Apr 30, 2018
Early this April, the Loreto schools in Maker Kuei swapped their times tables for dancing and textbooks for cake as they celebrated their 10th anniversary in style!
The week-long celebration included a host of activities and events, alongside special meals with the students and the wider community of locals who work with the Loreto Sisters.
“This has been a wonderful week for us all.”
“The school has received immense support from Ireland,” says Benjamin Sprunger, the Loreto Programmes Manager in Rumbek. As well as aid from the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, the school has also received funding from IrishAid through Misean Cara. IrishAid Ambassador Sonya Hyland travelled to Maker Kuei to join the celebrations, representing the Irish support for the Loreto schools and the great work that is done in the community. Construction of the Loreto Graduate House, supported by MSC funding, had such been completed, and Sonya Hyland was able to stay in one of the rooms on her visit, before the girls moved in just last week.
“This has been a wonderful week for us all,” says Sr Orla Treacy, principal of the Loreto schools. “Each day was packed with activities and fun.”
“We were, however, very conscious of the absence of two visionaries for our schools – our late Bishop Cesar, who dreamed the dream of the girls’ school, and our late Provincial, Sr Teresa MacPaul, who helped take the steps to make the dream a reality.”
The Loreto community first opened the doors of their secondary school in 2008, with just 35 students in Primary 8 and Senior 1. Today, two schools welcome 1057 primary school students and almost 300 secondary school girls. The Loreto Sisters have also set up a health care clinic, which provides medical aid and health education to women and children in the Maker Kuei community.
“Thanks to you all for joining hands with us in prayers and support to ensure this dream continues, from all of us in Loreto Rumbek,” says Sr Orla.
We send our heartiest congratulations to the Loreto Sisters and students in Rumbek on this wonderful occasion! We at the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are proud to support the great work being done to bring hope to a country in peril; together, we are on the path to a brighter future.
PLEASE SUPPORT THE ONGOING WORK IN SOUTH SUDAN
Mar 27, 2018
Our dear friends in Loreto School, Rumbek, have again been in touch to keep us updated on the life changing improvements they have been able to make as a result of your generous donations to our South Sudan Appeal.
Sadly, in Rumbek, things have gotten worse – but that has only increased the efficacy and impact of our South Sudan Appeal and the MSC’s support. The following are some very positive updates we received from the Loreto Team in South Sudan:
- Loreto Primary School graduated its first class from Primary 8 – 100% pass rate in the National Primary Certificate Exams – the level needed to achieve this is 50%. No Loreto Students were below 72% and both Loreto Primary School and one of it’s students were in the Top 10 in Western Lakes State.
- Loreto Primary added a primary school this year with about 150 students.
- Increased Enrollment – Loreto Primary and Loreto Secondary have increased their numbers this year with over 1000 primary school students and nearly 300 secondary school girls.
- The Loreto Girls Secondary School Class of 2017 sat their exams in March (2018); 100% of the girls who sat the exam in 2017 (class of 2016) passed.
- The Loreto Graduate Internship program was identified as one of the most impactful short-term projects implements by Out of the Box (OTB) external evaluators. The MSC Graduate house will increase the number of girls that they can offer this opportunity for.
- The Loreto Schools 10th anniversary is fast approaching (April 2018) and they are preparing to celebrate their 10th year since the secondary school opened in South Sudan.
A big thank you to Benjamin, Loreto Programs Manager in Rumbek, for sending us these fantastic pictures perfectly capturing the amazing work being done in the Loreto Schools.
Mar 20, 2018
The Loreto Schools Rumbek have started their largest year yet!
In the Loreto Primary School, which helps support and educate young community members from Maker Kuei, there are over 1000 students enrolled between the morning and afternoon sessions. More importantly, the school has an average female enrollment of 44% girls. This is a 3% increase from last year.
National rates of female enrollment vary from as low as 25% up to approximately 33% depending on the source. The Loreto Schools hope to reach about 50% female participation in the coming years.
The Loreto Girls Secondary School had nearly 350 students attempt to enroll, sadly the school only had placements for about 100 students.
The team at Loreto are very excited to welcome the next generation of the Loreto Rumbek School families!
Mar 12, 2018
It is no secret that South Sudan has become one of the largest crises in the world, and the fastest growing crisis on the African continent. In reaction to this crisis Pope Francis declared a day of fasting and prayer for this crisis-embroiled country. People around the world joined in solidarity with over 7 million South Sudanese, 1.1 million of whom are under the age of 5, and who do not know where their next meal is coming from.
The young women enrolled at the Loreto Girls Secondary School approached Sr. Orla about their desire to participate – to fast during lunch. They decided to donate the food that they would have eaten for that meal to Pan Ngath; a women and child center run by the Missionaries of Charity in Rumbek town.
Loreto has been working to support the community through this time of extreme food insecurity and is providing over 2000 meals each day and distributing over 2 metric tonnes of dry rations each month. Loreto again expresses their gratitude to all donors, advocates and supporters for standing in solidarity with them and their community and for all the support they continually receive throughout this time of great need.
PLEASE HELP US TO SAVE LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
Feb 9, 2018
The De La Salle Brothers have visited the Loreto Schools, Rumbek, on a number of occasions to date, the first of which was in January 2014. This month, we are delighted to hear, they have started the foundation for what will become a De La Salle Boys Secondary School in the Rumbek community to act as the counterpart to the work of the Loreto Girls Secondary School.
This month, Br Bill, Br Pierre and Br Amilcare (featured in the photograph below) visited Loreto and met with young men from the community who will be attending the inaugural class of the De La Salle Boys Secondary School in March 2018.
Brothers Bill, Pierre and Amilcare (far left, centre and far right) stand with the De La Salle Boys Secondary School Inaugural Class of 2018.
The Brothers visited for 3 days to forge the path for two more brothers who will be arriving in a few months to start the school. The local community has agreed to donate land to support the Brothers’ work, ensuring that the young men of the community have access to a high quality and relevant education.
For the young men finishing Primary 8 at the Loreto Primary School this means a bright future where they can dictate their own success and futures through hard work and perseverance. The De La Salle Boys Secondary School will start their classes within the Loreto Compound while they wait for their own buildings to be built. It is the birth of a new school, and a new hope in Maker Kuei for the community’s vulnerable young men.
