With the roadside so muddy, every person, dog, cow, pig, goat & duck chooses to join the donkey carts, horse carts, bikes, wheelbarrows (carrying water), cars and trucks in the centre of the road which tends to be firmer. No need to look first! If you get there first you have the right of way – so the reality seems. You may be coming from the opposite direction and overtaking on what I would call the ‘wrong side’ of the road, but why worry about that?

Even if I were younger, I wouldn’t be looking for a ride on the dodgem cars in a fun park. Here I can have it all for free – weaving and sliding in between pedestrians, carts, vehicles, animals and abundant children, not to mention pushbikes, motor bikes (no helmets required) and wheelbarrows. I have noticed it is easy for a pushbike rider to become unbalanced if the bike begins to wobble when there are five, 20 litre, plastic gerry cans of water tied on to it. Watch out for the sudden lurch, one learns!

When roads dry out [...]]]>

The main road

As if the roads are not bad enough already, someone seems determined to turn them into an obstacle course. Roadside, drainage ditches have been deepened recently by an excavator. The soil was not removed but simply dumped on the edge of the roads making them narrower and muddier. Sometimes, major roads are randomly closed off for the excavator to work. There are no detour signs but one is just expected to find another way.

With the roadside so muddy, every person, dog, cow, pig, goat & duck chooses to join the donkey carts, horse carts, bikes, wheelbarrows (carrying water), cars and trucks in the centre of the road which tends to be firmer. No need to look first! If you get there first you have the right of way – so the reality seems. You may be coming from the opposite direction and overtaking on what I would call the ‘wrong side’ of the road, but why worry about that?

Even if I were younger, I wouldn’t be looking for a ride on the dodgem cars in a fun park. Here I can have it all for free – weaving and sliding in between pedestrians, carts, vehicles, animals and abundant children, not to mention pushbikes, motor bikes (no helmets required) and wheelbarrows. I have noticed it is easy for a pushbike rider to become unbalanced if the bike begins to wobble when there are five, 20 litre, plastic gerry cans of water tied on to it. Watch out for the sudden lurch, one learns!

When roads dry out they are rock hard and bumpy from all the furrows ploughed by vehicles during wet periods. When it rains, the roads first become very slippery and then begin to dissolve into deep slushy mud. Yesterday our vehicle had a flat tyre – fortunately it deflated while parked within our property. No obvious reason, except that we know there are all kinds of hazards hidden in the mud. With some difficulty, we removed the wheel as the car jack was pushing itself into the ground at the same time as elevating the vehicle. Action/reaction: Isaac Newton illustrated! It cost 10 Sudanese pounds (less than 4 dollars) to have the tyre repaired at a low tech, hand tools only, road-side stop. There is no high tech tyre change here as far as I know. Fortunately repairs were finished before some heavy rain fell and we are mobile again.

There do not seem to be many accidents in Malakal – although I heard recently of one old man who suffered a broken leg when knocked down by a taxi.  The people were angry, I was told. The simple expectation here is that vehicles do not collide with people or animals and you are in the wrong if you do. Most drivers are very careful – unlike in Juba where some drivers hurtle around in crazy fashion with the consequence that there are far more accidents. I prefer to edge my way around the potholes of Malakal and keep moving, albeit slowly!

One big positive is that we don’t get flooded as they have recently in Pakistan, China and my home state of Victoria, in Australia. Sometimes, especially when strong winds blow during a storm, water gets into our house. The floor, however, dries quickly. Malakal is flat and excess surface water flows into the Nile in deep drains while the many swampy puddles gradually evaporate or are absorbed into the soil. When the sun shines for half a day, the roads become much easier.

We do hope for firmer footing and fewer potholes but the pace of life is slow here. There is no need to hurry. Patiently coping with the potholes in our lives, both literally and metaphorically, is something we all must learn to do. Eventually, sun always follows the rain.

Br Bill

Meanwhile, Sr Luchita, returning from Colombia had been sitting in the Juba airport from just after 8:00am waiting for her flight to Malakal. If it were not my phone calls, she would have had no idea why her plane was delayed. By 12:30pm, the dispute had not been resolved and all intending passengers at both airports were finally told to go home. This is Sudan! 

You meet some wonderful people in Southern Sudan. In the recent August 30 edition of the USA National Catholic paper, America, a correspondent wrote of two Bishops visiting the USA:

‘You have to look up to the Sudanese bishops because they maintain their faith despite what they’ve been through. Witnesses to their country’s horrific civil war, they nevertheless have ready smiles and gentle humor….  Bishop Rudolf Deng Majak, president of the Sudanese bishops’ conference, and Bishop Daniel Adwok Kur, auxiliary bishop in Khartoum, retain hope for peace in Sudan despite the likelihood of war.’  

The Bishops exercise a leadership of service and preach peace. Unfortunately, too many people, choose instead to exercise a leadership of [...]]]>

In Leer 'Church'

Last Tuesday, at 9:30am, I took Br Denis to the Malakal airport to check in on a World Food Programme flight to Juba. We were gruffly told ‘no check in’ – go to the WFP office. We eventually ascertained that the Malakal Airport Manager, not following correct procedures, had tried to get on a WFP flight the day before but had been turned away. So in retaliation he declared the airport closed to all WFP flights on Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, Sr Luchita, returning from Colombia had been sitting in the Juba airport from just after 8:00am waiting for her flight to Malakal. If it were not my phone calls, she would have had no idea why her plane was delayed. By 12:30pm, the dispute had not been resolved and all intending passengers at both airports were finally told to go home. This is Sudan! 

You meet some wonderful people in Southern Sudan. In the recent August 30 edition of the USA National Catholic paper, America, a correspondent wrote of two Bishops visiting the USA:

‘You have to look up to the Sudanese bishops because they maintain their faith despite what they’ve been through. Witnesses to their country’s horrific civil war, they nevertheless have ready smiles and gentle humor….  Bishop Rudolf Deng Majak, president of the Sudanese bishops’ conference, and Bishop Daniel Adwok Kur, auxiliary bishop in Khartoum, retain hope for peace in Sudan despite the likelihood of war.’  

The Bishops exercise a leadership of service and preach peace. Unfortunately, too many people, choose instead to exercise a leadership of power and control over others. These are often referred to as ‘big men’.

The most common exercise of abuse by officials at all level is by graft – taking advantage of the ‘power ‘of the position to demand extra payment for a service one is already being paid to deliver. Too many ‘big men’ use their position to further their own greedy ambitions rather than deliver a better deal for all.

When the CPA celebrations were held in Malakal in January 2009, the roads were greatly improved. In fact, enough funding was provided for the roads to be sealed. It never happened. The money was diverted into private pockets and now the roads are back to mud and slush. One BBC report estimated that 40% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Africa goes into corruption. The rapid westernisation of tribal Africa into ‘countries’ has not been matched by the development of an infrastructure of checks and balances.  

‘Big men’ simply get away with preposterous actions and abuse of their positions by the demanding of bribes – or by the use of force. It seems to be, in their thinking, the way business is ‘normally’ done. Ironically, the one good thing I can see coming out of the huge amount of graft and greed is that it may help keep the peace. Too many big men are doing too well to want to go back to war. But what about fallen ‘big men’?  That is a danger.                     

Br Bill

For the ‘kawadjas’, however, there is another related problem. Those in need see the resources of the expatriates and, specifically, what we are doing as part of Solidarity with Southern Sudan, and think we should be able to respond to their needs. Although we try to explain that we have to fund-raise ourselves for the high priority needs of better health services and delivering teacher education, the perception persists that we have a capacity to respond to other needs.  

One becomes accustomed, even if it remains a little unsettling, to meeting children in rags who plead ‘Kawadja, one pound, one pound.’ I am referring here, however, to more than this. As well as the obvious need for better homes, the Church is trying to address the need for better schools and churches and even [...]]]>

outside Comboni Church

One of the difficulties in living in Southern Sudan is being confronted with so many very obvious needs. The circumstances in which many people live in simple tukuls, presently surrounded by mud and pools of murky water, is appalling – to my eyes. Many of the people, however, have never been elsewhere and thus do not make comparative judgements as readily as I do. One hopes that they are not as conscious as we ‘kawadjas’ (white people) of how far there is to go in attaining better living conditions and that they take encouragement from seeing some of the obvious improvements that are occurring. Perhaps the increasing prosperity of some who have employment provides the strongest motivation for a lasting peace.  

For the ‘kawadjas’, however, there is another related problem. Those in need see the resources of the expatriates and, specifically, what we are doing as part of Solidarity with Southern Sudan, and think we should be able to respond to their needs. Although we try to explain that we have to fund-raise ourselves for the high priority needs of better health services and delivering teacher education, the perception persists that we have a capacity to respond to other needs.  

One becomes accustomed, even if it remains a little unsettling, to meeting children in rags who plead ‘Kawadja, one pound, one pound.’ I am referring here, however, to more than this. As well as the obvious need for better homes, the Church is trying to address the need for better schools and churches and even the simple need for transport for priests to visit their remote congregations and chapels in this vast diocese. This must be one of the few places in the world where the size of the congregations far exceeds the capacity of the churches and chapels.  

Last week, the Vicar General of the Malakal Diocese, Father Angelo, who is the parish priest of the Cathedral parish, asked to meet with me, along with Sr Elena, a Comboni Sister, who directs the local Catholic radio station. Fr Angelo showed me, on a map, the extent of his parish and pointed out more than fifteen parish centres, most of which have very run-down bush chapels. They have catechists and a strong adherence to their faith but the road conditions, and the lack of a suitable vehicle, prevent priests from visiting some of them even once each year. 

We visited three sites within Malakal: one where there is a small church, with dried mud walls, on government land; one where the church has its own land to build a new parish church; and one where a new Comboni Church (named after St Daniel Comboni) is almost completed. Sr Elena has been instrumental in raising finance from Italy for the construction of this Church. Although the people live in poverty, the building of this new Church brings pride and confidence to the local community and a sense of hope which is at least as important as the bigger space which the Church will be providing for liturgical celebrations.  

Fr Angelo and Sr Elena commented on the rapid expansion of Malakal. It is the same in Juba, Yambio and Wau, where we also have communities, with so many internally displaced persons returning to begin anew since the war ended in 2005.

Another notable issue is the presence of squatters on land where the Church is planning to build. It is not easy for Church authorities to move people off Church land even when the people have built their homes there illegally. The Church aspires to bring hope to people, not homelessness. So it is a delicate problem.  SSS also aspires to bring hope but we have clearly defined, targeted areas in which to apply the resources we generate. So while I would like to respond to Fr Angelo with some real hope, it is a problem. Fr Angelo is legitimately seeking assistance for the good and faithful people of Malakal, and for those in isolated places that we simply could not visit by road or river. ‘Harden not your hearts’ is one gospel injunction I regret I simply often have to ignore in Southern Sudan. Bill Gates, where are you?                      

Br Bill

It is not just the quality of the roads, but also of goods, that is a problem here. The tap on our kitchen sink has already been replaced three times this year. Toilet seats disintegrate, the electrical cables, far from being systematically tested, as in developed countries, are often just two lengths of wire loosely joined together. Fortunately, we have a Syrian builder who is focussed on quality. He is bringing most electrical fittings from Europe. The switchboard for our new Teachers’ College was made in France.  

With clothing I find myself opting for lower quality because it is thinner, lighter, cooler and washable – never mind if the appearance is not so smart. Ironically, many of the Sudanese dress very smartly in suits with collars and tie while I appear quite casual by comparison. When I think it is pleasantly cooler than usual, they say it is cold!  

These things, of course, are only incidentals. The real issue is the quality one finds in the people. Many Sudanese speak at least three languages fluently – Arabic, English and their local [...]]]>

Justin speaks 16 languages

Long ago, Confucius warned: ‘Seek not every quality in one individual’. Wise advice. None of us is perfect. Quality is a real issue for us here in Southern Sudan. A couple of days ago as I drove around Malakal with Peter Stemp, from our Solidarity with Southern Sudan Rome office, he listed several economically poor countries he had visited and remarked of the muddy Malakal roads:  ‘These are the worst roads I have seen anywhere’. 

It is not just the quality of the roads, but also of goods, that is a problem here. The tap on our kitchen sink has already been replaced three times this year. Toilet seats disintegrate, the electrical cables, far from being systematically tested, as in developed countries, are often just two lengths of wire loosely joined together. Fortunately, we have a Syrian builder who is focussed on quality. He is bringing most electrical fittings from Europe. The switchboard for our new Teachers’ College was made in France.  

With clothing I find myself opting for lower quality because it is thinner, lighter, cooler and washable – never mind if the appearance is not so smart. Ironically, many of the Sudanese dress very smartly in suits with collars and tie while I appear quite casual by comparison. When I think it is pleasantly cooler than usual, they say it is cold!  

These things, of course, are only incidentals. The real issue is the quality one finds in the people. Many Sudanese speak at least three languages fluently – Arabic, English and their local language, such as Shilluk or Nuer. One of our Riimenze workers, Justin, speaks sixteen languages. Compared with these people I am educationally deprived. Yet in delivering the educational curriculum, there are still very real problems relating to quality. The quandary is that some of the qualities one would like to find – such as basic literacy in English and numeracy – simply are not possessed by many of the presenting teachers. We certainly heed the advice of Confucius and are grateful to have even a few teachers in each class bringing to it some of the qualities we seek. 

It would be desirable to have clearly implemented levels of expectation in such areas as comprehension, knowledge, attendance and punctuality. The reality is that the Government of Southern Sudan curriculum, on which we base our programmes, is set well above the current levels of attainment of the presenting teachers. It will be a long process raising standards in the teaching profession in Southern Sudan. When the first secondary school students who have been educated in English-medium classes begin to graduate at the end of 2011 – and we commence full-time pre-service education in 2012 – it may be possible to generate a leap in quality. But our current clientele will be teaching whether we give them more skills or not. So we have resolved the quandary by taking in many who certainly have ‘not every quality’ we would wish they had.  

In our Health Training Institute in Wau, however, the decision has been made not to compromise quality. The aim is to train registered nurses to international standards. Entry is restricted to those who have completed secondary school successfully and have adequate English. We begin by providing a three-month, ‘Foundation Programme’ in English, Maths, Biology, Computer Education and Ethics – before the actual nursing curriculum is commenced. The students have seven hours of tuition each weekday day plus Saturday morning classes and supervised evening study. The stress is certainly on meeting agreed standards. As a consequence of the dearth of qualified applicants, the nurse education programme is presently under-subscribed but as more graduates are produced from English-medium secondary schools, there will be strong competition for places in this four-year residential programme. 

Both our tutors and the Sudanese students need to take heart from the words of St Francis De Sales: “Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them –every day begins the task anew.’ This is certainly a place for patiently, each day, beginning the task anew. 

Br Bill

At the recent blessing of the local Catholic radio station, after Sunday morning mass, the Apostolic Administrator of this Malakal Diocese, Monsignor Roko Taban, spoke of the diverse tribes of Southern Sudan. ‘There is difference here but be proud of who you are and what tribe you belong to but there is no place for violence. Beauty is not a competition’. 

He used the analogy of flowers in a garden. ‘The flowers are greatly varied but they do not need to fight one another. Each can be appreciated for its own beauty. There is no better or worse flower. They are all flowers and we are all people. Be proud of who you are but we are also Sudanese and there should be no violence between us. Some here come from other countries and also live and work peacefully among us.’ The approaching referendum (January 2011) is very much in the minds of the Church leaders who are using every possibility to urge continuing peace.  

A little earlier, at the end of [...]]]>

Soldier's camp close to us

I have decided that I like the wet season. Yes, it brings slush and mud, slippery roads, paths under water and many roads, especially near the main markets, become quagmires; but the much cooler temperatures, the varied cloud cover, the lack of dust and even the sound of rain on our tin roof bring ebb and flow, light and shade to the pattern of our living. ‘Glory be to God for dappled things’ wrote Hopkins, in admiration and praise of variation and diversity in creation. 

At the recent blessing of the local Catholic radio station, after Sunday morning mass, the Apostolic Administrator of this Malakal Diocese, Monsignor Roko Taban, spoke of the diverse tribes of Southern Sudan. ‘There is difference here but be proud of who you are and what tribe you belong to but there is no place for violence. Beauty is not a competition’. 

He used the analogy of flowers in a garden. ‘The flowers are greatly varied but they do not need to fight one another. Each can be appreciated for its own beauty. There is no better or worse flower. They are all flowers and we are all people. Be proud of who you are but we are also Sudanese and there should be no violence between us. Some here come from other countries and also live and work peacefully among us.’ The approaching referendum (January 2011) is very much in the minds of the Church leaders who are using every possibility to urge continuing peace.  

A little earlier, at the end of mass, Monsignor Roko had spoken of the ‘101 Days of Prayer Towards a Peaceful Referendum in Sudan’, the days between the International Day of Peace (Sept. 21) and World Day of Peace, (January 1, 2011). This initiative proposed by Sister Cathy Arata, our Solidarity with Southern Sudan Director of Pastoral Services, is being sponsored by Catholic Relief Services from the USA and endorsed enthusiastically by the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Sr Cathy describes the initiation of this campaign of prayer and activities for peace: ‘This will be an important period in which to teach people how to be peace-builders, reinforce the importance of peace in our communities, prepare for the referendum by praying for peace, and deepen one another’s commitment to becoming advocates for peace.’ The Bishops have agreed to promote and implement the campaign in every Sudanese diocese. 

7000 posters, written in Arabic and English, are being produced plus a 36 page booklet with prayers and reflections for each of the 14 weeks of the campaign. There is also a prayer card, written in various Sudanese languages as well as English and Arabic, to be used as a special prayer for peace after communion at every mass during the 101 days. The theme of the campaign is ‘Change your heart. Change the world.’  

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: ‘Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.’ Any attempt to impose uniformity on Sudan will clearly fail. Understanding, accepting and respecting the obvious differences between the tribes, between north and south, between Christian and Muslim is the only way forward. There is a will in Sudan for peace. As General Eisenhower once said, in another context: ‘I think that people want peace so much that one of these days government had better get out of their way and let them have it.’                                                                                                            

Br Bill

‘Education indicators in Southern Sudan are amongst the lowest in the world and the vast majority of children and youth from the south have not received any formal schooling. Less than 50% of all children receive 5 years of primary education and whilst 1.3 million are enrolled, it is estimated that only 1.9% will complete primary education… Decades of conflict and under-investment in education have left Southern Sudan with a lack of qualified and trained teachers and learning spaces. Whilst resilience in the sector was supported by the mobilisation of volunteer teachers and recruitment of demobilised soldiers into the teaching service, the legacy was such that in 2003, up to 90% of teachers had no formal teaching qualifications and had limited educational qualifications.’ 

A major focus of the work of Solidarity with Southern Sudan is the delivery of teacher training for primary school teachers. There is an urgent need, not only for more schools and more teachers, but for basic training of the current teachers. Our present focus has been on in-service but we are building facilities at both Yambio and Malakal that will enable us to begin pre-service education in 2012. 

The wet season has well and truly arrived but life and activity don’t stop in Southern Sudan. This is a country where one simply accepts there are difficulties and keeps [...]]]>

Wet Arrived

Last week I quoted some health statistics from a development report, based on research carried out in 2009, recently released by the European Commission in Brussels. In that same report, here are some comments about education. 

‘Education indicators in Southern Sudan are amongst the lowest in the world and the vast majority of children and youth from the south have not received any formal schooling. Less than 50% of all children receive 5 years of primary education and whilst 1.3 million are enrolled, it is estimated that only 1.9% will complete primary education… Decades of conflict and under-investment in education have left Southern Sudan with a lack of qualified and trained teachers and learning spaces. Whilst resilience in the sector was supported by the mobilisation of volunteer teachers and recruitment of demobilised soldiers into the teaching service, the legacy was such that in 2003, up to 90% of teachers had no formal teaching qualifications and had limited educational qualifications.’ 

A major focus of the work of Solidarity with Southern Sudan is the delivery of teacher training for primary school teachers. There is an urgent need, not only for more schools and more teachers, but for basic training of the current teachers. Our present focus has been on in-service but we are building facilities at both Yambio and Malakal that will enable us to begin pre-service education in 2012. 

The wet season has well and truly arrived but life and activity don’t stop in Southern Sudan. This is a country where one simply accepts there are difficulties and keeps moving forward – maybe not by the best paths but by wet paths, the only ones for the present!  To get to the church for mass the past couple of mornings, I have had to wade through water and mud in my ‘Wellingtons’. In Australia we often use the word ‘gumboots’, rather than ‘Wellingtons’. I have always presumed ‘gumboots’ describe boots made from rubbery gum but I came across another possible origin of the word. I know some Americans use the word ‘gumbo’, to describe a stew, thickened by okra, but, apparently, ‘gumbo’ is also used to describe ‘a silty soil that turns very sticky and muddy when it becomes wet and is found throughout the central United States’. Well, that description certainly also describes the sort of ground we have here in Malakal and ‘gumboots’ are good for going anywhere there is ‘gumbo’. 

Nearby to our house is a military camp. To see the mud around the tukuls and the children edging their way through the ooze seems a terrible situation – to my eyes; but the people accept, adapt and seem as happy as anyone else.  Even if our circumstances may seem miserable our response does not have to be misery. We can control our response whereas we often have little control over the circumstances. We can act the way we want to feel and soon that is how we will feel. The wet and the mud are inconveniences but they also bring the great positives of new growth and cooler temperatures. Our gardens have sprung into life and the grass is shooting up uncontrollably. Both the mother and the wife of the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell (1847 – 1922), were deaf. He wrote:

“When one door closes another door opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” 

Very good advice that, not to dwell on what we might have had, or may have lost, but to look forward to what we can now gain. Solutions always come from the open doors, not the ones that are closed. Problems can be transformed into opportunities by adopting a positive attitude. We are here to create more opportunity, not to dwell on regret for past misfortune. How we can open the door to a better life for the people of Southern Sudan is our focus.              

Br Bill

‘Indicators in Southern Sudan are amongst the lowest in the world: over 90% of people in Southern Sudan live on less than $1 per day. One out of six women who become pregnant will die and one in six children die before their first birthday. The under five mortality rate remains high at 135 per 1,000 live births, despite having reduced significantly from 250 in 2001…. Only 27% of girls in Southern Sudan attend primary school and a 15 year old girl has a higher chance of dying during childbirth than completing school… Nationally, adult literacy stands at 71% for males and 52% for females. Only 8% of female adults in the south can read and write.’ 

No wonder it is hard to find qualified, female candidates for our Catholic Health Training Institute where I was last week. Girls in Sudan have had so little educational opportunity. In many countries the majority of nurses are women. I suspect there may now be more male nurses in first world countries than in the past but of the 17 student nurses in our Catholic Health Training Institute, there are five women and twelve men. We would like to recruit more women. 

The Catholic Health Training Institute in Wau, conducted by Solidarity with Southern Sudan (SSS), is the only place in Southern Sudan conducting a recognised Registered Nurse training programme. When Sister (Dr) Alphonse joins our [...]]]>

attentive class

In a development report, based on research carried out in 2009, recently released by the European Commission in Brussels, I noted the following appalling statistics: 

‘Indicators in Southern Sudan are amongst the lowest in the world: over 90% of people in Southern Sudan live on less than $1 per day. One out of six women who become pregnant will die and one in six children die before their first birthday. The under five mortality rate remains high at 135 per 1,000 live births, despite having reduced significantly from 250 in 2001…. Only 27% of girls in Southern Sudan attend primary school and a 15 year old girl has a higher chance of dying during childbirth than completing school… Nationally, adult literacy stands at 71% for males and 52% for females. Only 8% of female adults in the south can read and write.’ 

No wonder it is hard to find qualified, female candidates for our Catholic Health Training Institute where I was last week. Girls in Sudan have had so little educational opportunity. In many countries the majority of nurses are women. I suspect there may now be more male nurses in first world countries than in the past but of the 17 student nurses in our Catholic Health Training Institute, there are five women and twelve men. We would like to recruit more women. 

The Catholic Health Training Institute in Wau, conducted by Solidarity with Southern Sudan (SSS), is the only place in Southern Sudan conducting a recognised Registered Nurse training programme. When Sister (Dr) Alphonse joins our team later this week, we shall have six religious in our Wau community – three Doctors and three nurses – all female. It is inspiring to witness the work they are doing in preparing future health professionals for this country. 

Sr Cathy and I met recently with another group of committed women from Boston, belonging to an organization called ‘My Sisters’ Keepers’. They describe themselves aptly in these terms:

’We are a faith-inspired, multi-racial collective of women who pool our diverse relationships and resources to usher in joy for women throughout the world – and particularly those in Sudan… We are a catalyst for change. We harness our ‘sister power’ to advance, political, social and economic justice for all women and girls’.  

In our dialogue, we have been looking at the possibility of providing some training for their teachers in a school these women have established for girls in Akon, in Warrap State, South Sudan. This week, under the banner ‘Sisterhood for Peace’, they are conducting a ‘Sustainable Peace Conference’ for women here in Juba. There is certainly a need for someone to be ‘a catalyst for change’ in Southern Sudan. We also have that goal in our SSS teaching and health training programmes. Thankfully much of the world has changed greatly since St Basil made his condescending remark in the 4^th century: ‘Ready service, according to our ability, even in very small things and even if rendered by women, is acceptable to God.’ 

Of course women clever with words and endowed with confident good humour, such as Charlotte Whitton, have always been able to assert themselves. She once quipped: ‘Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.

The Book of Proverbs states: ‘The tongue of the wise person brings healing’. Healing is what this country needs. At times it is what we all need. Southern Sudan needs better nurses, better teachers, better healers. That is what we are trying to achieve and in healing and in comforting, it is women who more often lead the way.      

Br Bill

I often find myself thinking, when I see young children, that where they are is their whole world. Most have never ventured far from home. Their entire world, especially in the more remote areas, consists of the local tribe and the tukuls with grass roofs and dirt floors in which they live, with no gas, electric power, nor running water. They learn to carry water and to cook over charcoal fires. They are too young to remember the war. Yes, they do see cars drive by and planes fly overhead but they live in a happy simplicity. One sees very small children wandering around roads, or playing, with no watching adult anywhere nearby. This is mostly a safe world – unless it is made hazardous by the LRA or other militias showing scant respect for human rights.

The children in the Congolese refugee camp at Makpundu are alienated from their home country. I imagine they must share some of the anxiety of their parents about the activities of the LRA. They welcome the reassuring presence of Fr Mario and the support provided by our Sisters in Riimenze. Yet they are cheerful, like children normally are, smiling, laughing, playing games and [...]]]>

Refugee Congolese

The wig was almost falling off the back of her the little girl’s tiny head. A small boy with laughing eyes crouched behind her while another in a ‘Joe Cool’ T-shirt stood at the back. They had come to request a lolly from kindly Sister Cathy. These are the children of Juba and this is their world.

I often find myself thinking, when I see young children, that where they are is their whole world. Most have never ventured far from home. Their entire world, especially in the more remote areas, consists of the local tribe and the tukuls with grass roofs and dirt floors in which they live, with no gas, electric power, nor running water. They learn to carry water and to cook over charcoal fires. They are too young to remember the war. Yes, they do see cars drive by and planes fly overhead but they live in a happy simplicity. One sees very small children wandering around roads, or playing, with no watching adult anywhere nearby. This is mostly a safe world – unless it is made hazardous by the LRA or other militias showing scant respect for human rights.

The children in the Congolese refugee camp at Makpundu are alienated from their home country. I imagine they must share some of the anxiety of their parents about the activities of the LRA. They welcome the reassuring presence of Fr Mario and the support provided by our Sisters in Riimenze. Yet they are cheerful, like children normally are, smiling, laughing, playing games and tolerating, if not enjoying, schooling – if they are lucky enough to go to school. They love to be photographed and laugh excitedly when shown their own image in the digital screen of the camera. So do some adults, but many in the cities object to having their photos taken.

The questions in my mind are not profound. Why would any mother, especially in this climate, place a red wig on the head of her very small daughter? How hungry for food, or affection, is this child at the door? How have they learned to cope with environmental hazards such as mud, snakes and scorpions? Sister Margaret and I were walking down the road at Nzara when she spotted a large snake moving towards a pile of cut-down tree trunks. Her call alerted a teenage boy who calmly threw rocks at the 2.5 metre cobra successfully encouraging it to slither away. Margaret and I kept our distance! The bush and such hazards in it are part of their world.

Into this world, minus the snakes but replete with rain and mud, we were very pleased to welcome Br Ambrose, the Australian Provincial of the De La Salle Brothers, who first issued the invitations to Br Denis and myself to come here. ‘Welcome to our World’ we said, not in those terms but in expressed appreciation of his taking the time to understand better this unique world of the people of Southern Sudan. It is certainly good to have such cheerful and encouraging support. Br Ambrose was also pleased to meet up with our Indian confrere, Br Heldon whom he knows from previous visits to India, and other SSS (Solidarity with Southern Sudan) members.

Peter Stemp, from the USA, arrived on the same plane from Addis Ababa as Br Ambrose, to begin a six-week familiarisation visit to Southern Sudan. For some of us to be able to live and work in this third world country of Southern Sudan requires a lot of fundraising by others in the first world. Peter has joined the SSS team to prepare project submissions to various trusts and philanthropic organizations, not only to seek funds for capital development but to assist us in achieving long term self-sustainability. A key goal is to develop our work so that we can gradually hand over viable enterprises to be continued by Sudanese people themselves.

Jesuit priest, Teilhard de Chardin, wrote that ‘The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of oneself to others.’ Some of us can give by service and some by support, financial and otherwise. Afro-American poet, Dr. Maya Angelou wrote: ‘I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.’ The world of the liberated is a good place in which to be.

Br Bill

Africa is such a culturally diverse continent. When Ghana was the only African country left in the World Cup, I did find Sudanese were barracking for Ghana, ‘the African team’. There is a general consciousness of being ‘African’ although some 54 independent sovereign states make up ‘Africa’. 

Nonetheless, the tribe of origin often impacts more on style of life than any national identity. Some say the colonial powers divided up Africa into arbitrary countries. ‘Arbitrary’ it truly was as tribes such as the Azande nation, an ethnic group of more than one million people, found themselves divided into parts of three countries. Further, many of the more than 10,000 independent, African, tribal nations were forced into uneasy coalitions with traditional enemies. These ‘coalitions’ may be single countries nominally but conflicts continue, unfortunately exacerbated by modern weaponry. 

A Wikipedia entry, printed below, sums up the African situation, in the post-Colonial period since the mid 1950s, much better than I can:

‘Today, Africa contains 54 sovereign countries, most of which still have the borders drawn during the era of European colonialism. Since colonialism, African states have frequently been hampered by instability, corruption, violence, and authoritarianism. The vast majority of African states are republics that operate under some form of the presidential system of rule. However, few of them have been able to sustain democratic governments on a permanent basis, and many have instead cycled through a series [...]]]>

Children in Leer

A few days ago, our Juba neighbour, Sister Pushpa, celebrated the anniversary of her 20 years in Africa, considerably longer than my ten months!

Africa is such a culturally diverse continent. When Ghana was the only African country left in the World Cup, I did find Sudanese were barracking for Ghana, ‘the African team’. There is a general consciousness of being ‘African’ although some 54 independent sovereign states make up ‘Africa’. 

Nonetheless, the tribe of origin often impacts more on style of life than any national identity. Some say the colonial powers divided up Africa into arbitrary countries. ‘Arbitrary’ it truly was as tribes such as the Azande nation, an ethnic group of more than one million people, found themselves divided into parts of three countries. Further, many of the more than 10,000 independent, African, tribal nations were forced into uneasy coalitions with traditional enemies. These ‘coalitions’ may be single countries nominally but conflicts continue, unfortunately exacerbated by modern weaponry. 

A Wikipedia entry, printed below, sums up the African situation, in the post-Colonial period since the mid 1950s, much better than I can:

‘Today, Africa contains 54 sovereign countries, most of which still have the borders drawn during the era of European colonialism. Since colonialism, African states have frequently been hampered by instability, corruption, violence, and authoritarianism. The vast majority of African states are republics that operate under some form of the presidential system of rule. However, few of them have been able to sustain democratic governments on a permanent basis, and many have instead cycled through a series of coups, producing military dictatorships.

A number of Africa’s post-colonial political leaders were military generals who were poorly educated and ignorant on matters of governance. Great instability, however, was mainly the result of marginalization of ethnic groups, and graft under these leaders. For political gain, many leaders fanned ethnic conflicts that had been exacerbated, or even created, by colonial rule. In many countries, the military was perceived as being the only group that could effectively maintain order, and it ruled many nations in Africa during the 1970s and early 1980s. During the period from the early 1960s to the late 1980s, Africa had more than 70 coups and 13 presidential assassinations. Border and territorial disputes were also common, with the European-imposed borders of many nations being widely contested through armed conflicts.’  

It is ironic that Southern Sudan, one of the areas with the lowest living standards, is now attracting large numbers of other African people as immigrant workers. There is a shortage of skilled tradespeople in Southern Sudan. The United Nations, and the Non-Government Organizations who come here to help the Sudanese, bring in lots of money. There is also the share of oil revenue handed over by the North. One Ugandan electrician told me recently there is not enough work in Uganda and consequently the pay rates there are too low. So he comes to Sudan to work where the pay is much better and his services are in demand. There is evident development in parts of Southern Sudan, such as in the capital, Juba, where I am at present. Much money changes hands but I surmise that a lot of it is flowing out to other African countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda who supply the major part of the goods and services here.

Independence and economic aid are not panaceas: they may help start a nation but they won’t deliver prosperity unless the nation is built, not on personal aggrandizement by a few, but on genuine concern for the welfare of all. The real question is can we in Southern Sudan learn the lessons from the failures in other parts of Africa and, instead, respect others, treating them justly and fairly. What is really needed is a strong determination for justice and peace.  

Br Bill

His long 15-hour flight to the Golden State will mark the beginning of a year-long journey he is about to commence as he enters the final stage of the De La Salle Brothers’ training program.

“I’m really excited about the Novitiate in the USA. It’s a great opportunity to strengthen my relationship with God and to deepen my understanding of the Lasallian tradition. Going to the Novitiate is a big step and it’s not a decision that I reached without careful consideration. But I’m definitely ready for it,” Lewis said.

Lewis, 24, has been living and working with the De La Salle Brothers since mid 2009. As a qualified teacher, he has worked at the Brothers’ schools in Mentone, Victoria and Bankstown, New South Wales.  He first made contact with Br Mark McKeon, Director of Vocations, in 2008 and since then he has been learning more about himself, the Brothers’ life, and considering whether or not it is something that is right for him.

“In the last two years I have seen Lewis grow in his determination to become a De La Salle Brother. It’s certainly a life which is not suited to everyone, but he has gone from strength to strength in being able to connect with the life of a Brother and the Lasallian mission. I have no doubt that he will shine as a De La Salle Brother,” Br Mark said.

The Novitiate is at Mont La Salle, the Brothers’ 338 acre [...]]]>

Lewis in Papua New Guinea

On 7^thAugust, Lewis Harwood will depart Sydney to join four other Novices in Napa, California.

His long 15-hour flight to the Golden State will mark the beginning of a year-long journey he is about to commence as he enters the final stage of the De La Salle Brothers’ training program.

“I’m really excited about the Novitiate in the USA. It’s a great opportunity to strengthen my relationship with God and to deepen my understanding of the Lasallian tradition. Going to the Novitiate is a big step and it’s not a decision that I reached without careful consideration. But I’m definitely ready for it,” Lewis said.

Lewis, 24, has been living and working with the De La Salle Brothers since mid 2009. As a qualified teacher, he has worked at the Brothers’ schools in Mentone, Victoria and Bankstown, New South Wales.  He first made contact with Br Mark McKeon, Director of Vocations, in 2008 and since then he has been learning more about himself, the Brothers’ life, and considering whether or not it is something that is right for him.

“In the last two years I have seen Lewis grow in his determination to become a De La Salle Brother. It’s certainly a life which is not suited to everyone, but he has gone from strength to strength in being able to connect with the life of a Brother and the Lasallian mission. I have no doubt that he will shine as a De La Salle Brother,” Br Mark said.

The Novitiate is at Mont La Salle, the Brothers’ 338 acre property seven miles northwest of the city of Napa.

Br Mark claims, “The property in Napa is perfect for the Novitiate because it is peaceful and secluded. The novices only spend one day working at the local school because the Novitiate is less about the ministry and more about taking time to reflect, deepen your spirituality and develop a greater understanding of the Founder of the Brothers and the Lasallian heritage.”

Br Mark admits that Lewis is the first young man that Australia has sent to the Novitiate in a number of years. And while religious life is something which many young people may not consider nowadays, the fact is that it is still an option worth considering.

“Lewis is proof that religious life is not a thing of the past. It is still a possibility for young men today. If you are passionate about your faith and have a desire to help young people in need, then the Brothers’ life is definitely worth considering. It has a lot to offer to the right person,” Br Mark said.