We are extremely happy to welcome three new members to Solidarity with Southern Sudan. Their arrival makes the number of people on ground 20.

The first to arrive was Heldon Fernanado, a De La Salle brother from India. He had a period of prepara-tion in Kenya and Khar-toum before he arrived here on the 10th of Sep-tember.

Bill Firman a De La Salle Brother from Australia

arrived in Juba on 12 September. He is the leader of SSS Education Team. Both of them will form commu-nity in Malakal with the four sisters already pre-

sent.Nuala Mulleady ar-rived on 22 September to join the community of Juba. She belongs to the congre-gation of Missionary Fran-ciscan Sisters.

Welcome to our new mem-bers and prayerful wishes for your joyful mission here in S. Sudan.

Our New Members

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Solidarity with Southern sudan NEWSLETTER DATE 07.10. 2009 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3

Malakal begins English Classes for 100 teachers Over the next two months, five community members of Malakal will be following up on the teachers who undertook this year’s programme and also offering a pre-paratory English course to one hundred teachers who want to enter the first year teacher training programme in 2010.

Bill Firman, the Director of the Teacher Training Pro-gram of Solidarity with Southern Sudan attended an important meeting organized by the Government of Southern Sudan ministry of Education, Science and Technology. “My attendance at the three day conference on Teacher Education was very worthwhile. Although the confer-ence was a slow moving talk fest, I learned a lot and made some valuable contacts. I also made sure they knew I was there” wrote Bill. Addressing Ministry of Education personnel, University boffins, various NGO representatives, UNICEF delegates and sundry others Bill remarked “If education can be compared with an elephant, the view of those most educated sitting on the back of the elephant is indeed a valid viewpoint, but it must be remembered that the view is very different for those who stand beside or under the elephant. There are teachers struggling to survive who feel in danger of being crushed by the ele-phant. If the children are lucky, the teacher will stand in front of the class with a piece of chalk in his or her hand. If the children are not so lucky, it will be a cane. I may not be able to get the teachers to the high standards those on top of the elephant want, but I can give those teachers better survival skills and show them a better way than belting the kids.” The image captured everyone's attention and on the third day the facilitator referred again to this “elephant” that Bill spoke of.

SSS Logo

SOLIDAIRTY with SOUTHERN SUDAN commits itself to justice, peace and reconciliation through its pastoral endeavors, training of primary teachers and health personnel in Southern Sudan. It cherishes and upholds the sacredness and dignity of human life at all stages and celebrates the integrity of creation.

Bill Attends Conference on Teacher Training

L R A T H R E A T A n d R E F U G E E S

The ever present threat by the move-ments of LRA in and around West-ern Equatoria state destabilizes the community very much. The recent arrival of some 9000 refugees mainly from Re-public of Congo and the bordering villages of Sudan calls our commu-nity to respond creatively to the situation. They have reflected prayerfully on pos-sible areas of con-tribution and have presented the same for the approval of the Board. Community partici-pated in fast and prayer march or-ganized by the dio-cese in the month of September.

A CHILDHOOD DREAM Nuala Mulleady, MFIC

Arriving in Juba on September 22nd was the realization of a dream of being a Missionary in Africa. Since I was a very young my dream was to be a Missionary in Africa and for that reason I joined the Missionary Franciscan Sisters. After many twists and turns on my journey of life my dream be-came a reality. The fire which sparked my initial call to be a missionary was fanned into flame by the invitation to join Solidarity with Southern Sudan. So here I am one week later feeling very much “at home” in my new community with Luchita and Joseph. This sense of “belonging” is due to the friendly and warm welcome re-ceived from them and to their gentle accompanying presence during this transition period. Their spirit of prayer, openness and inclusiveness is a great source of comfort to me as to-gether we form a new community.

On my first morning in Juba the dawn was ushered in by a Call to Prayer from the local Mosque which sounded like it was right in my room. The roosters too, crowed with great energy and enthusiasm as they greeted the new day. I hum-bly admit that at 5 am I did not feel as committed as my Muslim brothers and sisters or as enthusiastic as my brother roosters to rise and praise God. So if you come to Juba, there is no need to bring an alarm clock!! In our first meeting Joseph, Luchita and I spent some time sharing ideas and discussing how together we can discover new ways of being in an International, Intercongregational, Mixed Community. Discovering ways of “shared charism” “shared spirituality”, “shared mission” and “shared commu-nity” is very exciting and challenging to me. The words of Revelation come to mind: “ Behold! I am creating something new!” (rev. 21:5) This first week has provided me many opportunities to meet and share with different people in the: Marketplace, Book Discussion Group, Retreat and Sunday Liturgy.

On the Day of Retreat priests, brothers and sisters from the area prayed and reflected and shared on a very thought provoking talk given by Fr. Daniel Ma-chetti, MCCJ: MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, RECON-CILIATION and TRANS-FORMATION. My first Sunday Liturgy was a memorable one-----three and a half hour cele-bration followed by lunch and a four hour program. Since Archbishop Paolino welcomed me during the Mass, I thought this cele-bration was just for me!!! What a wonderful intro-duction to the life and cul-ture of the people of Juba. Walking through the neighborhood gave me an-other perspective of the people in Juba in their suf-fering and poverty. In one sense the suffering, misery and poverty can be over-whelming and in another sense there are opportuni-ties to be with the people to offer hope and invite them to rise above the situation they presently find them-selves in through the minis-try of education. The words of Oscar Ro-mero are very meaningful for us as a local community and for the community of Solidarity with Southern Sudan:

…..”this is what we are about. We plant the seeds

that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that

they hold future promise. We lay foundations that

will need further develop-ment. We provide yeast that produces effects far

beyond our capabilities.”

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SOLIDARITY WITH SOUTHERN SUDAN

Refugee Camp and SSS members

Indeed I was privi-

leged to follow the immersion

programme at Mary Knoll

Institute, Tangaza College,

Nairobi. The classes on Afri-

can culture and traditions

enlightened me towards my

mission. Let me share with

you the following:

Culture is the software of the

mind. Although traditional

society values community and

its individuals say, ‘I am be-

cause we are, and since we

are, therefore I am’, it is con-

stantly being smashed, under-

mined and in some respects

destroyed. Schools, economic

competition and the future

dimension of time focus on

individualism. Hence the spirit

of solidarity needs to be felt

and exercised among Africans

amidst growing dangers of

westernization, corruption,

individualism and indiffer-

ence.

Religion is a social reality,

which powerfully affects hu-

man thoughts and behaviour.

It has a role to play in cultivat-

ing reconciliation, harmony,

peace and security with and

within oneself, the commu-

nity, the nation and the uni-

verse. Hence the two immer-

sion programmes on African

culture altered my focus on

mission from Asia to Africa.

The programme was intensive,

enriching, reflective and re-

warding. Living in our Lasal-

lian community also helped.

After that, I went to learn Ara-

bic at the Catholic Language

Institute Khartoum. (CLIK)

Anxiety and uncertainty ac-

companied me as I journeyed

there. While living with the

Comboni Fathers, I was en-

thralled by their missionary

spirit and stories. Our De La

Salle Brothers (FSC) in Khar-

toum have been sensitive to

the request of the church of

Sudan by helping the young

and the displaced people of the

South. They coordinate the

Archdiocesan programme,

“Save the Savable”. Also, the

FSC continue the work of

CLIK, founded in 1985 to help

Sudanese and church person-

nel from outside Sudan to

learn Arabic. Currently it is

running in full swing for the

NGOs, UN personnel and

religious missionaries. The

experience at CLIK indeed

exposed me to Arabic, the

culture of Sudan, activities of

the missionaries, and vibrant

participation of the people of

God during Sunday liturgy.

However, Christians who live

in poverty in and around

Khartoum need our attention

and action. The book entitled,

Traveling With Soldiers and

Bishops aptly points out, “The war will not end until they

recognize that we are human beings”.

My worst nightmare at the Khartoum airport where I was

squeezed and squashed, led me to wonder if these difficulties

would foreshadow my future mission. My short stay at Juba

was really rejuvenating. Father Joseph, the administrator, and

Sister Luchita accommodated me well and expressed their

kindness by preparing a spicy chicken curry. The cuisine was

delicious and savory.

Finally, I reached Malakal, my mission, on 15th September. I

was warmly welcomed by

Sisters Barbara, Ninet and

Margaret. I am gradually

being introduced into commu-

nity living with them and

mission here. Learning from

each other’s experience, praying together, adjusting to the

new environment are the sacred moments that I experience.

The arrival of Brother Bill brought new energy and enthusi-

asm in all aspects of our life. We are really blessed with his

resources.

Though rumors of the security situation are alarming, we

learn at a UN Briefing Session each week what incidents have

been verified. Our commitment and constant prayers can

prevail.

Gradually I will get to know the people and places around

Malakal. I am fortunate to have regular liturgical celebrations

in our parish and our faith is encouraged by the active partici-

pation of the parishioners on Sundays. My visit to some

schools for our English course widened my perspective and

purpose of serving the people with love and compassion. I

wish and pray that peace may prevail through constant dia-

logue and reconciliation. Thy Kingdom Come.

Heldon Fernando

An Initiation into Sudan Ministry

3

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3

4

Suddenly Sudan Following many inoculations, careful research of expected conditions, read-ing many books on Africa and explicitly on Sudan, I set off from Melbourne to Sudan prepared, I thought, for almost any emergency – except deporta-tion on arrival! After four sets of applications for a visa that simply “evaporated”, I arrived in Sudan armed only with an electronic copy of an internal Southern Sudan three-month travel permit. The photocopy permit worked fine in Rome airport, and at Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, allowing me to board the planes but at Juba I met an abrupt: "We must have the original". The trouble was the original had been sent to Rome but it had failed to arrive by the promised date. So while I was

being very compliant in the chaotic confines of the terminal, Fr Joseph Callistus, the Solidarity with Southern Sudan (SSS) Administrative Secretary, rushed off and found a local priest who came to argue my case, and guarantee I was of good repute. After a long half hour, I was granted a reprieve on the promise that I return as soon as possible with the right travel permit. Thankfully, three days later my passport was duly stamped with a new six-month permit in place. I am legally here.

The regular loud speaker blasts by the Muslims commence at 5:00am – somewhat irritating, especially on Sunday. Perhaps it is a sign that God never sleeps! No doubt the strident sounds will fade in time to become background noise. I am sure God would prefer a more peaceful call to prayer. Life in Malakal is dominated by water, or the lack of ready access to it. Donkey-drawn carts with a drum on the cart, or a large plastic bottle on the head, are the main carrying methods from the Nile. I am grateful we have a pumping system. I discover you can hand-wash clothes in brown water. We have no washing machine. One looks forward to a shower of rain but, please Lord, not too much as the dusty grey ground quickly transform into clinging mud that does not wash off but must be scraped off, or left eventually to crumble away. Constantly one need to watch where one walks, not only to pick the best route through the potholes or mud, but to ensure there is no evidence an animal has marked its prior presence on that spot before ones own! Braying donkeys and hornless goats in great number seem to roam – or maybe they are invisibly herded by a sense of territory – while the numbers of dogs and cattle are fewer but may still stubbornly impede ones way. There are many beauti-ful birds of prolific variety. This timeless land, the ground, the seasons, the stormy sky take on a refreshing impor-tance and I am surprised how well I am coping with the heat and how little I miss the sophistications of the devel-oped world. Sharing with a supportive community helps greatly.

Father Joseph has made the local children feel very comfortable. His friendly, customary greeting of “How are you doing?” echoes in my head. My writing of this article was interrupted by an inquisitive two year old who wandered in and took over my computer – photo attached. He has not known war.

One wonders what lies before such children? Peace, for which we hope and pray, or war? It is good to be part of the process of trying to build a better fu-ture. It is sad to think that the hopeful, trusting smiles of children could be let down by the politics of greed and self-interest. I think the calling here is for

optimistic people - otherwise the obvious needs could become overwhelming. There is a very cheerful optimism among the community members with whom I am living. All are happy to be sharing their gifts with those less fortunate but just as precious to God. It is good to be here.

- Br Bill Firman

5

Bp. Eduardo, Bishop of Tombura Yambio visits Juba We took the opportunity of the presence of Maria and Bill, directors of our institutes, to invite the Bishop for supper with us. He was on his way to the Synod of Africa.

We discussed the new loca-tion for the teacher Training In-stitute in Yambio. Bishop Edu-ardo prom-ised to give a piece of land where the Education Center could be built. He also promised

to follow up the procedure to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the State Ministry of Education.

Catholic Health Training Institute pre-pares for the first intake of students

The health team in Wau has worked very hard all these months to prepare for the first intake of Nursing students. A meeting of contact per-sons was held in August. A new Brochure with important information about Nursing Profession and requirements was printed

and distrib-uted to all the dio-ceses. Sneha at-tended an exposure program at the Nursing School in Yei to prepare herself to take up the responsibility as Principal of the Institute and Es-perance participated in a workshop in Nairobi to pre-pare herself to take up the responsibility as Adminis-trator of the Institute. There will be a series of inter-

views in the coming month in many dioceses to select the candidates.

WAU IS BECOMING SAFER

Catholic Health Training Institute com-pound is getting safer with a fence built around the premises. 1.5 KM perimeter fence will secure the premises from the movement of people and animals. It will enable the relocation of the families that are residing in the CHTI buildings, which will soon undergo renovation, to be ready for the intake of students in January 2010.

MALAKAL SUBSTRUCTURE IS GETIING READY

The substruc-ture work for the Teacher Training Insti-tute in Malakal is coming to completion soon. We are thankful to our donors.

Josephine has started getting the local women together to teach them skills in tailoring and handicraft. There are many who come regularly for the sessions with her. Although language is a barrier for communication, it is becoming more evident that people are seeing the heart of the missionar-ies as they work toward women em-powerment.

Reading Group in Juba In response to the request of the Bishops to help in the on going formation of the religious and priests work-ing in the Sudan, a reading group is organized by SSS Juba community. Priests and Religious are invited to read the chosen book and come for sharing on Satur-days. We have completed two books so far and the enthusiasm and desire of the group to continue en-courages. There are eight members who regularly participate.

Women Empowerment in Riimenze Joanna takes care of the sick of Riimenze Joanna is doing a great service to the sick of Riimenze. She is able to help the people with her nursing background and recent exposure in Uganda to learn Herbal medicine. Many people come from the village to get treated. She visits the homebound twice a week.

6

Report from Riimenze

P.O. Box 144 Juba, Southern Sudan

The Teacher Training Programme in Riimenze has been functioning since the end of March 2009 with two groups of teachers from the local area. One group meets three afternoons a week from 4.00pm until 6.00pm and the program is repeated on Sat-urdays for those who live further a field and cannot come during the week. This group is comprised of teachers from Ban-gasu, 18 miles from Riimenze and a couple of teachers from Mokpandu, seven miles away. The dedication shown by the teachers is commendable as many are teaching in the primary school in the morning, teaching adults in the afternoon and then coming to their own classes late in the afternoon. The teachers too have shown great interest in our visits to their schools as a follow up to what they have been learning. We appre-ciate their invitation to visit with them. Three head teachers are undertaking the program and this is inspiring the teachers to also commit to study. We now have Sr Jenny Cook Larrañaga in Riimenze, who is preparing to teach the Sci-ence modules, a subject the teachers are very much looking forward to. The local Par-ish Priest, Fr John Gbemboyo, has recently taught a Social Studies module on Sudan Geography which was much appreciated by the trainees. Sr Felista Nyamasyo continues to encourage the students with their Maths learning and Sr Margaret Scott teaches the English modules. Riimenze is an ideal place to undertake study as there are not the distractions of the towns. The teachers manage to balance their teaching, their study and their work in the garden, as well as all the other tasks required of them. Currently we have only one woman in the group, which is sad. She is one of only three female teachers in the Bangasu Payam. (One of the other female teachers is undertaking her In-service training through the government program.) Planning is underway for 2010 ….

Feast of St. Francis celebrated in Juba! The community in Juba was very happy to welcome the minister gen-eral Elaine Mor-zone and her as-sistant Jeanette Gaudette of the Missionary Fran-ciscan Sisters, the congregation to which Nuala belongs . Margo,Grobsmith,a Franciscan Affiliate and the sisters of St. Paul, our neighbors, joined us for Eucharist and a simple meal to celebrate the feast of St. Francis. Elaine and Jeanette have made a three year commitment to facilitate the annual retreat for the Sacred Heart Sisters.

Riimenze invites women Reli-gious for Ongoing Formation

Religious women of the diocese of Yambio are given an opportu-nity to come together every month for a day of reflection and prayer with themes that will help in deepening their religious commitment. Jenny facilitated the first session with the theme, Images of God in the Scriptures. Particular passages of the Scriptures were taken for reflection and sharing. The group of sisters composed of Comboni Missionary Sisters and Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary participated.

Bill holds the future of Sudan in his hands. Hopefully all the efforts to train primary teachers will bring the same smile in many more faces.

New Email for Juba sssjuba@gmail.com