The following piece is an article we recently received from Sr Orla Treacy (Principal) and the Loreto Sisters who are working tirelessly at the Loreto School Rumbek, South Sudan.
Susan* does not know her actual age, but she thinks she is around 23 years old. At the moment, her age is the last thing on her mind. Susan and five children came to Loreto as a refuge from the violence facing their home community of Cuei-cok. When fighting ensued between two rival clans, the Ruop and Pakam, many homes in Cuei-cok were razed, leaving vulnerable women and children displaced. Susan’s home was razed during the fighting and now she fears for the safety of her mother who was too weak to travel with her.
“It is really a bad situation, the house is burnt down. [My] mother is sick and she cannot even manage to walk. I have been walking for two days on the way.” – Susan
Because Susan is from the Ruop clan, she was targeted for violence as she travelled towards Loreto, which is situated in Kuei territory, allies of the Pakam clan.
“The situation on the road is very bad. They were going to beat me and take clothes [and belongings] from the children and me, but a man from here [Maker Kuei] helped me. We have not been eating for 2 days.” – Susan
Susan was hopeful that she would find refuge at Loreto because the school is neutral territory. Her younger sister, Amok*, is a Loreto graduate and university scholarship recipient currently studying in Kenya. Susan and the children were warmly welcomed by Ajak*, a Senior 3 student who volunteered at the school to help women and children to survive the crisis. Ajak welcomed them and ensured that they received food and water, and a safe place to sleep. This family has a special place in her heart. Although, Ajak is from the Nyang clan (Kuei allies), she feels strong bonds of kinship for Susan and the children. At Loreto, Ajak is part of the same ‘Chukudum’ School Family as Amok, Susan’s sister.
For Loreto girls, the School Family bonds extend across clans and bloodlines, even outside of the school’s walls. Ajak laughed with relief as the children received biscuits, their tired faces brightening with smiles.
“I am happy to help [them]. Amok is my great grandmother, we are family.” – Ajak
During this crisis in our host community Loreto Rumbek opened its gates for ~350 community women and children who were in desperate need of safety and support. Over the 5 day period of intense conflict before the government declared a state of emergency, Loreto delivered over 5,000 meals to these vulnerable community members, performed countless clinical consultations, and provided basic health and sanitation training to many of the community members. *Aliases used to protect the identity of women and children featured in this piece.
Sr Orla was in contact with us this new year to update us on the ongoing struggles facing the Loreto School Rumbek and their local community in South Sudan.
December was a violent month in Maker Kuei (Mah-kher Kew-way). What started as cattle raids became overt attacks with both sides committing immense acts of aggression. Over a period of just 5 days, 173 people died, over 200 were wounded and 1800 were displaced. The main fighting area was just 8 km from where the Loreto School Rumbek is located and many of the community’s young men were involved in the fighting. During this crisis, the Loreto School and its faculty was able to keep the spirit of the holiday and welcomed around 60 families (about 350 women and children) into the compound for protection.
“It is during these times, and especially during the Christmas season that we reflect on the year and give thanks for all that we have.”
The Loreto Sisters were able to provide essential meals to these displaced families, medical support to both families and wounded, and to provide a secure area for these families seeking shelter from the violence. Thankfully, with the help of the local Chief and assurances from the military for security, the situation stabilized and the community celebrated a peaceful Christmas.
From the 22nd to the 27th of January 2019 World Youth Day is going to take place in Panama in Central America and the MSC Vocations Team is going to be there. If you want to be part of the largest youth event on the planet read on …
What is World Youth Day?
WYD is an encounter of young people from all around the world with Pope Francis in a fun, faith filled atmosphere. It draws people from every corner of the world for an unforgettable experience. “WYD is much more than an event. It is a time of deep and spiritual renewal; its fruits benefit the whole of society” (Benedict XVI). It is an extraordinary way of sharing faith to strengthen youth in our Church. WYD is held every three years and the last one was held in Krakow (Poland) in 2016.
Great, so what’s the point?
It’s a chance to be part of the largest youth event on the planet and to meet Pope Francis
The initiator and first promoter of WYD was Saint John Paul II, who started this movement in order to enhance our personal encounter with Christ, which is life-changing. WYD also promotes peace, unity, and fraternity among people and nations, commissioning the youth as ambassadors of this message. When you gather for the World Youth Day Vigil with millions (and I do mean millions) of other young people you are reminded that you are part of something global, faith filled and amazingly joyful.
It’s about making a real difference as well, like building a multi-sensory garden
What actually happens?
WYD is a multi-day event with two main group of events: the first one is related to the “Days in the Dioceses”, during which the participants visit to different dioceses in the host country, and on this particular occasion, other Central American countries. During these days before WYD, pilgrims interact with local families (who host them) and strengthen their faith through activities with the communities in the parishes. In Krakow we built a multi-sensory garden for people with disabilities and helped to run a youth ministry programme in the local parish.
The second group is the “Main Events”, referring to the activities planned in the host city: the opening Mass, the welcoming of the pope, the way of the cross, the vigil with the Holy Father and the final Mass. It’s an opportunity to meet with other young people from all around the world. There were millions of youth at both Rio and Krakow and the atmosphere is incredible.
We were overjoyed to receive contact from our dear friend Sr Sally Duigan at the Holy Family Care Centre in South Africa who kindly provided us with some updates as to how our most recent fundraising donations have been put to use.
“Holy Family Care Centre; the children and staff have benefited enormously from the funding received from MSC Mission Office Ireland. We are so grateful.
Holy Family was struggling to care for our children particularly as we were admitting many young children and babies. We did not have a dedicated nursery and used our sick bay temporarily to accommodate the babies. Thanks to MSC Mission Office Ireland we now have a purpose built building where we can care for our babies and most vulnerable children aged up to two years. We continue to admit young children living with HIV / Aids from the surrounding villages who have been neglected and/or orphaned and require specialized care and monitoring.
Limpopo Province where we are situated is the second poorest province in South Africa. We are still seeing children malnourished, undernourished and stunted in their growth. This is often irreversible as good nutrition is necessary to nurture growth in their first five years. Our new food preparation area is ideal for our nurses to prepare special formulas for the babies and fortified foods for our malnourished young ones.
Infection control is so important and our new building functions with separate appropriate areas for sleeping, bathing, changing nappies and food preparation area. We are truly blessed to be able to provide a high quality of care.
Currently we have 17 children in our crèche – our youngest is 6 months old. Many of the children are living with HIV/Aids. The new extension accommodates for graduated learning and playing groups. Our Crèche teachers have different rooms to utilize for children age groups – toddlers up to 2 years, 3 to 4 year old group and pre-school to prepare for school each year.
The older boys now have a proper showering area with private shower recesses. The area is much easier to clean and the boys have inside access from the dormitories. This project was long overdue and has only been achieved through your financial assistance.
Our old staff accommodation of four rooms has been refurbished much to the delight of the staff. The showering and bathroom area has been rebuilt and is of a much higher hygienic standard, again an area that was in great need of attention.
It is with much gratitude and love that we at Holy Family Care Centre thank you for your generous donations which has allowed us to overhaul some old and much needed work. In addition the new areas in the crèche and the new nursery have been a huge success functionally and has improved the quality of care the children receive.
Above all we continue to give our children love, security and care in the hope they will thrive. We want them to have the energy to enjoy playtime, be able to learn and live a happy life.”
Some of the main upgrades made at the Holy Family Care Centre include:
New Boys Ablution Block – New washbasins, mirrors, four new individual shower recesses with shelves and hooks for towels and clothes.
New Nursery – This new nursery is able to accommodate up to eight babies (including any special care toddlers under two years living with HIV /Aids).
New food preparation area.
Children’s sick bay.
Installation of a linking corridor from the nursery and clinic through to the crèche.
Crèche extension and installation of an Education Room.
Indoor play area.
Refurbished outdoor crèche play area.
Staff ablution area – Three new showers and one toilet. Existing bedrooms refurbished – painting, new wash basins and cupboards, lighting, overhead fan, curtains and power points.
We were delighted to receive some images this morning from our friends in the Loreto Schools Rumbek.
Progress on the building of the graduate housing is coming along very nicely and this is all thanks to your kind and generous support of the South Sudan Summer Appeal 2017.
We’re looking forward to watching the project progress over the coming months.
