — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 08:15:41 +0000

Salesians help teachers deepen their understanding of educational philosophy

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Wau and Tonj, in the St. Josephine Bakhita Delegation of Sudan* and South Sudan*, organized teacher training to start the academic year 2025. Aimed at all primary and secondary school teachers and technical center educators, the training helped teachers deepen their understanding of Don Bosco’s work and the Salesian preventive system and educational philosophy.

A Salesian noted, “The teacher training sessions were enriched by interactive activities, lectures and reflective discussions, in which participants exchanged insights on the Salesian education system and how to apply Don Bosco’s principles in today’s educational context in South Sudan.”

Through similar training, Salesians also educated teachers in Kuajok, Gumbo and Maridi, committing themselves to achieving the planned objectives inspired by the Strenna for 2025: “Anchored in hope, pilgrims with young people.” The Strenna was announced last year by Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – Salesian Animation for Teachers

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Teachers take part in training to start school year first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Students plant trees for greener school campus

MissionNewswire — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 08:37:56 +0000

Salesian missionaries dedicated to providing programs across country

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Salesian Secondary School in Maridi, South Sudan*, has launched a tree planting campaign entitled “One student, one tree.” The school prepared seedlings of various kinds of trees and each student planted one. They will care for their tree during the time they are students at the school.

Through this project, the Don Bosco Salesian Secondary School administration intends to spread hope among youth and make South Sudan greener for future generations.

Father Michael Kalathipullatt, rector, and Father Charles Taban, principal, launched the effort at the school during the monsoon season, which is the favorable time to plant trees. Other schools and people in nearby villages have been inspired by the Salesian students’ actions and have started planting projects of their own.

During the tree planting, Fr. Kalathipullatt told the students, “He who plants a tree, plants hope. And our closeness to nature is really closeness to the divine, because God speaks through nature.”

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – Don Bosco Salesian secondary school in Maridi launches tree planting campaign

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Students plant trees for greener school campus first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Students aid food production

MissionNewswire — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 08:36:20 +0000

Don Bosco Tonj students work on school farm to help provide food security

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Students from primary and secondary classes at Don Bosco Tonj in South Sudan* have been working on the school farm to ensure that there is enough food to eat during the ongoing civil war and serious economic crisis impacting the country. People in the South Sudan are facing a 300% cost increase for basic necessities, and it has become very difficult for people to eat at least two meals a day.

During the rainy season, students grew various products for school meals. Before the early morning school assembly and after class, students devote time to sowing and caring for the land to get a better harvest.

Similarly, young parishioners, with the help of the justice and peace desk at the Catholic diocese of Rumbek, have also ventured into agriculture, in addition to their work and study commitments. Youth have shown great resilience with the agricultural initiatives.

A Salesian noted, “Work on the school farm is not an obstacle to regular attendance in classes. Students have been as dedicated to their studies as they have been in working on the farm. The food grown helps to provide for their meals and support their growth. Hungry students have trouble learning and we have created a farm that allows them to ensure good nutrition while also learning new skills.”

Responding to the civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan, who are dedicated to the programs and services they are providing across the country. Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs, and health clinics for poor youth and their families. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – Don Bosco Tonj school pupils cultivate the land to deal with the country’s economic instability

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

United States Institute of Peace – Four Priorities for Sudan a Year into the Civil War

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Students aid food production first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Students graduate vocational training

MissionNewswire — Wed, 01 May 2024 08:13:24 +0000

Don Bosco Vocational Training Center has provided education to thousands of youth

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Vocational Training Center, located in Wau, South Sudan*, graduated 370 students who are going on to find gainful employment. The school launched in 1995 and has provided education to thousands of youth from all over South Sudan. The center empowers youth to realize their dreams in the employment sector of their choice.

The center offers quality non-formal education in information technology, welding, car repair and maintenance, electricity, carpentry, masonry, printing, plumbing, catering, bakery and tailoring skills.

A Salesian said, “The education youth gain here at the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center is truly life-changing. Youth are able to hone their skills through practical and hands-on education in employment sectors that are hiring. This positions Salesian students to make an easier transition from school to the workforce.”

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 but has faced an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis. Responding to the civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan, who are dedicated to the programs and services they are providing across the country.

Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs and health clinics for poor youth and their families. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

South Sudan is expansive and largely rural with 83% of the population residing in rural areas. Poverty is endemic with at least 80% of the population defined as income-poor and living on the equivalent of less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. More than one-third of the population lacks secure access to food.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – More than 370 graduates from the Don Bosco Vocational Training Centre Wau

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Students graduate vocational training first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Students clean up, plant trees

MissionNewswire — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 08:15:51 +0000

Don Bosco Primary School committed to teaching care for environment

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Primary School in Tonj, a town in the northwest region of South Sudan*, launched a campaign to clean up the environment during Lent. Students taking part in the “Keep Clean and Grow Green” project are cleaning up the town and planting trees every Friday.

The project was established in response to Pope Francis’ 2020 Laudato Si’, which underlined the importance of education and training that will help youth foster environmental responsibility.

A Salesian said, “In response to global warming and the growing ecological crisis, the students are learning about care for the environment. The goal is to instill these values in them when they are young so they carry it forward as they get older. The school is committed to teaching about the necessary care and respect for the environment that is needed.”

Salesian missionaries have been working in Tonj for several years. Their focus has been on providing education and social development services for poor youth through the operation of primary and secondary schools and youth centers. In addition, the missionaries operate several medical clinics, including a leprosy clinic. In 2015, Salesian missionaries, in collaboration with the Tonj Project Onlus, opened a new hospital with maternity and surgical wards and a residence for medical and administrative staff.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – A “green” initiative for Lent

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Students clean up, plant trees first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Over 100,000 people to receive better health care

MissionNewswire — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 08:41:53 +0000

Don Bosco Health Clinic will have improved equipment and supplies with new funding

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with the Don Bosco Health Clinic Gumbo, located in Juba, South Sudan*, are appreciative of the support provided by the Ordesa Foundation, an organization in Spain. With the foundation’s support, the Don Bosco Health Clinic will have improved equipment and supplies available for diagnosis and treatment to enable doctors to better care for those people who have been displaced by violence in the country.

Since 2002, the Ordesa Foundation has been committed to the improvement of the living conditions and the nutrition and health of children — especially newborns, infants and children in the first years of life.

In South Sudan, many of the health centers are not functioning and people may live miles away from a health care center, making access to care difficult.

The clinic was founded in 2012 to treat internally displaced people, especially children suffering from malnutrition. In addition, Salesians offer mobile clinics in surrounding areas. With the support they received from the Ordesa Foundation, Salesians will be able to aid more than 87,500 women, 12,000 children under the age of 14 and almost 6,000 others.

“This collaboration will last two years and will improve the quality of life for thousands of people in a country that has been suffering the consequences of violence since 2013. For this, we thank the Ordesa Foundation,” said Father Luis Manuel Moral, head of the Salesian Mission Office in Madrid, who accepted the grant during a ceremony at the Royal Academy of Pharmacy of Catalonia in Barcelona.

Salesians have been working in Juba since 2006 and operate the health clinic, a primary and secondary school, a vocational training center, a center for the empowerment of women, and a camp for internally displaced people.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – The Don Bosco health clinic in Gumbo receives the support of the Ordesa Foundation

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Over 100,000 people to receive better health care first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Documentary focuses on people at Don Bosco Gumbo IDP camp

MissionNewswire — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 08:24:47 +0000

Film available on YouTube in 4 languages

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Missionary Foundation Don Bosco, based in Warsaw, Poland, has made a documentary film about the struggles of people internally displaced and seeking shelter at Don Bosco Gumbo in South Sudan*. The documentary “Interrupted Meal” shares highlights of the horrors youth have faced since the country first gained its independence in 2011.

Only two years later, the country broke out in civil war that continues. Salesians began Don Bosco Gumbo in Juba in 2006. Since then, St. Vincent de Paul Parish grew to include a primary, secondary and technical school, as well as a health center. In 2013, the first camp was set up for those who were internally displaced by war. The camp had to expand again in 2016 to accommodate more who needed shelter. In one night alone, 30,000 people sought shelter there. Roughly 10,000 people remain.

“For the people who are still here, we provide them tents, food rations and education for the children. We also ensure that their health and hygiene are looked after through our health clinic,” said Father Shyjan George, treasurer of Don Bosco Gumbo. “We also try to support the people in the local community near the camp. They are suffering too and when we have more to give, we share it with them, especially around Easter and Christmas.”

Fr. George added, “While the government knows Don Bosco Gumbo is running the camp and are happy about it, they don’t provide any financial support to help us or the people here. We cannot kick them out to face the violence in their villages. Only when security comes back to the villages will people be able to go back. For now, they live in a camp that was supposed to be temporary and it’s become their safety and asylum.”

Many of the children in the camp are without their parents and other family members, having either lost them to the violence or they fled to other countries. The youth have seen the horrors of war at a young age and carry the trauma with them.

Several youth are featured in the documentary. Lucia fled with her mother and siblings when their home was bombed. She hopes to become a doctor. Archer lost his family and he was lucky he survived. During one of the attacks, a three-year-old girl ran carrying a plate because she was eating when they were attacked.

In addition to the camp, Don Bosco Gumbo provides education for more than 4,000 children and older youth in its schools. There are two kindergartens, two primary-middle schools, an accelerated elementary school, a secondary school, and vocational training center which offers courses in automotive repair, electricity, mechanics, stoneworks-masonry, solar panel technician, welding and computer studies. More than 700 older youth gain skills for later employment through this training.

The 30-minute documentary is available on YouTube in four languages: Italian, English, Spanish and Polish.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – “The Interrupted Meal”. A documentary by Salesian Missionary Foundation “Don Bosco” of Warsaw on stories of refugees in Gumbo

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Documentary focuses on people at Don Bosco Gumbo IDP camp first appeared on MissionNewswire.

AFRICA: Families receive food aid as need grows

MissionNewswire — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 08:06:58 +0000

Salesians work to address needs of those facing food shortages and displacement in Horn of Africa

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions Australia has launched an emergency relief appeal for food relief to help support Salesian programs in the Horn of Africa. Salesians have been providing access to food relief, education, basic necessities and agriculture programs, especially in the wake of food shortages and unrest in the region.

Food shortages have increased in the Horn of Africa and Central Africa where Salesians have programs. According to an article in CathNews, food shortages continue to increase in these areas as the number of internally displaced people continues to swell as conflict in the region uproots people in search of safety.

In Tigray, Ethiopia*, Salesian missionaries are distributing food to more than 3,000 families while also repairing damaged schools and churches that currently house many families. In Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo*, increased conflict has sent thousands of people flooding into the city and seeking shelter on the playgrounds surrounding Don Bosco Ngangi Youth Center.

At Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp in Uganda, Salesians operate many educational and social programs. With decreasing food rations available from the World Food Program, Salesians have been working through food distribution and agriculture programs to increase the food availability for those in the camp.

Father Ubaldino, rector of the Salesian community in Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp, has established 25 farming groups, involving 1,250 people who attend to over 92 acres of maize, soybeans, and sunflowers. While maize is a diet staple of the people at Palabek, it cannot be consumed without processing. Salesian Missions Australia has purchased a maize huller and maize miller, which are vital in aiding the food crisis.

Fr. Ubaldino said, “The agriculture groups are very important because they enable those involved to contribute to their families, supplement food rations, and restore dignity.”

In Juba, South Sudan*, close to 4,000 children access Salesian primary and secondary school. In addition to providing access to education, Salesians are providing women’s programs and sports programs for children in the camp.

Salesians in Australia and around the globe will continue to monitor the growing crisis in the region and work to address it through food aid, other supplies and direct donations.

###

Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions Australia

CathNews – Salesian launch emergency appeal for displaced Africans

Salesian Missions Australia

Salesian Missions

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post AFRICA: Families receive food aid as need grows first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Displaced people receive education, medical care

MissionNewswire — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 08:01:56 +0000

Don Bosco Gumbo camp for internally displaced persons currently hosts 10,000 people

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries with St. Vincent de Paul Parish are operating the Don Bosco Gumbo camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Juba, South Sudan*. The camp, established in January 2014 after the outbreak of the civil war in December 2013, currently hosts 10,000 people, most of whom are women, children and the elderly. Salesians provide shelter, food, education, medical care and other basic needs.

In addition to the camp, Don Bosco Gumbo provides education for more than 4,000 children and older youth in its schools. There are two kindergartens, two primary-middle schools, an accelerated elementary school, a secondary school, and vocational training center which offers courses in electricity, mechanics, stoneworks-masonry, solar panel technician, welding and computer studies. More than 700 older youth gain skills for later employment through this training.

“Salesians constantly look for ways to expand what they offer, ensuring that those who need it most have their needs met,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The camp now has a Salesian medical clinic, a women’s promotion center, and sports camps to keep the children active and engaged. The clinic has been especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Most of people living in nearby villages have had little or no access to face masks, hand sanitizers, and immunization. They have also had little information about the spread of COVID-19, leaving the population at risk. Salesians are working to create awareness and provide information to create healthy practices to fight the disease.

Salesians are also providing face masks, soap and hand sanitizers. After this project launched, students, young adults, and people who are working started taking the necessary precautions while women in the villages and older people focused on engaging in the awareness programs and helping to spread the message. Cooked meals were also provided for students and adults who required better nutrition.

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 but has faced an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis even before the coronavirus pandemic. Responding to the civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan, who are dedicated to the programs and services they are providing across the country.

South Sudan is expansive and largely rural with 83 percent of the population residing in rural areas. Poverty is endemic with at least 80 percent of the population defined as income-poor and living on the equivalent of less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. More than one-third of the population lacks secure access to food.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Annual Report 2021

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Displaced people receive education, medical care first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Students and street children receive education, services

MissionNewswire — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 08:04:26 +0000

Don Bosco Kuajok has returned 150 street children to their families since 2019

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Kuajok in South Sudan was started three years ago on land barely fit for agricultural use. Today, it’s a thriving Salesian community with a primary school that educates 300 children and employs nine teachers. There is also a program that offers addiction treatment and rehabilitation for street children who are roaming the market in the center of Kuajok. An oratory opens each day and provides for those in distant parts of Kuajok, who are most often internally displaced people.

Brother Lothar Wagner, who is now in Liberia, started the rehabilitation of street children in this area. With the support of Don Bosco Bonn in Germany, 150 children have been returned to their families since 2019. Some children have started school. The program has expanded over three years to also include a Salesian house with volunteer rooms and a medical dispensary. Salesians are able to drive people to the town hospital in cases of emergency.

“Salesian missionaries in South Sudan and around the globe provide safety, shelter and education for street children,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This Salesian program aims to help children live safely while getting the emotional support they need and the education that will help them live independently. It’s a second chance for these children to have hope for a better life.”

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 but has faced an ongoing civil war that resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis even before the coronavirus pandemic. Responding to the civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan, who are dedicated to the programs and services they are providing across the country.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – Don Bosco Kuajok: Street Children at the heart of Salesian Apostolate

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

Any goods, services or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Students and street children receive education, services first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Families receive food, medicine in camp for internally displaced

MissionNewswire — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 08:37:19 +0000

Salesian Missionary Foundation provides educational and social development initiatives in Gumbo

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have been working in Gumbo, South Sudan, helping thousands of people over the last several years. Salesians operate a parish, an elementary school for 1,800 students, a high school with 450 students, a technical school, an oratory and a camp for those who have been internally displaced that is home to 9,500 people. Salesians also work in collaboration with the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, who run another elementary school, and the Sisters of Charity of Jesus, who provide a health dispensary.

Most recently, the Salesian Missionary Foundation, based in Warsaw, Poland, built a school in Gumbo for poor children in the area. Father Piotr Gozdalski, president of the foundation, said, “In the elementary school, we have 140 students per class. The school was in dire need of new spaces. The four classrooms built are helping to divide the groups and have fewer students per class, which benefits the safety of everyone and the quality of education offered.”

Last year, the Salesian Missionary Foundation also paid for meals for 700 elementary school students and provided food for 700 of the neediest families in the camp. The foundation also supplied the dispensary with medicines and products for hygiene and personal care. Educational sessions were held to encourage the adoption of healthy habits.

As part of the same project supported by Polish aid, this year the Salesian Missionary Foundation is planning to continue to help 700 elementary school students and 700 families in the camp with food aid. The foundation will also provide financial support to a mobile clinic for people living in the villages so they have some access to medical care.

Two new projects are also being launched. Salesians are installing solar-powered lamps to bring more light and security to the camp. They will also construct a sports field to promote physical activity and healthy fun among the children in the camp. Fr. Gozdalski added, “The school teachers, the kids and the people are very happy to be able to count on our support. And we, like Don Bosco, are happy to give it to them.”

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – International Salesian solidarity brings hope to Gumbo children and poor

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Families receive food, medicine in camp for internally displaced first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Internally displaced persons receive food through Salesian Missions

MissionNewswire — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 08:11:19 +0000

Salesian-run camp for those internally displaced receive food aid thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries from Don Bosco Gumbo, who are hosting more than 10,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in a camp in Juba, Gumbo, South Sudan, received food aid thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Salesians are providing food, shelter, sanitation facilities, medical care and education.

“Your continued support has helped our most vulnerable members of the IDP population to receive food rations and additional non-food items,” said Father Shyjan Job, economer of the Don Bosco Sudan Delegation. “The intermittent rains have affected the IDPs with waterborne diseases such as malaria. Also, many of the makeshift tents are destroyed. We managed to procure the essential supplies and plastic sheets for the temporary shelters for the IDPs.”

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 but has faced an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis even before the pandemic. Responding to the civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan, who are dedicated to the programs and services they are providing across the country.

The camp in Juba is currently home to more than 10,000 people, mostly women and children.

The camp in Juba for those who have been internally displaced has been consistently growing since the outbreak of war and is currently home to more than 10,000 people, mostly women and children. Without this camp, people would be left destitute with nothing to eat, nowhere to go and no access to any form of education.

At Don Bosco Gumbo, which oversees the camp, Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs, and health clinics for poor youth and their families. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

###

Sources:

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Internally displaced persons receive food through Salesian Missions first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Food aid at camp for internally displaced persons provided through Salesian Missions funding

MissionNewswire — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 08:03:26 +0000

Funding from Salesian Missions provides food aid to 230 vulnerable women and children at Don Bosco Gumbo camp

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries at the Don Bosco Gumbo camp for internally displaced persons (IDP) in Juba, South Sudan, were able to provide food, hygiene products and other items to help care for the well-being of those in the camp thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The camp is run by Salesians from St. Vincent de Paul Parish and is home to 9,742 people, the majority women and children with no husbands or fathers, the elderly, and orphans. The camp was established in January 2014 after the outbreak of civil war in December 2013.

Funding from Salesian Missions helped support 230 of the most vulnerable in the camp for two months. Those who received food assistance and other supplies were orphans, widows and widowers, households headed by children, the psychologically stressed and depressed, and other vulnerable groups. Each person received 44 pounds (20kg) of ground flour, 2.2 pounds (1kg) of salt, 3.17 quarts (3 liters) of cooking oil and 11 pounds (5kgs) of beans per month. They also received soap and other hygiene supplies.

Funding from Salesian Missions helped support 230 of the most vulnerable people in the Don Bosco Gumbo camp for two months.

The food support is important because the prices of cereals and pulses are at record highs—up to 400 percent compared to the average cost. The decline in oil price has crippled the government’s social services sector and negatively affected the population. The humanitarian situation in the country is predicted to worsen in the coming months as a result of COVID-19, the desert locust invasion and continued inter-communal violence.

Fighting between the National Salvation Front (NAS), South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF), and Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) in Lainya County, Central Equatoria State, affected 30,000 people and displaced 5,700 in June. An additional 7,000 people were displaced by inter-communal fighting in Terekeka County, Central Equatoria State. Inter-communal violence and cattle raids in parts of Central and Western Equatoria, Jonglei, Unity, and Warrap states also resulted in the displacement of a further 5,000 people.

“We appreciate our donors who help us ensure Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Gumbo who are caring for the most vulnerable have the food and supplies they need,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Those who have been internally displaced by ongoing violence in South Sudan are among the most vulnerable. They have lost everything and are turning to Salesian missionaries for safety during this difficult time. Salesians are there to provide shelter and basic needs and help them make a plan for the future.”

###

Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Food aid at camp for internally displaced persons provided through Salesian Missions funding first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Former refugee lands dream job

MissionNewswire — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 08:27:07 +0000

Young refugee graduate of Don Bosco Technical School now a driver for the United Nations in Juba

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Gladys, who was a widow and mother at 25, recently landed her dream job as a professional driver at the United Nations in Juba, South Sudan. She credits her time as a refugee and her Salesian education for her advancements. Gladys was forced to flee from her home and seek refuge at the Palabek Refugee Settlement Camp in Uganda.

As a refugee, Gladys attended the motorcycle repair course at the Don Bosco Technical School in Palabek. She was the only woman among many men. Gladys said, “I don’t care that they’re all men. I want to learn how to repair motorcycles to avoid danger when I return to South Sudan.” She rode a motorbike home to South Sudan to see her son who was with his grandmother.

To attend the class, Gladys had to get up at dawn and walk nearly four miles every day to get to classes on time. She was part of the first class of graduates at the Don Bosco Technical School. While studying, Gladys used her small sewing machine to earn money for traveling on weekends. When she finished her lessons, her commitment and her involvement led her to take care of the materials warehouse of the technical school. Thanks to the support of Salesian missionaries and the Salesian organization Jóvenes y Desarrollo, Gladys was also able to learn to drive a car and obtained her license.

Recently, she passed a driving test for the U.N. office in Juba and was hired. Gladys was so overjoyed by her accomplishment she returned to Palabek to thank Salesians for the educational opportunities they have given her. Her next challenge is to continue studying and ensure that her son can have a better future and live in peace.

The Palabek Refugee Settlement Camp is currently home to 56,000 people. It was officially set up in April 2016 to reduce congestion in larger refugee camps in the northwestern corner of Uganda. Several agencies are involved in providing food and education within the settlement.

Salesian missionaries at the settlement are offering much needed psycho-social support and pastoral care for thousands of Christian residents. They also operate four nursery schools that educate more than 1,000 children. In addition, there are over 700 children attending Salesian primary and secondary schools and more than 700 families that are supported by various other initiatives.

Young refugees are also able to attend vocational training courses for free. Depending on the discipline, some courses will run for three to six months while others will run as long as a year. Salesian missionaries have also set up a job placement office that will help students make contact with companies that are hiring, prepare resumes and prep for interviews, and find internships and onsite training opportunities.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – Gladys, from young refugee to United Nations driver

Don Bosco Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp

Salesian Missions – Uganda

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Former refugee lands dream job first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Volunteers help provide hospital, medical care

MissionNewswire — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 08:46:09 +0000

Salesian Father Omar Delasa created obstetric and gynecological hospital with 50 beds and a minor surgery ward in Tonj

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Father Omar Delasa has a degree in medicine, and he lives and works in Sesto San Giovanni, Milan, Italy—but he flies to Tonj, South Sudan, whenever possible to work on a project he founded years ago. He founded TonjProject Onlus and, with the support of volunteers, has helped create an obstetric and gynecological hospital with 50 beds and a minor surgery ward. Fr. Delasa was recently highlighted in Marie Claire magazine’s Italian edition.

Fr. Delasa went to Tonj for the first time in 2006 when South Sudan was still a part of Sudan. The country suffered war for 22 years to gain independence, which happened in 2011. Fr. Delasa felt a great affection for the people in Tonj who had fought so hard and had so little. He started the hospital to provide for those who otherwise might not have access to medical care.

In the interview with Marie Claire, Fr. Delasa said, “There are many forgotten lives and problems that nobody wants to take on. Around all this sadness that often takes the name of exclusion, poverty, war, hunger, there is the fantastic world of volunteers. I would like to give visibility to this ‘silent army’ that changes its own life and at the same time that of many other people. I want people to understand Tonj, its problems, hospital, children and their mothers. Volunteers have the opportunity to dig a well, build a new photovoltaic system, set up scholarships, buy medicines and train health personnel.”

Fr. Delasa added, “This passion, which is much more to me, is a vocation. It was born by chance. From an early age, I understood that the poor and the needy could have an important place in my life and in my choices. I come from a very small village in the Bergamo mountains, where people know each other and helped each other. This led me to choose first the faculty of medicine and surgery and then the consecrated life in the Congregation of the Salesians of Don Bosco. South Sudan in general and Tonj in particular arrived later, almost by chance, following a request to try to experience myself in a missionary experience.”

Fr. Delasa mentioned in the article that there is always more for him to learn and that he is always finding ways to grow to be more supportive of those in need. He noted, “I would like to be understanding, attentive, always have a word of encouragement, a simple gesture that can instill confidence. I’d like to be more reflective and give more to those who have had less… and I know that the world, even if they don’t make noise, is full of these willing and committed people.”

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – Fr Omar Delasa: #time2share

Marie Claire magazine Italian edition

Don Bosco Mission Tonj Facebook

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Volunteers help provide hospital, medical care first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Don Bosco Mission Tonj provides support to 3,500 people who have been internally displaced

MissionNewswire — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 13:49:19 +0000

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Mission in Tonj, a town in the northwest region of South Sudan, has been able to support more than 3,500 internally displaced people with a recent COVID-19 initiative. The organization received support from Salesian Missions in Madrid, Spain, to offer help to those internally displaced in Tonj and the western state of Bahr el Ghazal.

Families found themselves faced with violent border conflicts and were left homeless. They were forced to take refuge in the adjacent forests without food, water, shelter, sanitation and medicine. After being contacted and registered as internally displaced, the families received basic necessities from the Don Bosco Mission.

Those receiving the donation expressed happiness and great appreciation for the commitment of Salesian missionaries who have continued to provide support to vulnerable communities and those most affected by conflicts. In addition to the distribution of primary goods and medicines, radio programs were also broadcast in recent months with measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Internally displaced families in South Sudan received basic necessities from the Don Bosco Mission.

“The health standards of families, and especially of children, have improved thanks to the supply of medicines,” said Father Joseph James Nakholi, a Salesian in South Sudan. “The population has also recovered emotionally and psychologically after the intervention of the Salesians.”

Support through this initiative was also provided to people with leprosy who live in a village, thanks to the intervention of the Salesian Mission Office of South Korea and the John Lee Memorial Foundation, which was launched in memory of the late Korean Salesian missionary Father John Lee, to help the mission in South Sudan.

The leprosy program was started by Fr. Lee who arrived at the Salesian mission in Tonj in 2001. He remained until 2008 when he went on a trip to South Korea. It was there that doctors discovered Fr. Lee had cancer, and he passed away 14 months later. During his time in South Sudan, Fr. Lee constructed an outpatient clinic and made repairs to the primary school building.

A hospital named for Fr. Lee was opened in Tonj in late July 2014 after four years of planning and construction. The current facility consists of maternity and surgical wards and a residence for medical and administrative staff. The hospital was fully operational in 2015. Volunteer doctors from Italy provide medical care at the hospital.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – Salesians support internally displaced persons and most vulnerable

Don Bosco Mission Tonj

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Don Bosco Mission Tonj provides support to 3,500 people who have been internally displaced first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Don Bosco Health Center provides medical care for people in 20 villages

MissionNewswire — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 13:38:49 +0000

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Health Center, part of the St. Vincent de Paul Parish and the Don Bosco Gumbo community in Gumbo, South Sudan, is caring for the sick while working to help prevent coronavirus. The Don Bosco Health Center was launched in 2012 with the support of the Caritas Sisters of Jesus. Initially, about 30 patients were seen a day in three small rooms. Today, the Don Bosco Health Center is treating up to 200 patients each day on average.

The health center provides essential services to people in villages who don’t otherwise have access to medical care. Gumbo is located at the center of 20 villages along the left bank of the Nile River, while the town of Juba and other villages are on the right bank. There are no proper hospitals or dispensaries in any of these 20 villages. The nearest one is the hospital of Juba.

Since opening the health center, services have been expanded to meet a growing need. In addition to the primary office location, there are now mobile clinics, a HIV/AIDS rehabilitation program, a nutrition program and child health care. Medical care has become even more essential in the face of the pandemic.

Father Shyjan, economer in South Sudan, said, “Now with the pandemic we are facing many challenges. First of all, the health care system in the country is poor, and we lack prepared health care professionals. Secondly, most of the population lacks the understanding about the pandemic and its seriousness. There are myths about it like this disease is only for white people or for the rich, that the virus does not survive in the hot climate of South Sudan, that the government is lying about it just to get money from foreign help. We have to work to combat these misconceptions while trying to keep people healthy and safe.”

The Don Bosco Health Center provides essential services to people in villages in South Sudan who don’t otherwise have access to medical care.

To help do that, the Don Bosco Health Center held a three-day workshop about coronavirus and prevention strategies. There were follow-up seminars and training for health care staff. One of the biggest challenges medical professionals face is testing and treatment. There are only two laboratories in the country able to do the test and one facility with limited beds to keep people in quarantine. South Sudan has only four ventilators in the country. Most of the population can’t keep social distance because the numerous family members live in homes with one or two rooms and have informal jobs for survival.

With the support of donors, the Don Bosco Health Center has been able to buy a thermometer, gloves, surgical masks and other personal protective equipment for the staff at the center. The center has also installed hand-washing facilities with soap at the entrance of the clinic. Medications have been bought that are provided to patients at a low cost and for free for those in the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp. Don Bosco Center staff members continue to assess the situation and meet the needs of those most impacted in their community.

###

Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Don Bosco Training Center Gumbo Facebook

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Don Bosco Health Center provides medical care for people in 20 villages first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian missionaries provide relief supplies as vulnerable populations face virus and economic crisis

MissionNewswire — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 15:02:13 +0000

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in South Sudan are working with local populations as the effects of coronavirus spread across the country. There is a serious economic crisis happening in South Sudan mainly due to the drop in oil prices, the devaluation of the local currency and excessive dependence on imports. Commodity prices are at an all-time high, and it is estimated that 5.29 million people (45 percent of the population) were living in conditions of severe food insecurity as of January 2020.

On April 5, 2020, South Sudan confirmed the first case of COVID-19, after which the government issued restrictive measures to prevent the spread of the virus. The restrictions had an impact on the local economy, causing commodity prices to rise and creating stress in the markets and insecurity in the population.

There are five Salesian communities in the country. In Gumbo, Salesian missionaries have a parish, a technical-vocational training center, elementary and middle schools, a women’s promotion center, and a youth center. There is also a camp for internally displaced persons directly managed by the Salesians. The camp currently has 9,800 people—not counting very young children—who have all fled the violence of the 2013-2016 civil war.

Salesian missionaries have continued their work on behalf of the most vulnerable families. There have been distributions of food, water and basic necessities, such as sanitary kits, mattresses, soap and plastic sheets to cover the roofs. Awareness campaigns were also launched to ensure that refugees were following protocols directed by the Ministry of Health to ensure proper hygiene to help stop the spread of the virus.

“The biggest fear we have is an epidemic in the camp. The tents are close and there is no room for social distancing,” reported Salesians working in Gumbo. “Controlling the masses for any type of distribution is very difficult. The camp is adjacent to several crowded local communities. It is impossible to prevent the flow of people between the camp and these communities because there is no separation wall around the camp.”

Instability in the country remains high. Funding is inadequate and fails to meet the needs of all internally displaced persons nor does it cover medical expenses for the elderly and sick. Furthermore, the constant fluctuation of prices and the consequent economic difficulties remain a challenge for the country’s most vulnerable individuals. Salesians continue to assess the local needs and provide relief support as they can.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – Working with refugees during Covid-19 pandemic

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian missionaries provide relief supplies as vulnerable populations face virus and economic crisis first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missions donors provide funding for scholarships for young women to attend Don Bosco Vocational Training Center

MissionNewswire — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 08:49:06 +0000

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Students attending the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in Juba, South Sudan, have received scholarships to help afford their education and continue their studies thanks to funding from Salesian Missions donors. The scholarships, which are mainly focused on female students, cover 50 percent of the school’s tuition, making it much easier for young women to gain an education.

One student, Ayany Pamela, said, “This program has given me the courage to return to school after completing my secondary education. I had not been able to continue in school because of financial problems. After noticing that women were given this opportunity, I became much motivated because it is now affordable for me. This program has contributed much in my personal life by allowing me to obtain knowledge and skills. Without it, I cannot imagine how I would have continued my education or found a good job.”

John Garry, a teacher at the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center, noted that the center and education provided have played a role in transforming the lives of youth in many ways. He said, “One of the good things I have seen since I joined the center in 2015 is the 50 percent school fees discount/scholarships offered to female students. This has encouraged more young women to gain an education. It has also encouraged families, who typically don’t value education for girls, to send their daughters to school.”

Scholarships at Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in South Sudan give young women a chance for an education.

In South Sudan, due to lack of financial support, many families force their girls into early marriages. The program’s goal is to reduce the incidence of early marriage and allow young women to gain an education and independence in the workplace.

Garry added, “As a citizen of the country, I see a lot of improvements as more girls gain an education. There are numbers of girls joining technical fields such as general electricity, auto mechanic and computer IT, which has not always been the case in South Sudan. Without any doubt, very soon our girls will compete with men in the development of the country in such fields. Don Bosco and our benefactors have given hope to many parents with very limited financial income.”

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 but has faced an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis even before the coronavirus pandemic. Responding to the civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan, who are dedicated to the programs and services they are providing across the country.

###

Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missions donors provide funding for scholarships for young women to attend Don Bosco Vocational Training Center first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missions provides funding to support Don Bosco Gumbo with nutritional assistance for 275 vulnerable displaced families

MissionNewswire — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 13:25:47 +0000

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, who are operating the Don Bosco Gumbo camp for internally displaced persons (IDP) in Juba, South Sudan, have access to food, hygiene products and other items to help care for the well-being of those in the camp. The camp is home to 9,742 people, the majority women and children with no husbands or fathers, the elderly, and orphans. The camp was established in January 2014 after the outbreak of civil war in December 2013.

During the escalation of violence in South Sudan, St. Vincent de Paul Parish welcomed fleeing families and offered them a place to settle. Throughout the past six years, Salesian missionaries have been accommodating, feeding, educating, and offering medical treatment to the sick and vulnerable in the camp and across the Gumbo host community. A camp manager and supervisor were trained to provide management and oversight of the IDP camp.

The spread of COVID-19 in South Sudan has made the situation in the camp more difficult. The virus is happening during the lean season in the country when food insecurity is always at its worst. A swarm of locusts was also observed in several locations in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, posing further threats to food security and livelihoods. The humanitarian situation in the country is predicted to worsen in the coming months as a result of COVID-19, the desert locust invasion and continued inter-communal violence.

With funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Salesian missionaries at the camp were able to provide food aid rations for 275 internally displaced families. Each person received 10 kg of ground flour, 1 kg of salt, 1 liter of cooking oil and 5 kgs of beans per month. Missionaries were also able to distribute plastic roofing sheets, blankets, floor mats, soap and sanitary plastic jugs to 275 of the most vulnerable households.

“We are appreciative of our donors who help us ensure Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Gumbo who are caring for the most vulnerable have the food and supplies they need,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Salesian missionaries were also able to distribute soap and establish hand-washing stations throughout the camp and conduct temperature reading at camp entrances, as well as carry out a weekly sensitization program to prevent coronavirus from spreading.”

###

Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missions provides funding to support Don Bosco Gumbo with nutritional assistance for 275 vulnerable displaced families first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian missionaries working to prevent coronavirus spread in camp for those internally displaced

MissionNewswire — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 13:55:58 +0000

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in South Sudan are working with local populations as the effects of coronavirus spread across the country. According to the most updated official data, 10,000 people have been tested and 2,021 were positive. To date, 38 people have died. The challenge is preventing outbreaks because the country has a fragile local health system that cannot help an influx of people.

Several years ago, the Sisters of Charity of Jesus opened a small medical dispensary inside the camp. It has 10 beds, but no possibility of residential assistance nor a test facility, respirators or other specialized equipment. “It seems that there are only four respirators in the whole country,” added the Salesians.

In recent days, the archbishop of Juba, Msgr. Stephen Ameyu, made an informal visit to the Salesian camp. Salesians noted, “Msgr. Ameyu appreciated our awareness-raising efforts and our preventive measures and encouraged people to follow our advice. He blessed us and entrusted us to the protection of God. We need it!”

###

Sources:

ANS Photos (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – Gumbo IDP camp facing Covid-19 hazards

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian missionaries working to prevent coronavirus spread in camp for those internally displaced first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missions provides funding to support Don Bosco Gumbo with coronavirus prevention initiatives and food assistance

MissionNewswire — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 13:49:43 +0000

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, provided funding to Don Bosco Gumbo, located in Juba, South Sudan, to support coronavirus prevention efforts and nutrition assistance at a local camp for those internally displaced in the country.

“To date, South Sudan has four confirmed cases of COVID-19. A special task force is working toward contact tracing, testing and isolating more people, but the country is not prepared enough to face a pandemic of this magnitude,” said Father Shyjan, economer. “In the whole country, there are only four ventilators available at the moment. If the virus spreads like other countries, it will be a serious concern.”

A camp in Juba for those who have been internally displaced has been consistently growing since the outbreak of war and is currently home to more than 10,000 people, mostly women and children. Without this camp, people would be left destitute with nothing to eat, nowhere to go and no access to any form of education.

With the funding from Salesian Missions, Salesian missionaries with Don Bosco Gumbo are putting several measures in place for the prevention of the virus. They have installed hand-washing facilities at all entry points and are installing hand-washing facilities at the camp for those who have been internally displaced. Salesian missionaries are also providing health check-ups for the internally displaced people (IDP) at the Don Bosco Dispensary. The check-ups are not COVID-19 screening but are for general health. Salesian missionaries are also providing one meal each day for more than 3,000 children at the IDP camp.

At Don Bosco Gumbo, Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs, and health clinics for poor youth and their families. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

###

Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missions provides funding to support Don Bosco Gumbo with coronavirus prevention initiatives and food assistance first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian missionaries provide education and social programs to more than 4,000 children

MissionNewswire — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 15:45:46 +0000

SOUTH SUDAN

(MissionNewswire) More than 4,000 children are receiving an education in Salesian primary, secondary and vocational skills training schools in South Sudan. Due to recent famines, meals are also provided at schools, and for many, this is the only meal they eat for the day.

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 but has faced an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis. Responding to the civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan who are dedicated to the programs and services they are providing across the country.

Salesian Brother Jim Comino, who works within the camp, noted, “We are committed to helping refugees and those internally displaced through reconciliation activities and spiritual paths to achieve peace among the different tribes. We try to give inspiration and hope for a more humane future, living the Christian spirit.”

To help ensure the camp has enough food, an agricultural project was launched in the camp. The project helps to address both the educational and nutritional shortages in the region. An irrigation system was installed to allow crops of onions, beans, watermelons and other vegetables to be harvested. In addition, skills training was provided to local people to help maintain these crops. The corn harvested in September 2018 was enough to feed 3,000 children with breakfast for 30 days.

Ten solar-powered security lights that come on at night to help deter any intrusions or criminal activity targeted at the already vulnerable people were installed in the camp. These lights increase the general security of the camp, allowing people to feel safer and to get a better night’s sleep.

In addition to humanitarian aid, Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs, and health clinics for poor youth and their families. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

###

Sources:

Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund Annual Report 2018

Photo courtesy of Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund Annual Report 2018

Salesian Missions – South Sudan

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian missionaries provide education and social programs to more than 4,000 children first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian teachers and staff from Don Bosco Radio take part in training session on healing trauma

MissionNewswire — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 22:34:15 +0000

(MissionNewswire) Thirty-five teachers from several schools, together with the staff of Don Bosco Radio, attended a three-day training session on trauma healing, according to an article on Catholic News Radio. Facilitated by a doctor working with Salesian missionaries in the Tonj State of South Sudan, the training was aimed at educating teachers and other Salesian staff on how to best solve different issues that affect the health of individuals in their communities.

According to the article, one of the participants, Akoon Arkangelo Akoon, told Radio Don Bosco that the training worked to address physical challenges among individuals in Salesian programs. He said, “The trauma healing program is all about counseling and better knowing the condition of one’s body.”

Akoon added in the article, “I have learned various things particularly on psychological challenges and how the mind is divided into two parts, conscious and sub-conscious. The healing is very helpful when an individual takes it seriously, he or she will have a healthy body.”

Another participant, Adol Marial Abur, mentioned that she learned about issues she believes will change her life and make her a greater person in the near future. The training is particularly relevant given the violence in South Sudan.

The country gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis. Responding to the ongoing civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan who are dedicated to the programs and services they are providing across the country.

In addition to humanitarian aid, Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs and health clinics for poor youth and their families. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

South Sudan is expansive and largely rural with 83 percent of the population residing in rural areas. Poverty is endemic with at least 80 percent of the population defined as income-poor and living on the equivalent of less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. More than one third of the population lacks secure access to food.

###

Sources:

Catholic Radio Network – Over 30 teachers and radio staff in Tonj trained on trauma healing

World Bank – South Sudan

Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian teachers and staff from Don Bosco Radio take part in training session on healing trauma first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian missionaries continue to provide education and food relief to youth and their families in local villages

MissionNewswire — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 15:42:48 +0000

(MissionNewswire) South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 but has faced an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis. Responding to the civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan who are dedicated to the programs and services they are providing across the country.

Despite South Sudanese political leaders signing the final document of peace agreements on Sept. 12, skepticism remains among the people. In the past, various signed agreements never went into effect and people’s living conditions worsened. Waiting to see what happens, Salesian missionaries continue to provide programs and educate youth.

Salesian Brother Jim Comino hopes to see peace take root. For decades he has known the difficulty of developing initiatives that enable youth to take their future into their own hands. He says, “We are committed to helping refugees and those internally displaced through reconciliation activities and spiritual paths to achieve peace among the different tribes. We try to give inspiration and hope for a more humane future, living the Christian spirit.”

South Sudan has been teetering on the brink of famine for the last two years. The United Nations and the South Sudan government said 150,000 people could be impacted by famine this year. Even with food aid, millions continue to suffer from hunger. There are at least 15,000 people in a Salesian refugee camp in the country including 5,000 children who are attending school. Brother Comino says, “We want to guarantee them at least one meal a day, for many the only one. Often the weakest faint during the lessons.”

To help combat some of the issues related to hunger, agricultural projects have been started so people may live and be autonomous on their own land, avoiding illegal emigration. It is estimated that one third of the population has left their villages. Salesian missionaries would also like to expand a school in Nizito which is currently unable to meet the village’s needs. Missionaries are working to provide students with chairs, benches and educational materials.

“Only by making the South Sudanese self-sufficient can we end the tribal struggles,” concludes Bro. Comino.

South Sudan is expansive and largely rural with 83 percent of the population residing in rural areas. Poverty is endemic with at least 80 percent of the population defined as income-poor and living on an equivalent of less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. More than one third of the population lacks secure access to food.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – Work for peace, work for education

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian missionaries continue to provide education and food relief to youth and their families in local villages first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian students from Italy volunteer to use skills learned from vocational and technical education to aid Salesian hospital

MissionNewswire — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 15:41:01 +0000

(MissionNewswire) Students, parents and others from the Salesian House in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, spent several weeks of their summer break in the city of Tonj, South Sudan. The six Salesian student volunteers are taking vocational courses in thermal-hydraulic, electric and motor repair/installation and were able to provide maintenance support to a newly built hospital and small house for volunteers.

The students were supported on the trips by their parents and other members of the Salesian Family including friends and supporters from a number of Salesian parishes and programs in Northern Italy’s Lombardy region, including former Salesian pupils from Treviglio and volunteers from Val Camonica.

Two groups of volunteers made trips to Tonj, the first reaching the city in mid-June and the second arriving in July. The groups were joined by Father Omar Delasa, the head of the Salesian-run Tonj Project Onlus which made the trip possible. The Tonj Project Onlus built and launched a new hospital in 2014 thanks to a contribution by the Pesenti family of Bergamo.

During the trips, the visiting volunteers were utilized to provide maintenance updates to both the infrastructure and electrical and plumbing systems for the hospital and a small house for volunteers. The students were also able to install a photovoltaic system for producing electricity and set up a water purification system for the water well.

“Volunteers with various skills including bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, nurses, farmers and animal breeders are all needed to help the ongoing work of Salesian missionaries in the region,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.” Through their volunteer work, students are able to apply the skills they learned in the classroom to a real-world environment while helping those who are in need.”

South Sudan is expansive and largely rural with 83 percent of the population residing in rural areas. Poverty is endemic with at least 80 percent of the population defined as income-poor and living on an equivalent of less than $1 per day, according to the World Bank. More than one third of the population lacks secure access to food.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – South Sudan – Alternative holidays … Or rather, missionary!

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian students from Italy volunteer to use skills learned from vocational and technical education to aid Salesian hospital first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian missionaries provide summer activities and food distribution for those who have been internally displaced

MissionNewswire — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 19:55:48 +0000

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Gumbo mission in Juba, South Sudan hosts the Salesian St. Vincent de Paul parish, which provides services to those who have been internally displaced and residing at the local IDP camp. The camp was established to aid those displaced by the war in 2013 and then again later as conflict continued. At its inception, Salesian missionaries report that there were close to 4,000 people at the camp. Now, there are more than 12,000 with the vast majority being women and children. Near the camp there is a Salesian-run nursery school for 1,000 children. Within the Don Bosco Gumbo grounds, there is also a school run by Daughters of Mary Help of Christians with 1,100 children who come from the neighboring villages.

UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, has noted that nearly 2 million people are displaced within South Sudan and close to another 2 million have fled seeking safety and shelter in neighboring countries. Many of those fleeing South Sudan are women and children. They include survivors of violent attacks and sexual assault, children who have been separated from their parents or traveled alone, the disabled, the elderly and people in need of urgent medical care. UNHCR has noted that South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, has now joined Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia as countries that have produced more than a million refugees. It noted that an estimated 7.5 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

Father David Tulimelli is the parish priest at the Salesian St. Vincent de Paul parish and oversees the work for those who have been internally displaced (IDPs). The IDPs residing at Don Bosco Gumbo are provided with the opportunity to work and to gain self-sufficiency. Gumbo received a good amount of rainfall this season making the environment lush and green. Together with the IDPs, Salesian missionaries are working to take advantage of this greener environment by planting vegetables to alleviate food shortage this year.

After a careful study was done in the camp to determine the needs of IDPs, missionaries found that the most urgent need was for cooking vessels and mats. With the aid of donors, Salesian missionaries were able to provide these essentials. In addition, with the collaboration of the World Food Programme and MACDA, Salesian missionaries were able to issue IDPs ID cards, which helped to better distribute food.

“No amount of rain could disturb us from our regular and important task of food distribution for the IDPs,” says Fr. Tulimelli. “Monthly distribution of flour, maize, beans and oil for the IDPs in our premise went on well. Thanks to our able staff and leaders from IDP camp who helped in food distribution.”

Father Tulimelli also added, “Health and hygiene is essential for all, especially for the girls. We did make efforts to ensure our children studying in our Don Bosco IDP school are not lacking their basic needs. This month we distributed sanitation kits essential for the girls in our schools. We are indebted to the good hearts who helped us in this endeavor.”

As the summer months arrive and students are out of school, Salesian missionaries planned special activities including games, sports, drills, exercises, songs, dances, activities for growth, seminars on health education and video programs. The daily program ends with a meal for the IDP school children.

Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Gumbo and across South Sudan continue to assess the situation and are working with their networks around the globe to access additional humanitarian aid. Responding to the ongoing civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan. They have been continuing their educational and social development programs in communities across the country while also responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs and health clinics for poor youth and their families in South Sudan. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

###

Sources:

Gumbo Newsletter May 2018

UNHCR – South Sudan Emergency

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian missionaries provide summer activities and food distribution for those who have been internally displaced first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: One Hundred Village Schools project has built 74 schools since 2012

MissionNewswire — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 19:55:44 +0000

(MissionNewswire) The One Hundred Village Schools project launched in South Sudan in 2012 by the Salesian missionary office Don Bosco Nanum, based in Seoul, South Korea, has been a great success. To date, 74 elementary schools have been built and nearly 15,000 children have been impacted. These children are now engaged in education and gaining the foundational skills needed for higher learning.

The project was inspired by two visionary Italian Salesian missionaries, Father Vincenzo Donati and Salesian Brother Giacomo (Jim) Comino, both of whom after many years of missionary work in South Korea were assigned to the East Africa Province in 1981 and 1992, respectively. Initially many doubted the feasibility of such a large educational project, but their vision was welcomed with enthusiasm by many people, including the then Provincial of East Africa, Father Gianni Rolandi, and Father Pascual Chávez, then rector major.

The 74 new schools each have four classrooms and were made possible thanks to the generosity of many donors. One of those donors was South Korean Olympic gold medalist Yuna Kim who donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the project. The funding donated was able to build one entire school. Other donors from around the globe, including those from Korea, Italy, Austria, Germany and the United States, made the schools project a success.

“Donors like Yuna Kim and others around the globe make a marked difference for Salesian programs and ensure Salesian missionaries can continue providing essential education and social development services to poor youth and their families,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Although the project is just shy of 75 percent complete, in the May monthly newsletter sent to Don Bosco’s benefactors, donors and friends, the director of Don Bosco Nanum announced the closure of the project, due to the challenging circumstances happening in South Sudan.

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has noted that nearly 2 million people are displaced within South Sudan, and close to another 2 million have fled seeking safety and shelter in neighboring countries. Many of those fleeing South Sudan are women and children. They include survivors of violent attacks and sexual assault, children who have been separated from their parents or traveled alone, the disabled, the elderly and people in need of urgent medical care. UNHCR has noted that South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, has now joined Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia as countries that have produced more than a million refugees. It noted that an estimated 7.5 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

Even with the closure of this one project, Salesian missionaries are dedicated to the programs and services they are providing across the country. They have been continuing their educational and social development programs while also responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis. In addition to humanitarian aid, Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs and health clinics for poor youth and their families in South Sudan. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

###

Sources:

ANS – South Sudan – A project that will remain in history: 100 primary schools for the country

UNHCR – South Sudan Emergency

ANS photo

The post SOUTH SUDAN: One Hundred Village Schools project has built 74 schools since 2012 first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian missionaries in Juba support displaced by providing education, shelter, support

MissionNewswire — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 08:23:39 +0000

(MissionNewswire) Father David Tulimelli, parish priest at the Salesian St. Vincent de Paul parish which operates Don Bosco Gumbo, has dedicated his life to the youth of South Sudan. He has been a witness to the young country’s troubles and was praised in 2016 for his efforts to assist those who were internally displaced by the ongoing conflict in South Sudan. Fr. Tulimelli fed 4,000 in that year as the country’s refugee crisis intensified.

The Salesian presence in Juba is quite large. One of the primary centers in the region is the camp for those that have been internally displaced that took refugee there during the war in 2013 and then later as conflict continued. At the start, Salesian missionaries report that there were close to 4,000 people. Now, there are more than 12,000, and the vast majority are women and children. Near the camp there is also a nursery school for 1,000 children. Within the complex, there is also a school run by Daughters of Mary Help of Christians with 1,100 children who come from the neighboring villages.

UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, has noted that nearly 2 million people are displaced within South Sudan, and close to another 2 million have fled seeking safety and shelter in neighboring countries. Many of those fleeing South Sudan are women and children. They include survivors of violent attacks and sexual assault, children who have been separated from their parents or traveled alone, the disabled, the elderly and people in need of urgent medical care. UNHCR has noted that South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, has now joined Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia as countries that have produced more than a million refugees. It noted that an estimated 7.5 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

In addition to the camp within Juba, Salesian missionaries educate 3,900 elementary students in two daily shifts. Another school run by Salesian sisters has 350 students and a Salesian technical school educates 300 students. The Sisters of Charity of Jesus also run a medical dispensary, which has greatly reduced infant mortality. In the area, the nuns also offer horticulture courses to young mothers. A Salesian oratory also welcomes nearly 500 children and three outlying Salesian elementary schools educate 450, 600 and 800 students respectively.

“Every morning many children arrive at Salesian programs and schools, they are punctual and clean,” says Fr. Tulimelli. “We insist a lot on hygiene and the minimum rules of conduct, such as punctuality. A neat and welcoming environment, even very simple structures, is already a school of life. The children are the first to believe in it and commit themselves. For them, school is the most important route for the future.”

Fr. Tulimelli notes that one of the biggest challenges is needing more people to assist with the overwhelming need in South Sudan. He notes that there are six Salesian pre-novices in the community so that is a sign of hope but more is needed.

“By widening our gaze, what South Sudan needs most is peace. It is a very young nation with great resources. If there is collaboration, in a few years it can flourish and amaze the world,” adds Fr. Tulimelli.

Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Gumbo and across South Sudan continue to assess the situation and are working within their networks around the globe to access additional humanitarian aid. Responding to the ongoing civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan. They have been continuing their educational and social development programs in communities across the country while also responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

###

Sources:

ANS – South Sudan – A square kilometer for Don Bosco

UNHCR – South Sudan Emergency

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian missionaries in Juba support displaced by providing education, shelter, support first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Olympic gold medalist Yuna Kim supported Salesian programs in the South Sudan in 2012

MissionNewswire — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 14:35:27 +0000

(MissionNewswire) South Korean 0lympic gold medalist Yuna Kim (who lit the torch during the Opening Ceremony for the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea), is a devout Catholic. In 2012, Kim donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Salesians of Don Bosco to help support missionary brothers in South Sudan and to establish Catholic schools throughout the war-torn country, according to an article on EWTN, the Global Catholic Network.

Kim meet with Salesian brothers in Seoul to personally deliver the gift. According to the article, at the time Kim told Korean press that while visiting Africa in 2011 she “felt the need to help out children there,” and wanted “to offer what little support I can” to those in Africa.

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country gained its independence from Sudan in 2011, but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013, and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis. Responding to the ongoing civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in the country. They have been continuing their educational and social development programs in communities across the country while also responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Salesian missionaries across South Sudan provide education and social development services for poor youth and their families. One Salesian center, Don Bosco Gumbo, includes a Salesian parish, primary and secondary school, and youth center. The organization offers education and social development services to youth and their families living in Morobo. For some, the education offered at Don Bosco Gumbo’s primary and secondary school is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

Salesian missionaries have also been working in Tonj, a town in the northwest region of South Sudan, for several years. Their focus has been on providing education and social development services for poor youth through the operation of primary and secondary schools and youth centers. In addition, the missionaries operate several medical clinics, including a leprosy clinic, as well as a hospital.

“Donors like Yuna Kim make a marked difference for Salesian programs around the globe and ensure Salesian missionaries can continue providing essential education and social development services to poor youth and their families,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Kim won gold in the 2010 Vancouver Games with a record-breaking score. According to the article, Kim converted to the Catholic faith with her mother in 2008, after they were introduced to local nuns and Catholic organizations by Kim’s personal physician—also a Catholic—who was treating her for knee injuries.

Since then, Kim has also been active using her position as an opportunity for volunteering and donating funds to Catholic hospitals, universities and other charitable organizations, as well as working alongside the Catholic bishops in Korea as a spokeswoman for Catholic charities in Seoul. Kim is now retired from competitive skating but has served as an ambassador for the 2018 Winter Olympics in her home country of Korea.

###

Sources:

EWTN – Catholic skater Yuna Kim lights the Olympic torch

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Olympic gold medalist Yuna Kim supported Salesian programs in the South Sudan in 2012 first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Graduate of Don Bosco School Tonj credits Salesian priest with inspiration for advancing to medical school in South Korea

MissionNewswire — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 14:47:13 +0000

(MissionNewswire) Dr. Thomas Taban Akot, a graduate of Don Bosco School Tonj in the South Sudan, is an international student at Inje University-Medical College in Busan, South Korea. He recently graduated from the medical college and passed his medical licensing examination. Dr. Akot credits much of his success to meeting the late Father John Lee Tae-Suk, a doctor and a Salesian priest. The priest was a friend and mentor to Dr. Akot early in his life and during his studies.

Dr. Akot grew up in the South Sudan where he faced the challenges of dealing with a long civil war and now continued fighting and devastation within the county. According to the United Nations, neighboring country Uganda is currently hosting 1.3 million refugees, nearly all of them from the South Sudan.

“The civil war continued for decades, and many people lost their homes or became refugees,” says Dr. Akot. “Many also got sick without any possibility of medical treatment. I was asking myself, ‘What can I do for those who suffer so much?’ When I was a student, I was interested in science, but my conclusion was that I become a medical doctor.”

Dr. Akot first met his mentor, Fr. Tae-Suk, when he was just a junior in high school. Fr. Tae-Suk had asked him to join the school band. Dr. Akot learned the flute, guitar and alto saxophone. It was Fr. Tae-Suk who recommended Dr. Akot to the university to study medicine in South Korea. To do so, Dr. Akot had to learn the Korean language.

“I spent about eight years with Fr. John, and it’s difficult to describe his impact on me,” explains Dr. Akot. “Fr. John brought joy to everyone in Tonj. He was talking to all, young and old, without exception. At first it was difficult for me to approach him since he was a priest, but later on I overcame the distance. When I reflect on him as a medical doctor, it’s amazing. To become a medical doctor in Korea means to receive a lot of fame and wealth. Fr. John gave up all of this in order to come to the poor country of Sudan and serve us. It was his life choice and it inspired me.”

Dr. Akot is thankful for the assistance of Fr. Tae-Suk and others who have helped him on his journey, especially in medical school. He become close friends with his roommates and other friends in his classes and study groups. The other students helped him to establish trust with his patients and showed him new ways to do things. Now that Dr. Akot has graduated, he is finishing his medical preparation in South Korea and hopes to one day return to the South Sudan to practice medicine.

“My first goal is to conclude the internship and resident period and to become a surgeon,” adds Dr. Akot. “I would like to become like Fr. John, to serve other people in Tonj. In fact, I dreamed of returning immediately after my graduation, but the academic authorities at Inje University convinced me to finalize the whole medical preparation in Korea, since in South Sudan there are not yet the best conditions to do this.”

Salesian missionaries have been working in Dr. Akot’s hometown of Tonj for several years. Their focus has been on providing education and social development services for poor youth through the operation of primary and secondary schools and youth centers. In addition, the missionaries operate several medical clinics, including a leprosy clinic. In 2015, Salesian missionaries, in collaboration with the Tonj Project Onlus, opened a new hospital with maternity and surgical wards and a residence for medical and administrative staff.

###

Sources:

ANS – Korea – Dr. Thomas Taban Akot: a doctor on the footsteps of Fr Lee Tae-Suk

MissionNewswire – SOUTH SUDAN: New Salesian Hospital Will Provide Medical Care for Poor and Sick in Tonj

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Graduate of Don Bosco School Tonj credits Salesian priest with inspiration for advancing to medical school in South Korea first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Continue Relief Work for Those Affected by Conflict and Famine

MissionNewswire — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 15:01:20 +0000

(MissionNewswire) Conflict and famine in South Sudan are severely affecting minors across the country. In March 2017, a famine was declared in parts of South Sudan. UN agencies warn that almost 5 million people urgently need food, agriculture and nutrition assistance. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) noted that ongoing war and a collapsing economy have left some 100,000 people facing starvation, and another 1 million people are classified as being on the brink of famine. In July, at the height of the lean season, this number is expected to rise to 5.5 million people if nothing is done to address the crisis.

“In two days, we weighed more than 300 children and found that more than 200 of those children, between 3 and 6 years of age, are malnourished. Of those, 170 are in a situation of a severe malnutrition,” a Salesian missionary working in Gumbo reported. “It was like a bad dream, we did not expect that the situation could be so serious. We are providing food and water and want to monitor them for two weeks and see how they develop. But all this proves the very serious situation that people live in Gumbo, as they do not have the means to access the food, not even for the younger ones.”

Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Gumbo and across South Sudan, including Salesian Sisters with Mary Help of Christians, continue to work within their networks around the globe to access additional humanitarian aid. In Gumbo, Salesian missionaries have two camps that currently have more than 1,000 families (roughly 10,000 people) who have been displaced. They also assist hundreds of families in the surrounding neighborhood who are starving due to the present crisis. At the Salesian church compound in Wau, Salesian missionaries are providing shelter and assistance to 2,500 people and reaching out to thousands of others displaced within the city.

“At Gumbo, the situation is quieter and we continue to carry out our activities including classes with children, activities with women, an agricultural project, but in other places like at Wau and Tonj there has been looting, conflict and deaths in the past few days,” says the Salesian missionary. “However, the most curious thing is that, despite the situation, mothers and children are eager to learn and play. They have so much life. Perhaps the world leaders will realize it and change their hearts.”

Responding to the ongoing civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan. They have been continuing their educational and social development programs in communities across the country while also responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Salesian missionaries provide education, social development services, nutrition programs and health clinics for poor youth and their families. For some, the education offered at Salesian schools is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

Salesian missionaries across South Sudan will continue to assess this ongoing situation and work within their own global organizations and their international aid partners to bring humanitarian aid to its programs and people of South Sudan.

Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco has a special appeal to assist those in need in this part of the world. To help, go to SalesianMissions.org and select “Africa Drought Crisis Fund” on the donation page.

###

Sources:

ANS – South Sudan – The Salesian mission at Gumbo takes care of hundreds of malnourished minors

FAO – Famine hits parts of South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Continue Relief Work for Those Affected by Conflict and Famine first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: United Nations Reports Nearly 5 Million People Urgently Need Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Assistance

MissionNewswire — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 23:24:09 +0000

(MissionNewswire) A famine has been declared in parts of South Sudan and UN agencies warn that almost 5 million people urgently need food, agriculture and nutrition assistance. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) noted in a recent article that ongoing war and a collapsing economy have left some 100,000 people facing starvation, and another 1 million people are classified as being on the brink of famine. In July, at the height of the lean season, this number is expected to rise to 5.5 million people if nothing is done to address the crisis.

“Famine has become a tragic reality in parts of South Sudan and our worst fears have been realized. Many families have exhausted every means they have to survive,” said FAO representative in South Sudan Serge Tissot in the FAO article. “The people are predominantly farmers and war has disrupted agriculture. They’ve lost their livestock, even their farming tools. For months, there has been a total reliance on whatever plants they can find and fish they can catch.”

The declaration of famine means people have already started dying of hunger. Three years of conflict in the world’s newest country has severely limited crop production and diminished rural livelihoods. The increased escalation of violence in July 2016 further devastated food production, including in previously stable areas according to FAO. Because of the continued violence and instability in the country, there has been up to an 800 percent year-on-year inflation and market failure that seriously impacted areas that traditionally rely on markets to meet food needs. FAO notes that urban populations are also struggling to cope with massive price increases on basic food items.

Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Gumbo and across South Sudan, including Salesian Sisters with Mary Help of Christians, continue to work within their networks around the globe to access additional humanitarian aid. In Gumbo, Salesian missionaries have two camps that currently have more than 1,000 families (roughly 10,000 people) who have been displaced. They also assist hundreds of families in the surrounding neighborhood who are also starving due to the present crisis. At the Salesian church compound in Wau, Salesian missionaries are providing shelter and assistance to 2,500 people and reaching out to thousands of others displaced within the city.

In a recent pastoral letter of the Catholic bishops in South Sudan, the bishops note, “Our country is gripped by a humanitarian crisis – famine, insecurity and economic hardship. Our people are struggling simply to survive. While there have been poor rains in many parts of the country, there is no doubt that this famine is man-made, due to insecurity and poor economic management. Hunger, in turn, creates insecurity, in a vicious circle in which the hungry man, especially if he has a gun, may resort to looting to feed himself and his family. Millions of our people are affected, with large numbers displaced from their homes and many fleeing to neighboring countries, where they are facing appalling hardships in refugee camps.”

Salesian missionaries across South Sudan will continue to assess this ongoing situation and work with their international aid partners to bring humanitarian aid to its programs and people of South Sudan.

###

Sources:

ANS – South Sudan – “Induced Famine “: war and hunger are killing our brothers

FAO – Famine hits parts of South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: United Nations Reports Nearly 5 Million People Urgently Need Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Assistance first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Priest Feeds 4,000 Displaced as Refugee Crisis Escalates

MissionNewswire — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 13:21:37 +0000

(MissionNewswire) Father David Tulimelli, parish priest at the Salesian St. Vincent de Paul parish which operates Don Bosco Gumbo, has recently been praised for his efforts to assist those who have been internally displaced by the ongoing conflict in South Sudan. According to a Premier Christian Radio article, Fr. Tulimelli fed 4,000 in a year as the country’s refugee crisis intensified.

UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, has noted that nearly 2.2 million people are displaced within South Sudan, and in September 2016, more than a million fled seeking safety and shelter in neighboring countries. Many of those fleeing South Sudan are women and children. They include survivors of violent attacks and sexual assault, children who have been separated from their parents or travelled alone, the disabled, the elderly, and people in need of urgent medical care. UNHCR notes that South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, has now joined Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia as countries that have produced more than a million refugees.

Fighting in the country intensified in July 2016 near the country’s fifth anniversary of independence. During the first year of the war, fighting was initially between Nuer and Dinka ethnic communities aligned with the rival leaders but of late a wider array of armed groups and communities have been drawn into the increasingly lethal violence. Salesian missionaries living and working in Juba, the largest city and capital of South Sudan, and in other places across the country, have been on the front lines providing humanitarian relief for those in need.

International aid agencies also report severity of human rights violations and abuses have increased with the continuation of hostilities in the country and noted attacks that have singled out and killed children as well as subjected them to sexual violence. Further, the United Nations estimates that as a result of the conflict, up to 4 million people are currently facing “acute” food and nutrition insecurity.

Don Bosco Gumbo, located in the town of Gumbo on the outskirts of Juba, has been hosting more than 3,000 people who fled the violence and conflict. Fr. Tulimelli has partnered with the international aid agency World Vision to provide food for people facing starvation.

“Last year we supported around 4,000 people at the Don Bosco Gumbo compound. But when food supplies ran out for two months and we were hit by cholera, 37 people died. I’m worried that this could happen again,” said Fr. Tulimelli in the Premier Christian Radio article.

According to the article, Jeremiah Young, World Vision South Sudan policy and peace-building advisor, believes there is high likelihood the situation will deteriorate.

“We cannot ignore the fact that parts of the country are on the brink of famine,” said Young in the article. “World Vision research shows that the failure to provide necessary interventions required to both strengthen capacity to withstand shocks and stresses while also providing lifesaving assistance will likely result in millions more experiencing the highest levels of food insecurity ever recorded in South Sudan.

“If this happens, previous aid and investment will have been wasted. Donors and politicians need to act now to help children caught up in this conflict,” Young warned.

###

SOURCES:

Premiere Christian Radio – South Sudan: Priest feeds 4,000 refugees

UNHCR – Refugees fleeing South Sudan pass one million mark

(Photos courtesy of World Vision. May not be used without permission from World Vision.)

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Priest Feeds 4,000 Displaced as Refugee Crisis Escalates first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Operate Leprosy Program, Hospital in Tonj

MissionNewswire — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 00:42:13 +0000

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have been working in Tonj, a town in the northwest region of South Sudan, for several years. Their focus has been on providing education and social development services for poor youth through the operation of primary and secondary schools and youth centers. In addition, the missionaries operate several medical clinics, including a leprosy clinic, as well as a hospital.

Today, 20 families of people affected by leprosy are living in a place called Laicok where Salesian missionaries have constructed buildings that have space for each family in their own room. Salesian missionaries, with assistance from Salesian Sisters from the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, have been providing care and aid to those suffering from leprosy. They are provided shelter, food, clothing and other sanitary items like soap as well as medical care.

The leprosy program was started by Father John Lee who arrived at the Salesian mission in Tonj in 2001. He remained until 2008 when he went away on a trip to South Korea. It was there that doctors discovered Fr. Lee had cancer, and he passed away 14 months later. During his time in South Sudan, Fr. Lee constructed an outpatient clinic and made repairs to the primary school building. He also brought band instruments from South Korea and trained more than 70 young boys and girls. The youth band is well-known in South Sudan and even traveled to South Korea in 2012 to perform.

A new hospital named for Fr. Lee was opened in Tonj in late July 2014 after four years of planning and construction. The current facility consists of maternity and surgical wards and a residence for medical and administrative staff. The hospital was fully operational in 2015. Volunteer doctors from Italy provide the medical care at the hospital.

“Medical care is a very important part of Salesian work around the globe,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries care for the sick in more than 90 clinics and hospitals in the more than 130 countries we serve. Many of the hospitals and clinics are located in rural areas where access to medical care is limited.”

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country celebrated its fourth year of independence in 2016, but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis. Responding to the ongoing civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in the country. They have been continuing their educational and social development programs in communities across the country while also responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

“It’s a very challenging time now in South Sudan since the outbreak of civil war that erupted in December 2013 and more escalation this past year,” says Father John Peter, a Salesian priest reporting on the leprosy program in South Sudan. “Many have been killed and millions of people are internally displaced within the country. Because of this unrest, the cost of things has gone very high, including the cost of food, making it difficult for families to survive. We appreciate all those who have assisted and donated in support of our work in the country.”

###

Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian missionaries in Tonj.

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Operate Leprosy Program, Hospital in Tonj first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Providing Shelter, Services to Those Facing Violence in Morobo

MissionNewswire — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 20:55:50 +0000

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian-run Don Bosco Mission Morobo in South Sudan has been working with local residents to keep safe and prepared in the event the violent clashes that have been happening across the country erupt in their local area. Morobo County is located in the southern central tip of the South Sudan close to both Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The county had been very peaceful and calm until July 2016, when armed conflict again resumed in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, and in many of the other parts of the country.

Since that time, the people in Morobo have been suffering with insecurity. Salesian missionaries living and working in the area report that all over the county a rebel-opposition armed force has been building up and has been gaining strength day by day. There have been reports of attacks by these rebel forces on the national army causing many deaths and wounding many more.

The local people are very peace-loving and make their daily living mainly through farming. They fear retaliation, and as a result, have been seeking a safer and more peaceful place to live. Those who are able to have fled across the boarders into Uganda and the DR Congo. Many of the local residents that take part in local Salesian programs fear that their small houses, which are made of mud and grass-roofs, could be burned to the ground. People who cannot afford to bring their belongings with them as they flee are bringing their belongings to the Don Bosco church for safe keeping.

“Salesian missionaries across the South Sudan are reporting that the needs of the people are great with many who are in need of food, shelter, medicine, clothing and educational needs,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries are continuing to assess the situation and are working within their networks around the globe to access additional humanitarian aid.”

UNICEF recently reported that since January 2016, at least 650 children have been recruited into armed groups in South Sudan. Children are facing serious risks of harm including being used during the conflict as child soldiers, exploited and face serious harm. Gender-based violence against women and girls has also increased during the conflict.

Salesian missionaries in many areas of South Sudan are provided shelter, food and support to those facing this conflict and violence. In Juba, the Don Bosco Mission provides services to 3,000 women and children and the influx of those internally displaced by the recent fighting is stretching them beyond their means. Salesian missionaries are providing shelter, medical care and food but roads have been cut off since the start of the fighting on July 7. The concern is they will soon run out of supplies and basic necessities.

###

Sources

ANS – South Sudan – Fear, hunger and poverty in the county of Morobo

Newswire – Salesian Missionaries Aid Thousands Fleeing for Their Lives

UN – South Sudan: Hundreds of children recruited into armed groups, reports UNICEF

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Providing Shelter, Services to Those Facing Violence in Morobo first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Aid Thousands Fleeing for Their Lives

MissionNewswire — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 23:05:20 +0000

(MissionNewsire) A fragile truce has been declared by both sides in the struggle for power in South Sudan after days of fighting erupted coinciding with the country’s fifth anniversary of independence from Sudan. On Monday, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir demanded an immediate end to the fighting between his soldiers and those loyal to his rival Vice President Riek Machar, according to news released by CNN.

The most recent clashes have left more than 150 dead and thousands seeking safe shelter across the capital city of Juba. Non-emergency personnel with the U.S Embassy in Juba have also been evacuated. Instability and political conflicts have been all too commonplace across South Sudan since the country gained independence, pushing them at times back to the brink of civil war. Salesian missionaries living and working in Juba, and in places across the country, have been on the front lines providing humanitarian relief for those in need.

“Our country is plunged back into disorder,” says Father Shyjan C J, with the Don Bosco Mission in Juba. “There has been heavy shooting for days. Hundreds of people have been killed and the damage is severe. Many essential goods are lacking. Continue to pray for us, we are experiencing a very serious humanitarian crisis in our country.”

The Don Bosco Mission provides services to 3,000 women and children and the influx of those internally displaced by the recent fighting is stretching them beyond their means. Salesian missionaries are providing shelter, medical care and food but roads have been cut off since the start of the fighting on July 7. The concern is they will soon run out of supplies and basic necessities.

The United Nations issued a warning that the human rights situation in the country is “deteriorating rapidly” and is calling for safe passage for people trying to flee Juba. Many of those fleeing are desperate to find a safe haven as they are caught in the midst of deadly chaos.

After intense fighting in the village of Gumbo within Juba, the Salesian church compound was filled with more than 15,000. The Salesian primary and secondary school were opened to accommodate all the people seeking shelter. After morning came and the fighting ceased, many returned to their homes leaving Salesian missionaries with upwards of 8,000 people still needing humanitarian relief. They anticipate as evening falls many who went home will return to the church compound to have a safe place to spend the night.

People are looking to the Salesian church compound for a minimum of security. They believe and hope that the presence of religious and foreign volunteers will prevent the warring parties from attacking the mission. Salesian missionaries describe the situation as very challenging with people—afraid for their lives—wanting to see peace but are met with death and destruction.

“Our main concern now is how to feed the whole multitude of people seeking refuge in our mission,” adds Fr. Shyjan CJ. “Our food supply is becoming scarce and we have no chance to get food and other essential items for the thousands that are sheltered here. In addition, roads and airports are closed, the border with Uganda is controlled by the military and there are roadblocks everywhere so you cannot go anywhere to seek aid.”

The violence has affected Salesian missionaries in other parts of South Sudan as well. Missionaries in Wau, about 350 miles from Juba, have been sheltering 25,000 people for the last two weeks as violent clashes killed more than 50 two weeks ago and left thousands displaced. While people have been safe at the Salesian compound, supplies are running out at the facility.

Salesian missionaries are continuing to assess the situation and are working within their networks around the globe to access additional humanitarian aid. Responding to the ongoing civil strife is nothing new to Salesian missionaries in South Sudan. They have been continuing their educational and social development programs in communities across the country while also responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

###

Sources:

PHOTO: IDP’s from the Protection of Civilian site (PoC site) in Juba, South Sudan, take cover and seek safety from the heavy fighting between the SPLA and SPLA-IO. UN Photo/Eric Kanalstein

ANS – South Sudan – “We want peace, but here we see nothing but death and destruction”

ANS – South Sudan – Taking care of thousands of displaced people, hoping that the truce holds

CNN – South Sudan: President Kiir orders ceasefire

United Nations – South Sudan ceasefire ‘largely holding;’ UN urges safe passage for fleeing civilians

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Aid Thousands Fleeing for Their Lives first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Respond to Humanitarian Crisis in Wau After Clashes Claim 50 Lives

MissionNewswire — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 18:34:38 +0000

(MissionNewsire) A new round of clashes between a new rebel group and government troops in Wau, a remote town 650 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Juba in South Sudan, has left more than 50 people dead, according to a recent report by the Associated Press (Nairobi Bureau). Many residents have fled their homes in search of safety. The AP article notes that South Sudan’s government has indicated that the new rebel group had formed only months after the leader of another rebel group signed a peace deal to end a civil war.

The AP further reports that the new rebel group has an Islamic fundamentalist agenda and includes former government troops, fighters from the Ugandan-led rebel group the Lord’s Resistance Army and a Sudanese militia called the janjaweed.

Salesian missionaries living and working in the area have been responding to the humanitarian crisis, and while others have left to take shelter at the United Nations compound, Salesian priests and nuns have remained with the people in need. These missionaries are reporting that thousands of people have been displaced and they are caring for more than 25,000 seeking shelter at the local Salesian church. Nearly 5,000 have sought shelter at at the Cathedral Church and the UN compound is reported to be sheltering upwards of 15,000.

It is estimate that 90 percent of the minority tribes living in Wau were forced to flee as the violence erupted. Many of the local resident’s homes have been looted by the Army and other supporters. Some homes were burned to the ground leaving residents homeless.

The situation on the ground remains dire as people are lacking food, supplies, medicines and other basic necessities. Salesian missionaries and other international aid groups are responding as best they can providing shelter, medical care and what little food and supplies they have available.

“Though most of the shooting has stopped, people are fearful of going back to their homes because of the insecurity and looting,” says Father George Kainikunnel, director of Don Bosco Wau. “Many reached our center with nothing in their hands and many will end up going back to nothing because their homes have been ransacked and looted. Even the market has been looted so commodities are scarce and expensive.”

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country will celebrate its fifth year of independence in July, but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Close to 80,000 people have sought refuge at several UN compounds across the country. In Juba, the largest city and capital of the country, 80 percent of those displaced are women and children. More than 350,000 people have fled to neighboring countries risking their lives and leaving everything they had behind.

###

Sources:

(PHOTOS: Father George Kainikunnel, SDB, Director, Don Bosco Wau, South Sudan, June 29, 2016)

Associated Press (Nairobi Bureau) via ABC News – Official: Over 50 People Killed in New South Sudan Fighting

World Bank – South Sudan

Additional MissionNewswire articles about South Sudan

Salesian Missions

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Respond to Humanitarian Crisis in Wau After Clashes Claim 50 Lives first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Dig New Well Providing Close to 4,000 People Clean, Safe Water

MissionNewswire — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 20:11:34 +0000

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have completed a water well project in Morobo, a village less than two miles away from Don Bosco Gumbo, a Salesian center located in the town of Gumbo on the outskirts of Juba, the largest city and capital of South Sudan. The village had been completely destroyed during the country’s fight for independence in 2011 and much of its population had fled to safer areas. Despite continued fighting across South Sudan even after independence was gained, close to 4,000 people have come back to make the village of Morobo their home once again.

One the most urgent needs in Morobo is access to clean, safe water. The nearest water source is in Juba which requires residents to make a long daily trek to carry water back to their homes. From November to May each year, South Sudan experiences a dry season and most sources of surface water dry up. According to The Water Project, an organization that provides access to clean, safe and reliable water across sub-Saharan Africa, this lack of surface water forces millions of South Sudanese to leave their homes in search of water. Some have to abandon their homes and move all together while others are forced to trek miles every day to collect water from ponds, marshes, ditches or hand-dug wells.

Women and children bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households and globally, spend 140 million hours a day collecting water. Children in these communities are forced to walk for hours to collect drinking water. Many others are unable to attend school regularly because they must spend time searching for distant wells. Often the water they find is contaminated with disease-causing parasites and bacteria and if drunk, results in pain, sickness and even death, especially for infants and children.

The new water well project in Morobo provides the local people drinking water as well as water for sanitation and daily chores. Missionaries constructed the water well by drilling a borehole and installing a hand pump. Its construction will improve the health of residents, increase agricultural production and lead to a better quality of life for families, especially for girls and women.

“From safe drinking water and healthy sanitation to agriculture, water is essential for life,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian Missions has made building wells and other projects that supply fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work.”

Don Bosco Gumbo includes a Salesian parish, secondary school and youth center and offers educational and social development services to youth and their families living in Morobo. For some, the education offered at Don Bosco Gumbo’s secondary school is the only opportunity to gain an education and the skills necessary for future employment.

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. Only 27 percent of the population aged 15 years and older is literate, with significant gender disparities. The literacy rate for males is 40 percent compared to 16 percent for females. Less than one percent of girls complete primary education.

###

Sources:

The Water Project

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries Dig New Well Providing Close to 4,000 People Clean, Safe Water first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries at Don Bosco Gumbo are Providing School Supplies and Food Aid to Those Internally Displaced

MissionNewswire — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 13:31:14 +0000

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries at Don Bosco Gumbo, located in the town of Gumbo on the outskirts of Juba, the largest city and capital of South Sudan, have been continuing their work in the area despite violence and increasing famine in the country. Recently, missionaries have begun providing food aid to the more than 3,000 internally displaced people who are accessing shelter and services at Don Bosco Gumbo. Last month, 29 additional families arrived after fleeing violence in other regions of the country.

For students at the Don Bosco Primary School located on the Don Bosco Gumbo campus, Salesian missionaries are providing new pens, pencils and school stationary for the new school year. The primary school serves 1,000 children, many of whom are from families who have been internally displaced.

According to the World Bank, almost 83 percent of South Sudanese resided in rural areas before the outbreak of the recent conflict which has displaced more than 2 million people. Only 27 percent of the population aged 15 years and older is literate, with significant gender disparities. The literacy rate for males is 40 percent compared to 16 percent for females with less than 1 percent of girls completing primary education. The Don Bosco Primary School’s mission is to educate all students with a focus on ensuring that girls have equal access to education. Close to 45 percent of the school’s students are girls.

“Girls education is important to us, and we work to ensure that girls are welcome in our school,” says Father David Tulimelli, parish priest at the Salesian St. Vincent de Paul parish which operates Don Bosco Gumbo, “We are grateful to our donors who made it possible that we could provide our students the school supplies they need to be prepared for their lessons and complete their studies.”

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country celebrated its third year of independence in 2015 but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis.

According to a recent New York Times articles, international aid agencies have developed a report that indicates more than 2.2 million people in South Sudan have fled their homes over the past two years, including some 600,000 who have sought refuge in neighboring countries. Last year, according to the report, a new pattern of violence emerged in which government forces adopted scorched-earth tactics burning entire villages, killing their inhabitants, destroying crops and looting livestock. The civil war, which started in northern and eastern states has now spread to the south.

During the first year of the war, fighting was initially between Nuer and Dinka ethnic communities aligned with the rival leaders but of late a wider array of armed groups and communities have been drawn into the increasingly lethal violence. The international aid agencies’ report also detailed the severity of human rights violations and abuses that have increased with the continuation of hostilities in the country and noted that attacks that have singled out and killed children as well as subjected them to sexual violence. Further, the United Nations estimates that as a result of the conflict, 2.8 million people are currently facing “acute” food and nutrition insecurity in South Sudan’s Greater Upper Nile states.

###

Sources:

NY Times – U.N Finds South Sudan Increasingly in Turmoil

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Missionaries at Don Bosco Gumbo are Providing School Supplies and Food Aid to Those Internally Displaced first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Summer Camp Provides Activities for 270 Marginalized Youth

MissionNewswire — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 01:04:10 +0000

(MissionNewswire) In December, 270 youth took part in a 10-day summer camp operated by Don Bosco Gumbo located in the town of Gumbo on the outskirts of Juba, the largest city and capital of South Sudan. The camp was organized by Salesian missionaries in collaboration with members of the St. Vincent de Paul parish. Students from Salesian schools in the area, youth from communities surrounding Juba and those living in a camp for internally displaced people participated in the summer camp.

Led by young adults from the St. Vincent de Paul parish, pre-novices from the Salesian community and volunteers, the camp program encouraged a holistic, balanced lifestyle designed to help campers develop a strong foundation of mind, body and spirit. It also provided local youth the opportunity to spend their vacation time in a positive, healthy environment.

The camp opened by registering campers and assigning them to one of four teams. During the course of the 10 days, the teams competed in recreational activities and sports with an emphasis on developing a healthy sense of competition and camaraderie. Each day began with a morning assembly that included positive messages of hope, joy, peace and love followed by morning classes in English and Arabic. After a mid-morning breakfast, campers engaged in sports and recreational activities including games and art, speech, singing and dance competitions.

“Youth living in poverty in South Sudanese communities have difficulty excelling and remaining in school,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian youth programs, like summer camps, provide positive role models, structured activities, a safe place to get off the streets and a nonviolent, supportive environment in which to engage with peers.”

Don Bosco Gumbo includes a church parish, secondary school and youth center and provides education and social development services for poor youth and their families. For some students, the secondary school at Don Bosco Gumbo is their only option for continued studies.

Don Bosco Gumbo is one of the host sites for the Salesian Lay Missionaries program which provides lay volunteers to work alongside Salesian priests and sisters on various projects throughout the world. Since the program started in 1981, more than 350 lay missioners have served in 20 countries on projects that range from youth ministry to agriculture to nursing.

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country celebrated its third year of independence last July but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis.

The civil war has left thousands dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Close to 80,000 people have sought refuge at several UN compounds across the country. In the capital of Juba, 80 percent of those displaced are women and children. More than 350,000 people have fled to neighboring countries risking their lives and leaving everything behind.

Salesian missionaries assist those internally displaced through programs across South Sudan and in neighboring Kenya at the Kakuma refugee camp. More than 44 percent of refugees at the camp are from South Sudan and arrived after escaping conflict and violence.

###

Sources:

ANS – South Sudan – Don Bosco Gumbo Summer Camp 2015

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Summer Camp Provides Activities for 270 Marginalized Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

WORLD REFUGEE DAY: Salesian Missions Highlights Educational Programs Assisting Refugees around the Globe

MissionNewswire — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 20:32:53 +0000

(MissionNewswire) In countries around the globe, Salesian missionaries are assisting close to 400,000 refugees and internally displaced persons whose lives have been affected by war, persecution, famine and natural disasters such as floods, droughts and earthquakes. Salesian programs provide refugees much needed education and technical skills training, workforce development, healthcare and nutrition.

Each year, June 20 marks World Refugee Day, a day that honors the plight of millions of refugees and internally displaced people around the globe. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, noted that at the end of 2014, more than 50 million people had been forced from their homes worldwide. Almost 80 percent of those displaced are women and children.

Established in 2001, World Refugee Day is coordinated by UNHRC and focuses on honoring the courage, strength and determination of men, women and children forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. Each year, the day focuses on a particular theme that highlights specific circumstances faced by refugees. This year’s theme, “Get to know a refugee – Ordinary people living through extraordinary times,” aims to bring the public closer to the human side of the refugee story.

“All around the world we are seeing families fleeing violence,” said High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres in a recent statement about World Refugee Day. “The numbers are massive – but we must not forget that these are mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. People who led ordinary lives before war forced them to flee. On this World Refugee Day, everyone should remember the things that connect all of us – our common humanity.”

To mark World Refugee Day 2015, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight programs around the globe that provide life-changing education and support for refugees and internally displaced people in need that were developed by Salesian Missions and funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. Salesian Missions, headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, is the U.S. Development Arm of the international Salesians of Don Bosco.

COLOMBIAN REFUGEES

In recent years, more than 450,000 people have fled the violence of Colombia to neighboring Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama and Costa Rica. Salesian Missions’ New Beginnings initiative, which started in 2011, has provided more than 1,000 Colombian refugees in these four countries vocational and human development training as well as job placement services.

Many of the Colombian refugees began the program with no marketable skills. Without the prospect of a job, it was hard for them to create stability for their families and build new lives. The New Beginnings program grants each refugee 260 hours of technical training as well as 40 hours of human development workshops. The training programs, coupled with the job placement services, allowed these victims of violence and chaos to start over and build a stable, hopeful future for themselves, their families and their new communities.

SRI LANKAN REFUGEES IN INDIA

For the fifth year, Salesian Missions has received funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration to conduct its New Beginnings program for Sri Lankan Refugees in Tamil Nadu, India. To date, close to 2,500 refugees have received vocational training scholarships through the program. Since 1983, ethnic violence in Sri Lanka has forced tens of thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils from their homeland in search of safety and a new life in Tamil Nadu, India. According to UNHCR, there are close to 140,000 Sri Lankan refugees in 65 countries, with almost 70,000 in refugee camps in Tamil Nadu.

Refugees face many challenges as they begin to make a new life in their host countries. Sri Lankan Tamils are unique in that their host population in Tamil Nadu is also ethnically Tamil. While Sri Lankan refugees share a common language and customs with their host community, they still struggle to gain marketable skills and find livable wage employment.

Since 2010, Salesian Missions has been providing its New Beginnings program for young male and female Sri Lankan refugees who have been living in refugee camps in 15 target districts in India. In 2015, Salesian missionaries are serving 550 individuals by providing vocational training through a network of nine Salesian-run Don Bosco schools spread across Southeast India. In addition, 550 women are benefiting from refugee camp-based small business incubator programs. The New Beginnings program provides market-conscious vocational and technical skills training that results in livable wage employment, allowing trainees to better support themselves and their families. Many refugees enter the program with few, if any, job prospects or with a history of low paid part-time work experience which is typically unskilled and often dangerous and exploitative.

REFUGEES IN KENYA

Kakuma was established in 1992 near Kenya’s border with South Sudan and was a place of refuge for unaccompanied minors fleeing warring factions in what was then southern Sudan. Today, the Kakuma refugee camp has more than 180,000 refugees, well over the 120,000 person capacity for which it was built. More than 44 percent of the refugees at the camp are from South Sudan and arrived after fleeing the country to escape conflict and violence.

Kakuma is operated by UNHCR in collaboration with Salesian missionaries in the country as well as several other humanitarian organizations. The camp offers refugees safety, security and life-saving services such as housing, healthcare, clean water and sanitation. Salesian missionaries at Kakuma refugee camp operate the Holy Cross Parish and the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center where 1,044 young men and women are receiving critical employment and life skills. There are many courses available and those studying welding, carpentry and bricklaying often utilize their new skills helping to build infrastructure within the camp. Salesian missionaries are currently seeking funding to build a new school on a donated plot of land at the refugee camp in order to meet the growing demand.

Salesian missionaries at the camp also operate the Helping Children to be Children program which gathers refugee children and leads them in games, songs and classes held outdoors on the camp grounds. As part of the program, children are offered the opportunity to draw and learn to speak English. Close to 3,000 children benefit from this Salesian program which currently has no steady funding and is run primarily by refugee volunteers.

SYRIAN REFUGEES IN TURKEY

Sharing a 500-mile-long border with Syria, Southeastern Turkey has more than 1.6 million Syrian refugees, as reported by the United Nations. Salesian missionaries are providing services at three sites within Syria while also providing for Syrian refugees in Turkey. While many Syrian refugees stay in towns on the Turkey-Syrian border, many find their way to big cities like Istanbul where Salesian missionaries operate a program that currently serves close to 400 Syrian refugees.

At the Don Bosco Center in Istanbul, Salesian Father Andres Calleja Ruiz leads special programs for refugee children and youth from Syria as well as for a growing number of families fleeing ISIS persecution in Iraq. Because most refugees do not speak the local language it is difficult for children to attend school and adults to find work. At the Center, Salesian missionaries provide a school for more than 350 refugee children where they learn English language skills and traditional school subjects such as mathematics, geography and music. Students have access to sports and dance programs intended to help them connect with their peers and find enjoyment and comfort in their new surroundings. In addition, the program provides counseling both for youth and their families to help them overcome the challenges and traumas they have faced.

Technical skills training is a critical component of Salesian work in Istanbul. Many refugees leave the country’s border towns and refugee camps and make their way to Istanbul hoping to find employment and a more stable life. If they fail to find work, refugees are often left in dire circumstances. The Don Bosco Center’s technical skills training program is a critical safety net for those in need.

###

Sources:

World Refugee Day 2015

The post WORLD REFUGEE DAY: Salesian Missions Highlights Educational Programs Assisting Refugees around the Globe first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Classes Canceled in Wake of New Tensions in South Sudan

MissionNewswire — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 18:47:24 +0000

(MissionNewswire) In consideration of the safety of Salesian students during recent clashes in Maridi, a town in South Sudan near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Salesian missionaries have cancelled classes and other activities. Salesian staff, lay volunteers, students and missionaries are safe but concerns about the violence remain.

Fighting between armed Dinka pastoralists and local youth started in Maridi on Sunday evening, June 7th. Nine people were killed and several others injured during clashes that forced people to flee from their homes in search of safety. The violence also caused local markets and schools to close temporarily.

“On Sunday night at 9:47 p.m. there was a loud explosion followed by gunshots,” reported local Salesian missionaries living and working in the town. “On Monday morning we had school as usual and every so often we could hear some sporadic gunfire coming from the city. At 10:30 that morning we had to suspend classes and ask the pupils to go home. By 11:00, Maridi was under attack. Everybody fled to Rastigi, Civicon and other villages. A good number have fled into the woods.”

Missionaries also reported that one of the two warring factions in South Sudan arrived at the scene well-armed while the locals who came out to defend themselves were armed only with bows and arrows. The Visitation Sisters of Don Bosco, an order of Salesian nuns who operate an educational program in Maridi, sent their students home as soon as the conflict started. Many of the sisters are caring for the sick and wounded who have come from the local Maridi Hospital while also harboring locals seeking safety and shelter at the sisters’ medical clinic.

On Monday night, gunfire could still be heard near the Salesian compound in Maridi. By Tuesday morning, the situation seemed calm and the streets in and around Maridi were deserted.

Salesian Lay Missioner Ariel Zarate from Oak Lawn, Illinois is in her second year of service at the Maridi mission and shared her observations of the conflict in an email to the Salesian Missions lay missioners director.

“The media definitely exaggerates, however things are tense. When I first read some recent news about an uptick of violence in South Sudan there was nothing to report but that seems to have changed a bit,” explains Zarate. “Two nights ago some cattle were killed which sparked some violence in the town about 5 km away. Things are tense and some indiscriminate killing has been happening but mostly there in town. We are still assessing the situation. I’m being cautious and taking no risks, just waiting for things to settle down.”

Salesian missionaries are continuing to provide what services they can as they continue to assess the situation. Classes and other programs will resume once the area is deemed safe for both students and staff.

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country will celebrate its fourth year of independence in July but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

###

Sources:

ANS – South Sudan – Tension and Gunfire in Maridi

Sudan Tribune – South Sudan parliament forms investigation team over Maridi fighting

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Classes Canceled in Wake of New Tensions in South Sudan first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Lay Missionaries Assist Students at Don Bosco Gumbo

MissionNewswire — Tue, 19 May 2015 15:05:05 +0000

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries operate Don Bosco Gumbo which comprises a parish, secondary school and youth center in Gumbo, a suburb of Juba, the largest city and capital of South Sudan. Don Bosco Gumbo provides education and social development services for poor youth and their families. For some, the education offered at the secondary school there is the only opportunity to continue their studies.

In August 2013, Salesian lay missioners Michael Gotta and Patrick Sabol began work at the Salesian secondary school, parish and youth center in Gumbo. The two men had a range of responsibilities while in Gumbo including administrative duties at the school and interviewing prospective students.

“The most rewarding part of my work at the Salesian center was learning about the people,” says Gotta. “They came from many different places and brought a great cultural diversity which we got to experience. We also shared some of our own culture with them.”

During their time in South Sudan, Gotta and Sabol taught in the secondary school which serves youth and young adults between the ages of 14 and 30. Classes are offered to students beyond typical secondary school age because of the unavailability of schooling in much of South Sudan and the years of interruption by war. Students who were forced to leave school due to war are able to return and continue their education even into adulthood.

When Gotta and Sabol started teaching at the school there were 65 students. After fighting broke out in the country in December 2013, those internally displaced by war flowed into the city increasing school enrollment to 180 students. When fighting escalated, Salesian lay missionaries, including Gotta and Sabol, were moved to Kenya temporarily for their safety.

“Seeing the suffering, particularly when the fighting began, was one of the most challenging things we faced while we were there,” explains Sabol. “We had many of those who were internally displaced at the Salesian compound. When we arrived in August, the South Sudanese were still experiencing the joy of their newly won independence and then in December it all began to fall apart.”

South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country celebrated its third year of independence last July but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis.

###

Sources:

ANS – United States – Returned SLMs Reflect on their experience in South Sudan

Salesian Lay Missioners

World Bank – South Sudan

The post SOUTH SUDAN: Salesian Lay Missionaries Assist Students at Don Bosco Gumbo first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: New Salesian Hospital Will Provide Medical Care for Poor and Sick in Tonj

MissionNewswire — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 16:10:39 +0000

(MissionNewswire) South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world with 55 percent of its population living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country just celebrated its third year of independence in July but is facing an ongoing civil war that started in December 2013 and has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis.

The civil war has left thousands dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Close to 80,000 people have sought refuge at several UN compounds across the country. In Juba, the largest city and capital of the country, 80 percent of those displaced are women and children. More than 350,000 people have fled to neighboring countries risking their lives and leaving everything they had behind.

South Sudan just entered its rainy season, and being a country with few paved roads, the flooded and muddy streets hamper relief efforts. UNICEF and the World Food Program recently issued a warning that South Sudan is falling rapidly into a nutrition crisis that could result in the deaths of more than 50,000 children from malnutrition over the course of this year. Over 7 million people are at risk of food insecurity and 4.9 million of them are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

The current rainy season also presents a looming health crisis in the country. In May, a cholera outbreak was confirmed bringing with it the imminent threat of a health emergency. With only 15 percent of people having access to adequate sanitary latrines and 30 percent without access to safe water, the rainy season increases the risk of diseases, in particular diarrheal diseases.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Tonj, a town in the northwest region of South Sudan, for several years. Their focus has been on providing education and social development services for poor youth through the operation of primary and secondary schools and youth centers. In addition, the missionaries operate several medical clinics, including a leprosy clinic.

Recently, the Salesians of South Sudan, in collaboration with the Tonj Project Onlus, completed the first stages of construction on a new hospital in Tonj. The hospital will care for the poor and the sick in Tonj and its surrounding communities. The Tonj Project Onlus, founded by Salesian Father Omar Delasa of the Lombardy-Emiliana Province in Italy, provided volunteers who helped in the planning and construction of the hospital.

“Medical care is a very important part of Salesian work around the globe,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries care for the sick in over 90 clinics and hospitals in the more than 130 countries we serve. Many of the hospitals and clinics are located in rural areas where access to medical care is limited.”

The new hospital in Tonj opened in late July after four years of planning and construction. The current facility consists of maternity and surgical wards and a residence for medical and administrative staff. The hospital will begin operation in the coming weeks, and the fully completed building will open in 2015.

###

Sources:

ANS – South Sudan – First stage of construction works for the new hospital in Tonj completed

UNICEF – In South Sudan, response to looming threats of disease and malnutrition is a race against time and the elements

The post SOUTH SUDAN: New Salesian Hospital Will Provide Medical Care for Poor and Sick in Tonj first appeared on MissionNewswire.

REUTERS: “Massive emergency” as one in ten South Sudanese refugee children die in hospitals

MissionNewswire — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 12:58:24 +0000

(Thomson Reuters Foundation) – One in ten South Sudanese children admitted to Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) hospitals for refugees in Ethiopia are dying, the medical charity said, warning that conditions are likely to worsen as seasonal rains set in.

Around 150,000 South Sudanese have fled to Ethiopia since conflict broke out in the world’s youngest nation in December. Nine out of ten of the arrivals are women and children who often walk for weeks to reach safety.

“It’s a massive emergency,” Antoine Foucher, MSF’s head of mission in Ethiopia, told Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone.

“One child out of ten coming into our hospitals is actually dying for a variety of reasons ranging from late referrals to very bad health status that is practically not curable.”

The refugees are fleeing hunger as well as conflict, with food becoming increasingly scarce in South Sudan.

Fighting between government forces and rebels has driven 1.5 million South Sudanese from their homes and left 3.5 million, or a third of the population, suffering acute or emergency-level food shortages, the United Nations says.

FIGHTING OFF ILLNESSES

One in four of the children who arrive in Ethiopia are malnourished, Foucher said. In this weakened state, it is difficult for their bodies to fight off illnesses such as measles, diarrhoea and respiratory infections.

The start of the rainy season will aggravate the situation, worsening sanitary conditions and the incidence of malaria.

“It’s a race against time,” said Foucher. “We have a one month window of opportunity… to bring the conditions up to standard if we want to avoid a catastrophe on the catastrophe.”

MSF has two hospitals treating the refugees. In Lietchuor camp, seven percent of the children who are admitted die. In their hospital in the town of Itang, 10km from Kule camp, the death rate is 18 percent.

Ethiopia was home to just 50,000 South Sudanese refugees before the war erupted. Aid agencies have been struggling to cope with the sudden influx, which has been as high as 15,000 arrivals per day.

The population of the camps could reach 350,000 by the end of the year, the United Nations refugee agency has said.

TRANSIT CAMPS

New arrivals sometimes have to wait up to a month at transit sites before being resettled in the permanent camps, about 50km away.

“This period is naturally very critical because this is the moment when they do need the most intensive care,” said Foucher.

“MSF teams provide medical care in these transit camps, treating the children, some of whom die within the first days following their arrival.”

Conditions in the camps are little better, with half of the refugees living under plastic sheeting and a severe shortage of water and latrines.

“After several weeks in the camps, where living conditions are very precarious, they do not get any better,” MSF said, highlighting the prevalence of diarrhoea and pneumonia among hospitalised children.

In humanitarian emergencies, people are supposed to receive 20 litres of water per person per day. At the Burubiey transit centre, it is only seven litres.

Each latrine should be shared by a maximum of 20 people. At Kule 1 camp, MSF said, there are 288 people per latrine.

“If the situation is not improved – in terms of water supplies, in terms of latrines availability, in terms of shelter – then the medical unit that has been deployed by MSF will only be able to tackle the consequences,” Foucher said.

###

by Katy Migiro

PHOTO: Children displaced by the fighting in Bor county, stand on the side of a boat in Awerial county, Lakes state, in South Sudan, January 15, 2014. REUTERS/Andreea Campeanu

See this article at its original location >

The post REUTERS: “Massive emergency” as one in ten South Sudanese refugee children die in hospitals first appeared on MissionNewswire.

UNHCR: UNHCR increases aid as South Sudanese refugees stream into Ethiopia

MissionNewswire — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 20:02:02 +0000

(UNHCR) UNHCR announced on Tuesday it had begun airlifts and construction of new camps to help South Sudanese refugees fleeing to Ethiopia, who now total more than 95,000 and are growing at up to 1,000 a day.

The UN refugee agency told reporters it was working with its partners to improve conditions in Ethiopia’s western Gambella region– flying in new tents, building camps and moving refugees to higher ground as the rainy season approaches.

On Monday the first flight in an airlift of 4,000 emergency tents arrived at Gambella airport. Those 400 tents were being sent to Lietchuor refugee camp, 125 kilometres from Gambella town, on Tuesday.

The remaining tents will arrive on six flights over the coming days for distribution to other camps operated by UNHCR and Ethiopia’s Administration of Refugees and Returnees Affairs (ARRA) in Gambella Regional State.

UNHCR has now finished relocating refugees who were living in flood-prone areas in Kule camp, 42 kilometres from Gambella town, to higher ground. A similar relocation will start at Leitchuor camp on Tuesday. With the rainy season approaching, some parts of the camps were already affected by flooding.

Last weekend, UNHCR and ARRA started clearing the area for a new camp close to Kule on land donated by the Gambella regional administration. It will accommodate up to 30,000 refugees and be located on high ground. The camp is expected to be ready by the end of April.

“Refugees continue to arrive from South Sudan into the Gambella region at a rate of 800 to 1,000 people per day, mainly through the Pagak border point,” UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming told a news briefing.

Some 95 percent are women and children from the Upper Nile State, with many citing fear and food scarcity as the main reasons for their flight. Many women reported men are forcibly recruited, while others have been killed.

“Some refugees have walked up to three weeks to cross the border and malnutrition rates among children remain high,” Fleming said.

More than 4,000 malnourished children are in nutrition programmes in the camps, while some 3,500 lactating women are receiving supplementary feeding. However, UNHCR reported a slight easing in the number of arrivals in Ethiopia since WFP began airdrops of food in South Sudan itself.

With the ongoing influx and the rainy season imminent, regional authorities have granted space on higher ground at the Pagak border point to build a transitional reception centre. The new centre will accommodate up to 5,000 people and provide accommodation while refugees are registered and receive vaccinations, health, nutrition, and other basic services.

UNHCR has deployed a helicopter to transport vulnerable people – the elderly, the disabled, pregnant and lactating women, newborns and sick people – from the Akobo border point to the Lietchuour refugee camp.

Most refugees arriving to Akobo travel by boat up to 15 hours to Burubiey, another entry point, from where they are eventually settled in refugee camps. Some 190 vulnerable people unfit to make that boat trip have been moved to Leitchor camp in 11 flights over the past two weeks and the 30-minute flights are continuing.

Some 86,000 refugees fleeing South Sudan’s current conflict now reside in four camps — Kule, Lietchuor, Pugnido and Okugo — with a further 9,600 still to be relocated from border points.

UNHCR and partners need to raise USD 102 million to meet the basic needs of South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia. Of this, UNHCR requires USD 43.6 million, with only 12 percent so far funded.

###

South Sudanese refugees, who fled to Ethiopia after internal ethnical conflicts erupted in their homeland in December 2013, carry essential aid items back to their tents in Kule Camp.

See this article at its original location >

The post UNHCR: UNHCR increases aid as South Sudanese refugees stream into Ethiopia first appeared on MissionNewswire.

SOUTH SUDAN: New Nation Formed, Humbling Realities Remain for Aid Agencies

MissionNewswire — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:16:56 +0000

(MissionNewswire) In a year that has been the most violent since the beginning of a peace treaty in 2005 – underscored with high levels of corruption and human rights violations – the people of South Sudan had something to celebrate as their country became Africa’s 54^th country and the globe’s newest nation on July 9, 2011.

This follows decades of civil war, and a referendum this past January in which nearly 99 percent of southern Sudanese who voted chose to secede from Sudan and form an independent nation.

The new nation enters a new phase while confronting humbling realities about the state of its people. South Sudan is one of the most impoverished countries in the world, has the world’s highest maternal mortality rate and struggles with very low literacy rates (90% of the female population remain illiterate). According to the United Nations, more than half of its people feed, clothe and shelter themselves on less than one dollar a day.

In an editorial published by the New York Times on July 7, Secretary General of the U.N. Ban Ki-Moon wrote, “I came to appreciate the sheer scale of these challenges, for myself, when I first visited South Sudan in 2007 — an area of 620,000 square kilometers with less than 100 kilometers of paved road. Within this larger context, the risk of increased violence, harm to civilian populations and further humanitarian suffering is very real.”

At the same time, he points out “South Sudan has remarkable potential. With substantial oil reserves, huge amounts of arable land and the Nile flowing through its center, South Sudan could grow into a prosperous, self-sustaining nation capable of providing security, services and employment for its population.”

A new USAID mission has been designated – in the South Sudan city of Juba – to address the country’s development needs and create a transition strategy to guide activities in South Sudan.

“The lack of economic opportunity, particularly among marginalized youth, is another critical potential driver of conflict in South Sudan,” reads the USAID’s South Sudan Transition Strategy Executive Summary.

Specializing in meeting the needs of such marginalized youth, the Salesians of Don Bosco have been working in the region since 1982 – providing educational opportunities, housing, food, youth centers, health services and other needs to those otherwise without a voice or hope for the future. The Salesians’ work continued even during the most intense warfare in 1997 and 1998, followed by the starvation of many and an ongoing humanitarian crisis that continues today. The atrocities in Darfur sparked an international outcry for the entire region – as people not only fled for their lives due to violence, but also fought starvation, poverty and disease.

After the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, new opportunities arose for international humanitarian organizations to partner in the reconstruction of Sudan.

In response, the Don Bosco Network – an international network of Salesian NGOs that includes Salesian Missions in New Rochelle, NY – published a “Sudan 2007-11 Country Strategy Paper.” The paper included an outlined approach for specific interventions to help youth in the southern Sudan zone. Strategies included: improving access to schooling, especially for IDPs (internally displaced people) in the town of Wau; enabling the start-up of small enterprises in the Wau County by providing employment-oriented vocational training to youth; and promoting agro-based livelihoods in the Wau County through agricultural training and services.

As a result, Salesian involvement throughout Sudan has been further developed, including a strong presence in four of the cities in the newly formed South Sudan: Tonj, Wau, Maridi and Juba.

At St. Joseph’s Vocational Training Center in Kharotoum, Sudan, youth receive instruction in computer training, wiring, masonry, carpentry and welding.

An educational program in Tonj – which consists of a primary school for 1,200 students and educational centers in the villages – seeks to make education more easily accessible to children. Currently there are six such village educational centers with plans in place for more. Another essential service in Tonj is a Salesian-run health center which cares for approximately 250 out-patients every day and is the only medical facility available within 125 miles.

In Wau, a Salesian vocational school trains youth in general mechanics, carpentry and plumbing in addition to promoting agricultural projects essential to the town.

These programs are examples of the many operated by the Salesians in nations throughout Africa and the entire globe, from orphanages and feeding centers to training institutes. Connecting the newly formed nation of South Sudan with the East Africa region and the world in meaningful ways, will be essential to its future.

“South Sudan must also reach out to its other neighbors,” Ban Ki-Moon wrote in his New York Times editorial. “Across the globe — and in Africa, especially — the trend is toward regional partnerships. South Sudan will be strengthened by becoming an active participant in the regional organizations of East Africa and developing durable trade and political ties throughout the continent.”

Joseph Hobson contributed to this report.

Photos courtesy of Salesians of Don Bosco Sudan.

Sources:

USAID
– www.usaid.gov/locations/sub-saharan_africa/countries/south_sudan/docs/south_sudan_transition_strategy_summary.pdf
– www.usaid.gov/locations/sub-saharan_africa/south_sudan

NY Times Editorial by BAN KI-MOON (Secretary General of the United Nations)
www.nytimes.com/2011/07/08/opinion/08iht-edban08.html?_r=1&ref=sudan

VIS (Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo)
“DBN Sudan Country Strategy Paper 2007-2011”
www.volint.it/sudan/localpartner.html

The post SOUTH SUDAN: New Nation Formed, Humbling Realities Remain for Aid Agencies first appeared on MissionNewswire.