Feb 1, 2021
Life is filled with key moments that help shape us into the person we are today. Many are unique to our story and depend on our different circumstances, but some are shared and have become part of our culture. I would argue that in Ireland one of the biggest, most profoundly impactful events we have is the Leaving Cert. Even mentioning the words brings back memories of feverish late night study, wild prayers for inspiration, and the occasion desperate gamble on what part of each subject you choose to focus your time on.
Last week, Loreto Rumbek held the South Sudanese version of the mock Leaving Cert. Students had a week and a half of tests on English, maths, the sciences, geography, history, religious education, and business. Each day I would drop by the exam hall to see how they were doing, give a word of encouragement where needed, and say a prayer for them all. That said, I wouldn’t swap places with them for all the tea in China!
The importance of studies cannot be overemphasised. The girls have made real sacrifices to be here, going against societal expectations and cultural pressures. It is still an unfortunate reality that teenage girls here are more likely to die in childbirth than they are to graduate secondary school. Let that sink in for a second. It sounds unbelievable, but it is true. It gives you an idea of what these girls are fighting for – a better future for themselves and for future generations of young women in South Sudan. The change that needs to happen begins in earnest in that large, dusty exam hall in a place you would struggle to find on a map.
My part in this societal and cultural revolution is tiny, but enthusiastically carried out. The Religious Education teacher finished in the school at the end of 2020, so I naively volunteered to correct and give feedback on the exam papers. I have always been told it is good to help out where you can. In my middle age what I had forgotten was that mocks are always traditionally marked a lot harder than normal. The idea is that it highlights what the students need to focus on and encourages them to study more before the real exams. I was lucky to get out alive after the feedback class. The girls fought and argued for every percentage point, disputing the finer questions of theology, sociology, and moral philosophy with the wit and wisdom of a St. Thomas Aquinas or a St. Catherine of Siena. Here exams really count!
Life has now returned to normal, at least for the time being. In a normal school year, the students would sit their state exams in December. Of course, last year was anything but normal. Now we hope that they will be held in March, but we are still waiting for confirmation. As it stands only exams classes are allowed back in school, but there are signs of a gradual return to education. Most of the children will have been out of class for a year and in a country with no national power grid, let alone internet and computers, home schooling was never an option. So, it’s a new beginning and it will take time, but we will get there. In the meantime, do keep the girls in your prayers. There is a lot riding on how well they do.
God bless or as they say here Ben Nhialic areer keg a way,
Fr. Alan
Read more of Fr Alan’s journey:
– Looking for a Sign on the Way to South Sudan
– Building a Better Future in South Sudan
Images via Loreto Rumbeck on Facebook
HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Jan 7, 2021
Missionaries of Charity Community
Neighbours are important. I think we’ve come to a deeper realisation of this over these last twelve months. If there is to be anything positive taken from 2020 it must surely be our shared reliance on one another. In addition to the heroic efforts of front-line workers, we have seen neighbours arrange shopping, collect prescriptions, and perhaps most importantly pick up the phone and call to make sure people are doing alright. Some might argue that we had lost this sense of community, but even if we did it’s back in a big way and not likely to be forgotten anytime soon.
Since I wrote last, we had our own Christmas in Loreto, which was both simple and wonderful. There were about thirty students and interns who had stayed with Sr. Orla and me for the holidays. On Christmas Eve we had a prayer service that began at sunset and ended with us singing Silent Night under a perfectly clear, stary sky. For Christmas Day itself Mass was celebrated in the school yard and some of the local villagers joined us in giving thanks for the birth of Our Lord.
This was followed by a special festive lunch of goat, chapatis, ingera, sukumawiki, and (for those of us Irish missionaries who might be feeling a little home sick) potatoes and tripe (an enthusiastic yes to the first and a hard no to the second!). Traditionally you eat the food using the flatbreads instead of cutlery. Sr. Orla managed without difficulty. I brought a fork. Eleven years in the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland taught me to be prepared!
Mary Immaculate Hospital is run by the Comboni congregation and is one of the few health care facilities in the region with a surgical unit. This is led by Br. Rosario, who is also one of the hospital’s surgeons.
Christmas in South Sudan is all about visiting. People travel home to be with family and friends. They catch up with the local news, laugh over good times, shed a tear if there has been a tragedy, but above all they spend time together. The same is true for religious communities. Throughout the Diocese of Rumbek we have sisters, brothers, and priests from all over the world, working in a number of key ministries. There is little opportunity for down time, as the demands can seem unending. Visiting one another for a cup of tea, chatting over some lunch, or gathering for some prayer is truly priceless. Hospitality is both a special and necessary grace.
Our first port of call during Christmastime was to the Missionaries of Charity or Mother Theresa’s sisters to you and me. They work close to the Cathedral in a number of ministries for the poor, including a post-natal residential nutrition programme and an outreach project to a village of people with leprosy. The students came along as we celebrated an early morning Mass with them, followed by breakfast, which went down very well.
Our next stop during the holidays was Holy Cross Parish which is run by Spiritan Fathers, including Monaghan native Fr. John as the PP and Fr. Nolasco from Tanzania as the assistant pastor. They had just installed solar power in their church in time for the Christmas vigil. It is a real gift in a town without an operational power grid and where light at night-time is rare. In addition to their parish ministry, they are also in the process of building a primary school in the bush. St. Joseph’s should be ready for its first students later this year.
There is a firm belief that education is foundational in the development of South Sudan. While Loreto emphasises the importance of schooling for girls, our neighbours, Br. Eustace from Sri Lanka and Br. Joseph from South Sudan, are doing the same for the boys in the De La Salle Secondary School. What they are trying to achieve is more than just academic excellence. The schools promote a philosophy of education that is respectful of local culture, is rooted in Catholic values,and which forms the leaders of the future.
Our last visit was to the town of Mapourdit. Don’t bother trying to find it on Google maps. I’ve looked and it’s not there. The town itself was once a refugee camp but has now taken on a life of its own, in part because of the work of the Comboni Missionaries and our MSC sister congregation, the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Br. Rosario, from Italy, is one of the two surgeons in Mary Immaculate Hospital.A brief tour of the facility showed us how they use the little they have to provide maternity care, malaria treatment, surgery for gunshot wounds, hepatitis vaccinations, HIV / AIDS programmes, and basically anything else you can imagine – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Comboni hospital, the schools, and the parish are supported by Sr. Wendy, Sr. Rita and their lay associate Pauline, all from Australia, who have worked there for twenty years.
On leaving we found that we had an addition passenger. Fr. Placide, the PP who come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, surprised us with a goat to thank us for our visit. It was a long two and a half hours home over a bumpy road with a clearly irate and aggressively incontinent goat. In case you are wondering she is settling in fine in Loreto, but later this afternoon I have to clean out the back of the truck. A small price to pay to for seeing the remarkable difference religious are making here in South Sudan.
All in all, it was a very special Christmas indeed.
God bless,
Fr. Alan
HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Dec 22, 2020
These are some of the kadua and sukumwiki that the local women grow to feed their families.
I don’t know how your morning is going, but I spent mine hunting down a jailbreaking duck. Born and raised in Cork City, I’m an absolute novice when it comes to anything to do with rearing animals or growing crops. I’m used to getting my eggs in cartons and my milk in convenient two litre plastic containers from Centra, so life here has presented some exciting new challenges. One thing is certain though, I’m not taking my food for granted any more.
Lorteo Rumbek does its best to make use of the land around the school to provide some of the food it needs for its students and staff. Each year for several months they grow groundnuts, a nutritious local staple. They also keep goats and pigs. In fact, just last week our community grew with the arrival of eight new piglets. And then there are the ducks, the newest members of my flock. Certainly not God’s smartest creation, but clever enough to give me a run for my money. After a quick Google search to confirm you can’t get rabies if they nip you (one was especially enthusiastic for his food two weeks ago), we’re getting on surprisingly well.
The food security that we take for granted at home, is wildly aspirational in South Sudan. Self-sufficiency and resilience are very much part of daily life. Localised fighting, an infrastructure severely damaged by flooding, and insufficient irrigation systems, mean many families live hand to mouth. Whatever meagre crops they grow must be watered long before dawn and late after sunset, to avoid the intense heat of the day. It involves long hours of backbreaking work, but the women who look after their small plots work miracles with the dry, sandy soil. In the villages around the school, Loreto has drilled several wells and set up hand pumps that provide much needed access to water. The people cultivate kadua and sukumawiki, both similar to cabbage, which they use to feed their families or, if they are fortunate enough to have a surplus, sell in the market.
Last night after Mass with the students, we were discussing the miracle of the Nativity and the simplicity of the stable for Jesus’ birth. For us, this experience of abject poverty shows usthe humility of God entering into our world in the form of a small, vulnerable child. However, it was explained to me that this is how children are born here in South Sudan all the time. Each home is made up of a number of tukuls or mud brick huts with grass roofs that house the families and any animals they have, sometimes sharing the same space for added security. This echo of the Nativity reminds me of how close Jesus was to those living at the very margins of society. There is no Christmas shopping here really and even if there was,there wouldn’t be the money to spend on such luxuries. Instead, the focus is on being together, to sharing the little they have, and being grateful for whatever blessings they have received.
While I’m intrigued by people living in such close proximity to their animals, I still haven’t entirely embraced the local way of life. My ducks and I need our own space. In the end it took the best part of twenty minutes for me to shepherd my errant duck back to his coop. It may have been my imagination, but I did get the sense that the rest of his flock welcomed him home with an awed sense of respect for his daring escapades. If I was being absolutely honest with myself, I think he probably deserved it.
After the Sunday Masses, there’s always time to enjoy a coffee and a mandazi, a local South Sudanese cake.
We’re only three days away from Christmas, so from everyone here in Loreto Rumbek, we hope you have a joyful time as you celebrate the birth of our Saviour and a peaceful New Year.
God bless,
Fr. Alan
HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Dec 10, 2020
The mud hut behind us is a typical South Sudanese home in the countryside. Most of our students would come from places like these.
“It is coming up to a month since I first stepped off the plane at Rumbek Airport. Since my arrival, it has been a whirlwind of new experiences. The first thing you notice, in fact you can’t miss it, is the heat. I went from winter in Ireland to an average daily temperature of 37C and I was reliably informed that this was the coolest part of the year. I am fascinated that each morning there are people out and about with coats and a few wool hats. They in turn are mystified how I’m surviving sporting shorts and a t-shirt!
I am still settling into life at Loreto Rumbek and it has been a special privilege. It originally began as a school in 2008 under a tree in a scrub field five kilometres outside of the town, that was gifted to the sisters by a local chief. Its purpose was to educate young girls, a challenge in an environment where schooling was almost exclusively restricted to boys. South Sudan is still ranked as the world’s most difficult nation in the world for girls to receive an education, with only three out of a hundred having the opportunity to go to secondary school. Just over half of all girls are married before they are eighteen years old and almost one in five are married before they are fifteen.
When the Loreto Sisters began their work in Rumbek, they were told they were wasting their time. It was obvious to everyone that students wouldn’t come. They came. Then they were told the girls wouldn’t go on to secondary school. They persevered. Then they were told they wouldn’t graduate. Apparently, no one told the girls because they graduated anyway. To stand against the weight of cultural expectations requires a school that sees the very best in each student and a student with a courage of conviction that would be beyond most adults.
Over the last twelve years the project has grown from a few chairs under a tree and now includes a primary school with 1,200 children, a secondary with 300 girls, an agricultural project, and the newly opened primary health care clinic. It hasn’t always been plain sailing and 2020 has been especially difficult. The pandemic has caused widespread disruption around the world and South Sudan is no exception. However, Loreto has had their final classes of primary and secondary school back since autumn because they will still sit state exams in spring. We will need to keep them in our prayers.
Last Saturday we had a small, but significant celebration in the community. Five of the young women finished their two-year intern programme, where they had worked after their graduation in the school and the clinic as support staff. Now they were heading to university in Juba or Nairobi to continue their education, funded by Loreto. It is impossible to overestimate how extraordinary and important this is right now.
Over the years, graduates have gone on to study nursing, computing, teaching, business, logistics, and law. They are the pioneers who will blaze the trail for their younger sisters, making the impossible seem attainable. They are the firm rebuke to the people who say that it is a waste of time and money to educate girls at all. They are the entrepreneurs, the healers, the teachers, the leaders who will build a better South Sudan tomorrow, starting today.”
God bless or Bi Nhialic arrer kek yin as they say here.
Fr. Alan
HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Nov 23, 2020
In the Bible signs are a part of any great journey. Noah had his rainbow. Moses followed a pillar of fire. Jonah had a whale. I had a taxi. I had just arrived into Addis Ababa on an overnight flight and had an impossible task ahead of me. In a short transit window, I had to negotiate an unfamiliar city, unravel a bureaucracy, and be back with my South Sudanese visa in hand before my flight to Juba in the afternoon. I grabbed the first taxi and as I searched for the seat belt, I knew things would be alright. The interior of the cab was decorated by the driver with image after image of the Sacred Heart. It might not be a dove with an olive leaf, but it would do.
Travelling to South Sudan can be a challenge, even under the best of circumstances. My first trip in 2014 was by pickup truck from Kenya in the company of the wonderful Kiltegan Missionaries. It took us three separate attempts, because the road was flooded and completely impassable. In 2017 I arrived by air and was delayed again because the local flight I was waiting for missed the runway in another airport and hit a fire truck. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but plane, the truck, and all the luggage went up in smoke.
With all of the restrictions around the current pandemic, I approached my new appointment to Loreto School for Girls in Rumbek with both optimism and realism. News and air schedules changed regularly and two of my flights had already been cancelled. From the moment I took the Covid travel test on a Tuesday morning in November, I had just seventy-two hours to arrive in Juba, South Sudan’s capital. Any later and I would be denied entry. The clock was ticking and there was no margin for error.
It had taken an Aircoach, followed by two flights through strangely empty airports in Dublin and Heathrow, to get me to Addis. Armed with a sheaf of documentation provided by the school in Rumbek I presented myself to the Irish Embassy. Their incredible team were going to help push the application process as fast as it could go. In the company of the Irish Ambassador’s driver we pulled up the South Sudanese Embassy just as its Deputy Ambassador arrived. A tall, red bearded Catholic priest is an incongruous sight in Ethiopia and after he came over to see what was happening, he invited me into his board room. My paperwork and passport was whisked away and I sat down to the Irish Times cross word puzzle. While I was still trying to figure out 13 Across “Able to bounce back from adversity” 9 letters, my visa was processed and we were off again.
Arriving in South Sudan’s capital on Thursday afternoon with my Covid test and passport firmly clenched in my fist, I passed through the necessary health, visa, and customs checks, before spending the night in a local hotel. Over breakfast, purely by chance, I met two members of our sister congregation, the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. They were on their way back to their mission in Mapuordit, and were taking the same flight as myself with the UN World Food Programme.
Finally, after four days of cars, buses, and planes I arrived in Rumbek. It was a glorious reception with hundreds of children turning out in uniform, who began singing in wonderful harmony once we disembarked the plane. The moment was spoiled somewhat, when halfway through their song they all just stopped and wandered about chatting and joking with their friends. They were there to greet to a Christian archbishop and they mistakenly thought he was with us. Still, a team from Loreto was there to give us a warm welcome. The sisters stayed the night, before leaving early the following morning. They would have to drive for an hour, then get out and wade through flood waters for another hour, before picking up a lift on the far side to continue their journey home. Sr. Wendy has been in South Sudan on mission for twenty years serving her local community. There are plans already on the go to meet up again. For my part, it was time to unpack and discovery my new home. But we’ll hear more about that next time.
God bless or Bi Nhialic arrer kek yin as they say here.
Fr. Alan
HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
