Jun 4, 2020
As the world battles with covid-19 our companions from Loreto Rumbeck in South Sudan have added pressure in dealing with this deadly disease, however they are keeping up the spirit and doing the best to keep going during this pandemic.
“As we come to the end of the month of May we are grateful for many small achievements.
Our schools remained closed but our compound is still full of life. The rains have begun and while we are missing the support of our students we are all helping out with the planting. We look forward to September when we hope to feast on the harvest of groundnuts (monkey nuts) and maize.”
Some of their university students who have returned to them are continuing their studies online although a lot of their students cannot afford the opportunity. They were however grateful to connect with many of their Primary and Secondary girls when they came to receive their cash payment for the British project, Girls Education in South Sudan.
The journey of Coronavirus is becoming very real for them. In their capital of Juba many of their top political leaders have confirmed they are positive for coronavirus and a number of confirmed cases are now present in the town. Unfortunately they don’t have testing services in the State but they must assume that the virus is present and spreading fast.
“Our graduates are doing a great service, some go to the radios and have health talks while others are out and about in the community teaching about coronavirus. While masks aren’t widely available our graduates are learning how to make their own and provide some for the community.”
“We realise that the coming weeks will be tense as we expect the spread of Coronavirus to be more visible to us all. We are beginning to take the necessary precautions though it is difficult in an environment that has little.”
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are always proud to support the wonderful work done by the Loreto Sisters for the young women of South Sudan.
For more photographs and further information about Loreto Rumbek, visit their website or visit their Facebook page.
You can also find out more about how MSC Missions work with Loreto Rumbek – and how you can help to make a difference to the young women of South Sudan.
HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Apr 29, 2020
South Sudanese ladies carrying water containers
The risk of the pandemic virus in a developing country like South Sudan is very high as they have very poor medical facilities and are steeped in traditions that involve the handshake. It represents peace and respect among their communities and proves to be difficult to avoid , all be it necessary to contain the spread of the virus.
Creating awareness to the community about Coronavirus becomes an urgent need as most of the people are illiterate and they are not informed of what is happening around the world, therefore proper orientation and health education for preventive measures are required.
On 31st March, 2020, nine former interns returned to Loreto. Among the group are five trainee nurses, two medical students and two development students. All have returned from their various learning institutes to help prepare for the Coronavirus in the Mary Ward Primary Health Care Center (LPHCC).
Each week the group divides and enters into the community trying to educate them on the Coronavirus disease, how it can be transmitted and how to try to prevent it happening in the area. These graduates are finding this extremely difficult as many villages are constructed in a way that social distancing is not possible. Many of the families have to share beds, bedding materials and all household utensils.
They are also finding it difficult to guide the males section of the community but they are hoping to change this as it is vital that the community works as a whole to protect themselves against this virus.
“Over the last 3 weeks, the medical team has been able to outreach to different 49 water points, boreholes training total number of 3,010 people, mostly women.
The medical team is motivated by the willingness of the community members to take up the preventive measures in controlling the spread of the virus and they look forward to targeting a bigger group in the next few weeks.”
Information via www.loretorumbek.ie
HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Mar 6, 2020
On February 19th, the American Ambassador to South Sudan, Mr. Thomas Hushek visited the Loreto school in Rombeck that is run by the Loreto sisters and commended them for their efforts in keeping the young Sudanese girls in school. The school has been giving support to the young girls by providing a secure learning environment without the threat of child marriage. The drop out rate for girls and young women in school is very high in Sudan and the director Sr Orla Tracey has done magnificent work in her efforts to provide education and support for the people of South Sudan.
The US department of state awarded Sr. Orla Tracey, Loreto Rumbeck’s director an international women of courage award for her work in in March last year, an annual honor that recognizes women who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment.
During his visit the American ambassador was shown all the various projects run by the Loreto Sisters including the recently launched clinic and malnutrition programme established for mothers and babies, a primary school school and a girls’ secondary school with boarding facilities in the country’s Catholic Diocese of Rumbek.
In Mr Hushek speech, he encouraged the girls to be courageous in the face of discrimination against women in their country and revealed that Loreto has a nice model for young girls in South Sudan because the girls are taught to be united from various communities and that their main benefit from the school as the freedom to access education. “A year ago, Sr. Orla was nominated for an award and won on behalf of the entire school. I have been wanting to come up here ever since because of the work that is going on here especially focusing on girls’ education,” the U.S. national said, “Going forward, this is the key to development and peace for the country.”
An intern from the The Mary Ward Primary Health Care Clinic that was lauched in February said “In South Sudan, healthcare providers continue to deal with the challenge of health care versus traditional doctors. Having been enlightened through my internship at this clinic, I feel there is a need for more people in South Sudan to access health education”.
Other students spoke about the challenge of girl child education and how school has given them the chance to grow and to become people who can help their respective families ,more spoke about the issue of inter clan conflicts and how boarding in Loreto has allowed them build bridges between fellow students of different tribes in the classroom regardless of ethnic differences.
Addressing the audience that included the U.S. diplomat, teachers and students, Sr. Orla acknowledged the struggles that South Sudanese girls who choose to go to school face and the odds they have overcome saying, “We have great hopes and I know the girls are very ambitious for the country of South Sudan.”
“It is not easy for the girls in this country to be in school , but they are strong, courageous, ambitious and peaceful women who are looking for a better South Sudan,” she added.
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are always proud to support the wonderful work done by the Loreto Sisters for the young women of South Sudan.
For more photographs and further information about Loreto Rumbek, visit their website or visit their Facebook page.
You can also find out more about how MSC Missions work with Loreto Rumbek – and how you can help to make a difference to the young women of South Sudan.
PLEASE HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Feb 24, 2020
Msc Phillippines shares an appreciative message from their Outreach Programme for for the victims of the Taal volcano eruption earlier in the year where the community of Taal in Batangas were on permanent lockdown.
January 27, 2020 – The MSC Mission Office posted A Call for Donation campaign in various social media platform to gather funds for the project. “With the help of a company, organizations and generous individuals, we were able to collect amount of funds in just a span of few days. We also received handful of grocery items from a private organization who have been very supportive to our missions”. Having enough resources, the office decided to schedule a relief operation as soon as possible.
February 6, 2020 – The MSC Mission Office with the help of the MSC Scholastics & MSC staff started the repacking of relief items for Taal evacuees. A total of 200 families were expected to receive the relief packages which contain of rice, canned goods, noodles, monggo beans, biscuits, dried fish, bottled water, toiletries, bed mat, blanket, towels, pail and water dipper.
February 8, 2020 – The MSC Mission Office Philippines together with some volunteers from various organizations distributed relief items in Bgry, As-is, Laurel, Batangas. Through this project, a total of 200 families received relief packages. In addition, we were able to also give milk supplement and clothing for the children in the evacuation center.
“The evacuees were thankful as they received the relief packages. They had big smiles and were saying endless pasasalamat as they took their own relief goods. We appreciate the help of our volunteers and of course, a million thanks to you our donors for your generosity and support to this project. As we worked together for this Mission Outreach, we became witnesses of Christ’s heart here on earth.
Thank you and God bless us all.”
-Msc Mission Office Philippines.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Feb 1, 2020
The MSC Center for the Poor in the Philippines initiates a project called “Beat the Plastic” in Butuan. “Small-scale activities in respond to global warming may not be the ultimate solution but surely will give a big impact to our environmental problem” says Fr Ritchie Gomez MSC community leader. The Center bought a Plastic Pulverizer & Densifier Machine that makes Plastic Trash into Bricks or Flower Pots .
Butuan Beat the Plastic project in operation.
“During preparation, we have to properly collect used cooking oil from establishments or household kitchens, instead of throwing them away to the sink or canals that may cause cloggings. Garbage styro foams and plastics (washed/clean/dry) will also be needed. ”
“We hope for greater efforts and unity towards a sustainable environment that will also benefit human beings.”
A single resident in Butuan produces an average of .7 kilograms of waste a day. Hence, 8,400 to 8,600 tons of garbage is accumulated in every City across the country everyday. This is 25% of the country’s daily solid waste generation of 35,000 tons.
About half of the garbage is bio-degradable waste such as food scraps, leftovers, and animal carcasses. About 17% are paper and 16% are plastics. The rest are discarded metal, ceramics, rubber and leather.
The social costs of wastes are not managed wisely and are devastating. Ill effect of peoples’ health, socio economic condition, coastal aquamarine environment, and climate is observable. Slum communities generally emit smelly, disgusting, filthy, yucky and revolting putrid smells. Flies and rats abound and hence endless health problems. On the other hand, if managed wisely, these wastes can be turned positive. Indeed, somebody’s waste can be another’s treasure (concept of Zero Waste).
When God created the world, everything was good and has its own purpose and interconnected harmoniously. The concept of “waste” or “garbage” is human’s – a clear damage of the integrity of creation. The extent of the destruction has reached a level where human kind is threatened of its meaningful existence. All the streams and rivers within our cities are considered dead. Half a century ago, these waters were the source of life for the people. These days these rivers cannot sustain any life.
Ownership of land in the rural areas and in the urban centers is concentrated on few families pushing the majority in the margins such as riverbanks, under the bridge, on the beach front, and in the side streets. Slum living is the life condition of the majority in the urban centers in the Philippines.
“Beat the plastic” is hope for the Butuan community to organise their community and gather their collective efforts to carry out the following:
1. Education on the integrity of creation .Restoring the integrity of creation calls for a “new vision” and a “new heart.” Genesis 1:2 tells us that everything in the world that God made was good, beautiful and fruitful. And humankind was made as stewards of this beautiful creation. The need to respect all beings which constitute the world – humans, plants, animals, birds, air, water, etc. shall be promoted. This respect prevents humankind from using the elements in our environment indiscriminately, according to what we want. The delicate balance must not be disturbed. Otherwise, all forms of life are threatened.
2. Zero Waste and Segregation/Garbage Management
Garbage must be managed from its source. Industries need to ensure that when things go out from their sites, these are not poison to living things. Households need to manage wisely the kitchen refuse for greater value. But these facts remain to be campaigned vigorously and militantly. Consumerism has pushed the people into wanton buying and disposing. Overproduction of goods has flooded the earth with lots of junks.
Zero waste – Nature is designed as a zero-waste system. Every out- put is someone else’s input. There is no such thing as waste in nature. By contrast, the human economy is full of waste: waste that is produced while sourcing from nature. Only tiny fractions of our waste are being cycled back into a closed-loop system of reuse.
3. Ecological Balance
Caring for creation includes acceptance of the fact that natural resources are limited. Some are not renewable. Using them as if they are inexhaustible, with absolute dominion, seriously endangers their availability not only of the present generation but above all for generations to come. Care for the sustainability of the material environment is also caring for our fellow human beings who will come after us. A sense of solidarity with future generations should move us to care for our environment now.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Jan 30, 2020
November 2019 saw great excitement for our MSC communities in Mozambique, when a visit from Bishop Luís Fernando “revived the faith and strengthened the bonds of friendship” among local parishes, according to the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.
Many families in the region are still working to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the savage cyclones that hit their country early last year. In mid-March of 2019, Cyclone Idai wreaked havoc in north-eastern Mozambique, killing over 600 people, and just six weeks later, at the end of April, the Pemba region was hit again by Cyclone Kenneth, with the death toll rising further. In addition, over 21,000 people lost their homes, livestock and crops; for many people in the area, the cyclones signalled the end of life as they knew it.
This dual disaster was a devastating blow to a country that was already struggling, and every little helps a lot. During his visit to the region, Bishop Luís met with local communities and performed blessings and ceremonies that were a tremendous boost to parishioners, bringing them together in reflection and thanksgiving.
On his visit to the MSC missionary area, Bishop Luís stopped in Quissanga, an area particularly affected by last year’s natural disaster, where he visited hospital patients. Quissanga is just one of the places that suffered a great deal from the effects of the cyclones, and the bishop’s visit brought renewed motivation and encouragement to the people in the region.
The MSC Mozambique Facebook page expresses their gratitude towards Bishop Luís, posting: “Thank you to our pastor for the availability of the heart”.
Our MSCs continue their tireless work in aiding these families in their struggle to rebuild their lives. Please keep our MSCs and the communities they serve in your prayers – all support, no matter how big or small, provides very welcome encouragement and much-needed practical aid as they continue on their mission.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS IN MOZAMBIQUE
Images via the MSC Mozambique Facebook page.
