Weary for a Reason

When I am in Sudan there are some days when I honestly wonder, “Why am I doing this? Why am I traipsing along these dusty paths, squinting into the equatorial sun, swatting mosquitoes and dodging scorpions?  Why am I eating ugali (gruel made from ground maize) at every meal? Dousing myself in cold bucket showers? Traveling in dilapidated public buses and on the backs of motorcycles over miserable roads?  Why?”  

And then I visit the modest mud huts of the women with whom Mercy Beyond Borders partners. I see the incredible resilience of the women, their determination to rebuild after years of loss and war.  I see the small businesses they have launched with MBB micro-loans.  I listen to their stories. I hear the pride in their voices as they say, “Imagine! I am now a successful business woman netting $3 profit every day!” 

So I have my answer: this is why I go to Sudan. This is why Mercy Beyond Borders links with displaced women and girls.  We see their lives improve. We share their joy.  It is more than enough.

Almost Urban

Juba, capital of the now-independent Republic of South Sudan, squats on the banks of the Nile River. For the moment, it is a blend of hectic urban activity--nonstop construction, busy government offices, street vendors hawking their wares--and deep-seated, slow-moving rural roots.  Here we see cattle plodding down one of Juba's main streets. Soon such scenes will give way to traffic jams and neon signs, but for now one has the impression that Juba is much more country than city. Most roads remain unpaved; most streets have no signs. Public transport is via motorcycle only. There are no public libraries or parks, no museums or "destinations."  All of that will change, of course, in the coming years.  For now, it's a snapshot of Sudan's uncertain emergence into the world after so many years of isolation due to war.

Eyewitness Account of South Sudan's Independence Day

This email from Sr Maureen Limer, describes the excitement in Rumbek, S. Sudan, on July 9th.  The photo was taken of celebrations in Narus, S.Sudan, by Bro Mike Foley:

Sudanese Youth Jump for Joy on Independence Day

A dramatic birth! On the stroke of midnight, some of us on our beds beginning to sleep, Independence ERUPTED!

Drums and whistles, trumpets (buvuzelas), any available noisemakers but, above all, GUNS: AK 47s, rifles, revolvers, I'm no expert but they were ALL there adding to the cacophony and quite impressive after a two year disarmament campaign! Women shrieked with joy, their traditional ululating, children cried and EVERYONE knew the moment had come and the noise did not subside for hours and hours. It was frightening and exciting and REAL.

Just a few hours later, on the way to Mass, you could read it in the eyes of the mamas and children, their fathers, sons and brothers. The liturgical 'Sign of Peace' was so special this morning. I appreciated a special hug from a mama who shared a hollow in the Rumbek ground with me in 2003 during Bashir's last bombing raid on the town.

We spare a thought for Abyei, South Kordofan and Darfur where the attacks continue as we celebrate. It is understandable that Bashir has excused himself from the Juba eremonies today. Last night, concluding the nine days of prayer for the new nation, we gathered with the Bishop and parishioners for a candlelight vigil at the scene of the killing forty six years ago  of Rumbek priest, Fr. Archangelo Ali. We concluded with the first public singing of  the new anthem, "O God, we praise and glorify you for your grace on South Sudan, land of great abundance; uphold us united in peace and harmony." 

It is only 9.15 a.m. as I write but the marching and processions have been in full swing since daybreak and look set for the day. In fact, judging by the numbers, people have walked from far and wide through the night to take part. It is very evident that the teachers marshalling the thousands of schoolchildren are well-practiced in the art… I am typing to the rhythm of "Left, left, left....."  And in Freedom Square, scene of 1997 successful rout of the northern soldiers by the SPLA, everyone will want their turn on the podium; a day for remembering and savoring and full of expectation. There'll be some sore heads and
feet tomorrow but I'm sure there won't be many complaints.

Anticipating PEACE, girding for WAR

July 9th is INDEPENDENCE DAY for the new Republic of South Sudan!  Across the land, there will be drums accompanying the singing of their new national anthem, many long speeches, days of dancing and festive meals.  The people of S. Sudan are surely ready for REJOICING!



Behind the celebrations, however, lurks the awful threat of a return to war.  Omar al-Bashir (President of the North, who is under international indictment for war crimes in Darfur), last week reversed his June agreement to a cessation of hostilities. His army has already invaded the internal border regions, allegedly bombing villages, executing civilians, and claiming the land. This Northern aggression has caused over 160,000 Southerners to flee from their villages since mid-May.


Why not hold a birthday party wherever you are today and light a candle for PEACE in all of Sudan?

"Sometimes I can even afford fruit!"

While in the Sudanese town of Nimule during June, I visited and talked with the women who had received micro-loans from Mercy Beyond Borders.  Here is Vicky's story. She is living with AIDS:

I sell these tiny fish in the market stall. Before getting my loan from Mercy Beyond Borders, I sold only cooking oil. It was hard. Purchase at 65,000 Uganda Shillings (about $26) and sell, if lucky, at 90,000 Uganda Shillings (about $36). This was barely enough for normal living expenses. I never had any savings. Since the MBB loan I have been able to buy fish, groundnuts (peanuts) and beans. As you see here, these sell quickly.  My life has come up! My profit has tripled!  My day-to-day life is improving, truly. There is still more for me to do, of course, but already my diet has improved and my strength is good. Sometimes I can even afford fruit!  I have completely repaid the original loan with interest (12%).  I feel so good about that. If I had a chance for a second loan, I would build my own tukul (hut) and buy more provisions in Gulu and sell them in Juba.  As for the people in America who made the loan to me, I say to you: “I cannot express my joy. You have pulled me out of darkness. Now I live in the light.  I can never speak my thanks enough to you.”

Need a Doctor?

This sign from an enterprising Tanzanian healer caught my eye as I walked along the main street in the Sudanese town of Nimule, just north of the Ugandan border.  He didn't seem to have too many customers lining up outside his door--but then, you never know when you might need a cure for bad luck or a swollen body or a court case.... I made a mental note of the location for future reference!

Feeling young again

En route to Sudan at the end of May, I flew Ethiopian Air and had a layover in Addis Ababa.  While there I learned that Ethiopia still uses the Julian calendar, which means that right now it is the year 2003.  Immediately I felt 8 yrs younger!  Not a bad way to start a trip....  I also learned that in Ethiopia, the day begins not at midnight but at dawn.  When the sun rises, it is considered to be 1:00 a.m.; high noon is 6:00 a.m.  Makes sense to me, though it could wreak havoc with airline schedules!  The flights posted in Amharic use Ethiopian time; the flights posted in English use standard Western time. Who knew?

Passport Beauty

You know the old saying, "If you look like your passport picture, you're not well enough to travel!"

That is certainly true of me.  Somehow the camera manages, long before I have boarded an airplane, to capture the dragged-through-a-knothole visage, the telltale vacant stare and stiff-necked posture that come over me after 26 or 30 hours of flight from San Francisco to either Nairobi or Kampala (and we're not even in Sudan yet--that will take many more hours on airplanes and dirt roads).  How does the camera know that this is how I am going to look when I arrive in East Africa?  In Calif, friends look at my passport and say, "Whoa, that's a horrible picture of you!"  In Africa, the immigration official looks at the same picture, glances up at me, and nods. Yup. That's her!

By the time you read this I will be in South Sudan visiting our women's Micro-Enterprise projects in Nimule and interviewing candidates in Torit for our Scholarship Coordinator role.  I'll be even more bleary-eyed by the time I get back in San Francisco in mid-June, but it's all more than worth it for the sake of the women and girls in Sudan!

The hospital built and operated by Brother Rosario, MD, in Mapuordit, South Sudan, boasts a well deserved reputation for excellent care. It is located in a rural area reachable only by rough roads.  Despite its isolation, the hospital has an operating room, a nursing school and a diverse, dedicated staff.

Shown here with Bro Rosario are Sr Marilyn Lacey and Shirley Tamoria, MD (a member of Mercy Beyond Borders' Board of Directors), during a 2010 visit.  Doctor Tamoria was thoroughly impressed by the professional medical treatments and staff training that Bro Rosario provides and oversees.  

Hand-washing, Health-raising

If you visit the village of Nacipo, in South Sudan, you will see the women with whom Mercy Beyond Borders partners in promoting basic health.  Anna Mijji, MBB's health promoter, works with families like this one.  They live in thatch huts that the women build with their own hands. They spend hours every morning securing firewood for cooking and hauling water for daily use. The women are tremendously resilient and intelligent, but most have never been schooled, so they remain unaware of the connections between hand-washing and disease, or the benefits of keeping flies off food.  MBB hosts weekly workshops to encourage simple changes that can dramatically improve health.  It's working. We are already seeing changes!

Imagining what C-O-L-D feels like

If you've grown up in rural S. Sudan, you may have no concept whatsoever of c-o-l-d, as the weather there is equatorially hot year-round (either hot and dusty dry, or hot and rainy wet).  The electricity needed to produce refrigeration would be extremely rare.  In fact, in the brief workshop that refugees from Sudan have before being resettled out of refugee camps to begin a new life in Europe or America, the teachers sometimes pass a large chunk of ice around the classroom.  "This is cold," they say. "You may live in a place that feels like this."  

Sr Edvine, Principal of St Bakhita Primary School, spent an overnight in Lake Tahoe while visiting California during March.  The area had already recorded 59 feet of winter snow (yes, feet!).  Edvine sat bundled inside the house, close to a roaring fireplace.  Now she'll be able to describe c-o-l-d to her students in South Sudan! 

Look Sharp! Feel Sharp!

Thorns!  Thorns! THORNS! Growing seemingly everywhere in the scrub brush of S. Sudan, these spikes can be 3-4 inches in length and are the bane of all unwary walkers and of children playing soccer. They easily pierce skin and are more than sharp enough to puncture tires or walking shoes (if you're lucky enough to have shoes).

Mercy Beyond Borders has sent an allegedly puncture-proof soccer ball (at least, that is the claim of the manufacturer) to St Bakhita Primary School in Narus, Sudan. If it survives the thorn bushes on their rough playing field, it will indeed be a miracle. Stay tuned!

Sr.Edvine, Principal of St Bakhita Girls' Primary School in Narus, Sudan, recently spent 3 weeks in California. Since it was her first trip outside of East Africa, all of it was new to her.  She participated in a workshop with 35,000 others at the Anaheim Convention Center, she saw the vast farms of the California's Central Valley, she enjoyed Mexican food, she visited local elementary schools, she toured a teacher resource center, she met with donors, she even saw SNOW at Lake Tahoe.  When I asked her what the most amazing part of her visit had been, however, she immediately replied, "The roads."  Never had she traveled on such smooth roads. Never had she been able to cover a distance of hundreds of miles in a few short hours.  "Oh," she said, "if only Sudan had such roads!"  

Being Displaced

Displacement remains a sad fact for many Southern Sudanese. Though the civil war ended several years ago, internal fighting between ethnic groups is still a huge problem.  In this photo we see a young mother and her two children whose village was burned during tribal clashes in April in Mapuordit.  She fled and is now camping out with the few possessions she could carry away: a mattress, a cooking pot, a goatskin, a plastic chair.  She received mosquito netting and blankets from Sr Philippa, Principal of the Mapuordit secondary school where Mercy Beyond Borders supports the all of the female students.  

"Camping Out" on the School Grounds

"Camping out" connotes happy summer vacations to many American youth. It carries a very different meaning in most parts of Africa.
Several months ago, Mercy Beyond Borders displayed this photo of Sr. Philippa Murphy, Principal of the only high school in Mapuordit.  She has been working hard to increase the number of girls at her school.  What she certainly did NOT have in mind was a sudden influx of women and children last month coming as IDPs (internally displaced persons) seeking refuge on her campus from a fierce upsurge in fighting between the Jur and Dinka tribes in the area that left at least 38 dead, many villages razed, and thousands of villagers fleeing for safe haven.  Now Philippa must cope with trying to begin school in order to provide some sense of normalcy for the students while hundreds of uprooted families are camping out on her grounds, lacking proper shelter, sufficient food, and not knowing what lies ahead for them.  Local authorities have been slow to bring emergency help.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back.  No, it's not a new dance craze, it's a description of the uphill struggle to make any kind of substantive progress in Sudan.  Take a look, for example, at this picture of the brand-new primary school in Yirol, where a recent wind storm ripped off the metal roof and the ensuing rains flooded the food storage and school supply rooms, ruining everything.  It's hard not to get discouraged when so much hard effort can be undone overnight by weather, by bandits, or by plans that go awry.   Those who work in Sudan have to be long on patience, sticking to their goals despite frequent setbacks.  

Since most of us live in places where water comes on at the twist of a tap, where electricity is constant, where roads washed out by bad weather get repaired in good time, and where food is merely a short hop to a nearby grocery store, it's hard to grasp the remoteness and challenges of S. Sudan.  Trucking in replacement metal roofing for this school (from Uganda or Kenya) could take another 6 months....Meanwhile, where will the children learn?

Wouldn't That Be Wild?

A recent National Geographic aerial survey of the eastern regions of South Sudan discovered vast herds of wild animals.  The researchers were stunned by what they saw.  Nearly everyone had assumed that wildlife was nearly eliminated in S. Sudan during the four decades of war.  Since 1983 displaced peoples and soldiers, hungry and on the move, regularly killed and ate elephant, giraffe, buffalo and other animals simply to stay alive.  "We had thought all the large herds were gone."  To the contrary, their photos prove that the wildlife remaining in Sudan will rival the fabled herds of the Serengeti.  We can only hope that the new government of South Sudan will soon establish extensive game preserves to give sanctuary to these animals and to enable a tourism industry to develop as well.  As Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "I wish to speak a word for Nature, for absolute freedom and wildness...."

From huts to classrooms to careers

When I say that living in Sudan is "sort of like camping, only with more spiders and scorpions," I mean it.  Nearly all of South Sudan's people live in rural settings, usually with only the barest necessities for survival.  For girls, the leap from such a place to an elementary school is huge; to stay in school long enough to attend high school is rare.  And the odds against being able to enroll in a university are astronomical.  Mercy Beyond Borders is trying to change those odds through the promotion of girls' education and the provision of scholarships to the best female students.

The village shown in this photo, for example, produced a young woman who is now an MBB scholar in a Nursing College.  Three cheers for Debora!  She was pulled out of 9th grade by her family to be married to an older man; they subsequently had two children, but Debora never relinquished her dream of finishing school. Finally, at age 21 she returned to high school and later graduated (the only female in her class of 70).  MBB then provided a full scholarship so that Debora could pursue her dream of becoming a nurse.  We salute you for your courage, Debora!

The Power of Radio

In South Sudan, where such a high percentage of the population is not yet literate, radio is a particularly effective means of communication.  During December 2010, Mercy Beyond Borders visited Good News Radio station in Rumbek.  With a broadcast radius of 100 miles, it has become a powerful tool for reaching people in rural villages.

MBB now underwrites a weekly radio program promoting girls' education.  The show utilizes taped interviews with girls, mothers, teachers and government leaders, and also has a live call-in component.  We see it as a very useful, cost-effective way of spreading the word about the significance of girls' education.  It also gives women and girls a voice!

Sr Edvine Comes to California

Mercy Beyond Borders looks forward to welcoming Sister Edvine Tumwesigye, Principal of St Bakhita Girls Primary School in Sudan, to California in mid-March. Edvine will be attending an education conference and then spending time with MBB staff and Board members in the Bay Area. We also hope to fit in some good ol' rest and relaxation.

Through friends, Mercy Beyond Borders has gotten free tickets to the Monterey Aquarium and to Disneyland, sites guaranteed to surprise and delight anyone coming from Sudan.  The trip is MBB's way of thanking Edvine for all she does on behalf of girls' education in Sudan. At the same time, it gives MBB supporters in Calif a chance to get to know her.

Which Way Now?

The people of S. Sudan surprised the world with their peaceful, well-organized, and successful Referendum vote in January.  In fact, their enthusiastic first taste of democracy puts most Western democracies to shame: over 99% of registered voters (millions) turned up at the polls to cast their historic votes--and over 99% of the voters chose secession.


Now the question looms: what's next?  On July 9 their country will be born.  It is expected that the longterm ruler in the North, Omar al-Bashir, will allow the separation to occur, in exchange for lifting of economic sanctions against the North.  


However, on the horizon is the ongoing dispute over the oil-rich region of Abyei. It will vote whether to become part of the North or part of the new country in the South.  The vote to determine its fate has been indefinitely delayed by the North, while they send thousands of northerners into Abyei as new settlers.  This is reminiscent of how the Chinese gov't moved huge numbers of Chinese into Tibet to weaken the Tibetan culture and independence.  


Seen here is a picture of downtown Rumbek, in Southern Sudan.  There is no traffic light, but rather a painted sign of one, showing the newly-graded roads toward Wau and Juba.  (S. Sudan, which is the size of France, has only 30 miles of paved road.) Let's hope the leadership in the South will also show its people a way toward stability and development in the months ahead.

Braided Fish?

Yup, braided fish!  It was new to me, too:  thin fish from a nearby river artfully woven into long braids and sold in the outdoor marketplace in Rumbek town.  Take a look:

This market also sold fruit imported from Uganda and Kenya.  Despite Sudan's tropical climate, it is hard to find fresh fruit in the South. Perhaps that is the legacy of war, or simply the difficulty of transport. At any rate,   vendors in Rumbek town were charging $7.00 US dollars (an impossible amount for local residents) for a travel-bruised pineapple. No one was buying. At least the dried fish would not spoil!

Teaching about Soap

Anna Mijji, seen here in the orange t-shirt and white cap, is a Sudanese woman with a mission: she loves being with the Toposa women and children in the villages surrounding Narus, sharing with them simple ways to improve their health.  In this picture, Anna is teaching children about the marvels of soap and how its use can ward off many illnesses.  Anna continues the weekend HEALTH AND HYGIENE workshops begun in 2009 by Sr Kathleen.  She quickly draws a crowd wherever she goes.  Yes, handing out bars of soap gets people's attention, but then Anna uses the opportunity to pass on her knowledge about disease prevention. She explains to the women why it's important to cover their food against fly droppings. She demonstrates how boiling one's water before drinking it or cooking with it can eliminate most water-borne parasites.  She makes concrete the connection between hand-washing and the reduction of child mortality.  Mercy Beyond Borders gives Anna a modest stipend to do this work. Everyone benefits!

Long Road Ahead

I took this pix in 1992, when making my very first trip into S. Sudan.  At the time, civil war was raging. We drove for 11 hours north by northwest over the border from Kenya to Torit.  Our Land Rover was stopped every hour or so at checkpoints by barefoot boys carrying AK-47s, guarding the dusty, rutted road. We saw burned-out military tanks now and then, but not much else, until we stayed overnight in Kapoeta, the rebel stronghold, where hundreds of tall recruits marched at dawn to the orders of their commander. I'll never forget their strong voices singing in unison as their bare feet thumped the ground outside our tent.
In some ways, not much has changed in S. Sudan since 1992.  The land is still undeveloped. The roads are not yet paved. The people are still poor. In other ways, everything has changed!  The war is over; the rebels have formed a legitimate government; a peaceful referendum vote signals independence on the near horizon. Hope is in the air!
For another first-hand perspective on S.Sudan, check out the new blog from MBB volunteer Alison Staab: www.southsudanreflections.blogspot.com.

Introducing another Sudan blogger

Starting in February, you can read the Sudan reflections of Alison Staab, MBB volunteer and supporter. Here's a sample of her views from a recent trip to Sudan:

"In November and early December of 2010 I went to South Sudan with Sr. Marilyn Lacey, founder of Mercy Beyond Borders, an organization which partners with Sudanese displaced women and girls in ways that alleviate their extreme poverty. We spent three weeks traveling around to visit some of the projects the organization funds, including schools, literacy classes for women, and small businesses that have benefitted by receiving micro loans provided by MBB.

 

     Since returning to the U.S. a month ago, I have been thinking a lot about Sudan. I’ve been noticing the contrast between lifestyle in the two places: the availability and abundance of food here, compared to the scarcity of food in Sudan. Clean water on tap in they typical American home, compared to a walk to the pump for the Sudanese woman or child - then a return walk home carrying a jerry can full of water on the head. Quality medical care here, versus scarce, understaffed and poorly supplied clinics in South Sudan. Free public school for every American child through age 18, contrasted with South Sudan, where less than 1.9 percent complete 8^th grade.

 

     I’ve been remembering other things about Sudan as well: the openness and friendliness of the people you meet while walking down the street. The ubiquitous smiling faces, even when shadowed by those heavy jerry cans full of water. The pleasure in being together, and cooperation as they work around their homes, shown by Sudanese mothers, daughters, and younger sons. The responsibility demonstrated by older sons – by “older” here I mean 8 or 10 – as they move their cows around in search of grazing land.

 

     These are the two images of the Sudanese people I came away with that touched me most: their poverty, and their spirit. During the upcoming months I’ll be posting more about my experiences in Sudan and reflections on them in a new blog at      www.southsudanreflections.blogspot.com/. If you are interested in learning about South Sudan, take a look at my blog periodically! Welcome and Enjoy!"

200 years in 4 minutes!

By nearly every global poverty metric, Sudan ranks at or near the bottom when compared to other countries--and Southern Sudan is considerably less developed than northern Sudan.  There is hope that development may begin in earnest after S. Sudan becomes independent in mid-2011.  For a visual, visceral sense of the gap between rich countries and poor ones in terms of both wealth and health, take a look at this fascinating 4-min video which dramatizes in layman's language the "global standing" shifts of 200 countries over the past 200 years. Copy and paste this into your web browser:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/12/200_years_in_4_minutes.php/

David and the Hyena

You’ve heard of David and Goliath. Let me tell you the story of David and the Hyena.  David lives in Mapuordit, S.Sudan.  When he was a young man tending cattle—as all young men do in S.Sudan--he was sleeping one night on the ground in the cattle camp at the edge of his cattle herd.  He was wakened by a hyena that pounced on him while a ring of other hyenas watched from a short distance. David wrestled the vicious attacker and managed to chase it off. 

The very next day at around 7 a.m. David was milking the cattle, as he did every morning.  He felt a tap on his shoulder.  He turned around to see who it was.  It was the same hyena!  It clawed at his face and gouged out both of David's eyes.  

At the time, there was no clinic or hospital in the area.  The villagers tended his wounds and so David lived to tell this story. But he is completely blind and has thick scars where his eyes used to be.  He is now one of the leaders living in a separate compound for the disabled outside Mapuordit, S. Sudan.  Though he cannot see, he smiles easily and says that his life is good.

Jubilant Referendum Voting

Though I am in California now, not Southern Sudan, it seems that nearly all the news about the Referendum taking place this week in Sudan (and in 8 other countries around the world where substantial numbers of Sudanese live) is positive. More than positive, it's been downright jubilant: long lines of eager voters, people dancing in the street, war widows saying that those who died fighting for independence will "feel" this victory even though they did not live to see the day.  Surely the soil has been seeded for a new beginning. May peace take root and grow!

Can we learn to be peaceful?

During December, while we were staying in the town of Rumbek in Southern Sudan, the compound near us was raided by men with AK-47s looking for (and getting) cash from the ex-patriates living there.  This was, I’m told, the fifth such armed robbery in the neighborhood over the past month.  Anxiety fills the air regarding the January Referendum . Some Southerners are already moving their women and children down to Kenya’s Kakuma Ref camp again for safety. NGO’s and the UN are mobilizing for the influx of half a million Southerners who’ve been living near Khartoum for many years. 


President Bashir has declared that all Southerners will be instantly unwelcome if the vote results in secession, as expected. So throughout the South there is significant unrest mixed with hope for an independent future. Sadly, violence remains the norm in Sudan: wife-beating, cattle-raiding, family feuding, drunken shootings, ethnic rivalries, school riots.  The Bishop of Rumbek, Cesar Mazzolari, pulled most of his personnel out of the town of Marial Lou—where MBB had a thriving micro-enterprise project with a group of women—after rioters attacked the Principal (a nun) of the local school over alleged injustices regarding teacher salaries and student resources. 


Violence has become the default response to any problem, real or perceived. It’s understandable in view of decades of war, but tragic nonetheless.  The human heart needs to be taught how to wage peace.

War or Peace?

The January 9th, 2011 Referendum is on everyone’s mind.  Secession is the clear choice for southerners, but no one trusts the government of Khartoum to let it happen peacefully.  Already the UN and the various NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in S.Sudan are strategizing ways to accommodate the expected influx of a million Southerners who currently live in northern Sudan.  After the Referendum, they will immediately become unwanted in the North, instant refugees or displaced persons as they trek southward.  Meanwhile, both North and South are actively beefing up their military along the dividing line between North and South.  Twice during November, Antonov planes from Khartoum dropped bombs on the town of Aweil, which just happens to be in the oil-producing region of S.Sudan.  “Sorry,” said Omar al-Bashir in Khartoum in an unusually candid moment, “We meant to drop it on Darfur.”  Obviously the North is trying to depopulate the area so that there will be no southerners there to vote for secession. 

This photo shows a bridge outside the town of Rumbek that cracked under the weight of tanks rumbling across it as they headed northward to fortify the internal border.  We had to exit our vehicle and walk across, while the car carefully inched its way over the section bent by the tanks. We made it across safely—twice!

In the main towns of S.Sudan (which are few and far between) it is possible to purchase fruit and vegetables and basic supplies—soap and salt, batteries and brooms, cooking oil and toilet paper, and the ever present Coca Cola.  But once you travel out into the rural areas, one’s choices become much more limited. For the most part, people eat ugali (maize which has been ground to a polenta-like substance akin to mashed potatoes), augmented at times by beans and okra and milk from goats or cattle.  No See’s candy, that’s for sure!  The food is, however, satisfying and healthy except when the rains fail and the cattle die and the crops do not grow.  Shown here is the market in S. Sudan's 2nd largest city, Rumbek, where Mercy Beyond Borders supports women's literacy classes.

Christmas Chickens?

The 30 chickens at the medical clinic compound in the remote Kuron Peace Village in Southern Sudan had grown fat and healthy.  One night all 30 mysteriously disappeared. The Sisters presumed, rightly so, that they had been “lifted” by someone from the local Toposa people.  

The next morning they visited the chief. Sure enough: 30 plump chickens were strutting around his hut. 

“Ah,” said Sr Angela, after greeting the chief politely and inquiring after his health and his several wives. “It seems that you have our chickens.”  

The chief feigned surprise and countered with the argument that these were undeniably HIS chickens: “Look, these are Toposa chickens! See for yourself!”  

And as Angela looked more closely, she noticed that each chicken now sported a tiny and quite colorful beaded anklet, Toposa-style, above its right foot!  She had a good laugh about that, and then convinced the chief to return all 30, complete with decorative anklets.  They are now the best-dressed chickens in Kuron!

Transporting the sick

It would be hard to find a place more remote than Kuron.  (It isn’t even on any Google maps!) But there is a Peace Village there, founded in the hope that someday all tribes and ethnic groups may learn to live cooperatively.  That day has not yet come.  Cattle-raiding remains a time-honored tradition whereby the men prove their worth as warriors.  Now that AK-47s have replaced spears these skirmishes are often deadly.  While in Kuron in mid-November, we saw this man whose pelvis was shattered by a bullet.  Since the medical clinic has no surgery, he was stabilized and then carried on a makeshift stretcher (poles and a blanket) to the back of a pickup truck for a 5-hour grueling ride on a rough dirt track to Boma, the nearest hospital.  Along with him went 3 other patients, including an infant with a huge abdominal tumor. 2 days later, we learned that the truck never made it to Boma; it was stuck on the road.  The rains that had cooled our evening in Kuron had made the road impassable to the east.  So on the 3^rd day the clinic at Kuron sent another vehicle off to rescue the stranded patients, who had been without food or shelter all that while.  Nothing is easy in Sudan.

Everyone Lost Something

While meeting with the women in the village of Nacipo, I noticed one person who had only one arm. She was painstakingly sewing beads onto a goatskin skirt, using her one arm and her teeth to thread the needle and pull it through the tough skin.  I asked the project leader, Anna Mijji, about this woman's story and was told that during the civil war, soldiers had come and shot her husband dead. She grabbed the gun and killed six of the men before being shot herself. That is how she lost her arm.  “War,” she shrugged.  “Everyone lost something.”

Visiting Nacipo Village in S. Sudan

On Monday morning we clambored into the back of a pickup truck with Anna Mijji, the Sudanese woman trained by Sr Kathleen Connolly earlier this year to carry on the Womens’ Health Promotion Workshops in the villages surrounding Narus. After a bouncy 15 minute drive that produced billows of red dust behind us, we pulled up to the first cluster of thatched huts. 

As we arrived, so did a group of young women walking on foot. Some were carrying jerry cans of water, and two had metal pans on their heads.  Sticking up garishly from both pans were half a dozen legs of goats—no doubt destined for sale at the local market.  Anna showed the women a photo sent by Sr Kathleen that had been taken at one of the earlier workshops. They passed the photo from one to another, examining it with great seriousness, fascinated at seeing themselves in the picture.  Then the women resumed their long walk to register for the upcoming Referendum in January that will determine the fate of S.Sudan.

Headed to S. Sudan

In just 10 days I will be boarding a KLM flight from San Francisco with two colleagues, en rte 26 hrs by air to Nairobi where we will catch an East Africa flight up to Lokichokkio in northernmost Kenya near the border with S. Sudan. From there we proceed in a Land Rover, escorted by military vehicles for several hours through a stretch of road prone to bandit attacks. Once we pass immigration at Nadapal, we shall be inside Southern Sudan. Then for a few weeks we will travel to Narus, Kuron, Rumbek, and Mapuordit to visit our Mercy Beyond Borders projects with displaced women and girls. 

By decree of the government, all schools in S. Sudan will shut down in mid-Nov for 2 months so that the teachers and students can return to their home villages to assist with registration and voter education for the referendum slated for January 9th, 2011.  The outcome will determine whether S. Sudan secedes to become its own country. 

Juba

Juba, the provisional capital of S. Sudan, is a hub of activity for the fledgling government of S. Sudan as it prepares for the Jan 9th referendum that may lead to independence as a new state.  The city itself, situated on the Nile, is now home to a veritable beehive of nonprofits, UN offices, and government functionaries.  It's probably similar to the way San Francisco looked in the Gold Rush days of 1849--more bars than houses; squatter camps burgeoning everywhere; only 1 paved street; no sanitation facilities.  But the dream of "making it big" and getting in on the ground floor as the area develops attracts people from throughout the world. This photo, taken by me in April 2010, shows the city-center market with a large kite (bird) overhead. 

Juba is the first part of S. Sudan to have mobile phones and banking.  Many nonprofits operate there, but few of them venture out into the vast rural areas, where Mercy Beyond Borders has its projects with women and girls.

Living--really living--with HIV/AIDS

One of the occupational hazards of being a female refugee is that you have little or no protection from sexually-transmitted diseases. Vulnerable to rape,  infected by a spouse, or drawn into prostitution as the only way to feed their children, many displaced women suffer from HIV/AIDS.  In recent years, western countries (led by the US) have stepped up to provide anti-retroviral medicines to infected individuals in post-conflict zones. These meds, however, are effective only when taken with sufficient nutrition.  Without adequate food, the meds actually cause the women to become sicker. Women in Sudan who are displaced by war and afflicted with AIDS rarely have sufficient food.

MBB’s very first micro-enterprise project benefited 14 such women living in the town of Nimule, S. Sudan.  Besides creating income that transformed their economic situation, the project had a noticeable (and sometimes dramatic) impact on the physical health of the women.  A successful micro-enterprise effort = more monthly income = more ability to purchase food = greater effectiveness of the anti-retroviral drugs = improved personal health.  And when the women are feeling better, they can work harder, and earn even more income the following month. Micro-enterprise loans (ranging from $74 - $300, based on the women’s business plans) from Mercy Beyond Borders are quite literally giving new life to these women and their children.

 Pictured here is Aryemu with the charcoal-making business she started in Nimule, Sudan, with funding from your donations to Mercy Beyond Borders..

On the Road Again

For the past 2 months I have been on the road almost constantly, traipsing around the US, giving presentations to various schools, book clubs, parishes, and civic groups about the mission and work of Mercy Beyond Borders.  You might have spotted me in Kansas City, Red Bluff, Sacramento, Sunnyvale, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco, Joplin, San Jose or Baltimore.  Much as we all like to grouch about airport security lines, cramped airplane seating and those pitiful bags of peanuts, I actually have no complaints!  Here are 3 reasons why:

1.  I am meeting wonderful people and making new friends for MBB.

2.  I am upping my chances of actually bumping into someone who knows Oprah and can get me onto her show (imagine the visibility that would give to MBB!).

3.  Finally, I am very aware that traveling in the US—no matter how congested or hassled—cannot begin to compare with the difficulties, dangers, and inevitable delays that come with traveling anywhere inside Southern Sudan!  As the photo here (taken on the road from Rumbek to Yirol on September 1) shows, Sudanese weather and geography usually trump the travel plans of mere mortals. 

From Sesame Seeds to Charcoal

Virginia Kide selling charcoal

The first Micro-Enterprise loans made by Mercy Beyond Borders-- to 14 women of the HIV/AIDS support group in Nimule, South Sudan--have begun to improve the lives of the women, though not without struggles.  Here is Virginia's story:

"When I received the loan I invested in raw cassava to be taken to Juba; unfortunately, on my way to market the truck broke down and all was ruined. But being in a group is so important: the other members raised for me an internal loan that enabled me to go back into business. I bought a sack of simsim (sesame) and sorghum which added to my capital. In a short time, however, I fell sick and the doctor warned me not to work so hard, so I resolved to buy charcoal from the people who burn it and then sell it retail. I am a widow with 5 sons; two are now high school age. The loan I got was $250 and so far I have repaid $167. In the beginning, I had only $30 savings; now I have $50!  Thank you, Mercy Beyond Borders!

Vacationing in Wilderness

No, this isn't Southern Sudan--it's beautiful Cody Lake in the California Sierra Nevada Mountains near Lake Tahoe, where I spent a restful 4-day vacation last week.  Hiking into canyons, along trails and waterfalls, enjoying breathtaking views... I wondered how long it will be before Sudan reaches a place of sustained peace, so that development there can  occur without fear of violence.

Along the eastern areas of S. Sudan there are vast herds of elephants, wildebeest, giraffes, etc., rivaling the immense herds that range through Kenya and Tanzania. This was recently documented by National Geographic aerial photos.  If the region can be protected as a wildlife preserve, Southern Sudan will some day become a magnificent tourist destination rather than a conflict zone.  I look forward to that day in the future when visitors will choose to vacation in Sudan!

Micro-Enterprise Marvels

My name is Margaret Daru. I live in Nimule, S.Sudan, and this is my story:

Since I got a Mercy Beyond Borders micro-loan my business is shooting very rapidly upward!  Already I have repaid my first installment on time. I received $125 dollars and have so far paid $82.20 and I hope to clear the remaining amount before the time elapses.  My setback was due to an accident which happened to my husband: he was knocked down by a motorcycle when crossing the road, so for the past two month I'm not constant in my stall. Even at the time of this photo I'm on and off because his condition is not good and there is nobody to care for him in the hospital, so I must be with him every day. But I have enough stock in my kiosk to repay my loan and I am also very happy to tell you that we appreciate all the support MBB has given us.  Even if this amount of money is small, still it was a great blessing. Now my business has increased and what I have realized is the spirit of group and working together is very important for us as sick people it’s an achievement [editor's note: Margaret has HIV/AIDS, and the anti-retroviral medications she is on are not effective unless taken with proper nutrition].  I was weighing 50 Kg but now I have increased to 64kg body weight so feeding is no longer a problem even I have not fallen sick during this course. I thank the Lord for that. My beginning saving was 119 Sudanese pounds (about $44) and now I have topped to 305 Sudanese pounds ($113) in the saving box. This is good for my life!

Kokopelli in Sudan

Last week I spent several days in the American Southwest, visiting the pueblos of the Navajo and Anasazi peoples who first lived here 700 years ago, long before the United States existed.  Though their adobe houses and traditions were unique to them, there was much about the place that reminded me of Southern Sudan today.  One of the oft-pictured pueblo symbols is Kokopelli, the flute-player. His playful form survives in stories and on ancient petroglyphs near Albuquerque. 

After hiking in the Petroglyph National Park in the blazing 100 degree sunshine to snap photos of Kokopelli drawings on the volcanic rocks, I recalled this photo of a boy making music from a flute fashioned from an old pipe. I took the picture in Kuron, Sudan, two years ago.  Though 10,000 miles separate Albuquerque from Kuron, this young boy's name could be Kokopelli.  The spirit is the same.

Ground Travel in S. Sudan

The semi-dry riverbed shown in this snapshot gives a feel for the rigors of ground travel in Sudan, which is at its best challenging and at its worst downright life-threatening.  Yes, we crossed this riverbed in a Land Rover while on our way from Narus to Kuron, easing down the mucky bank on the right, splashing through the water, and then hanging on for the near-vertical climb up the left bank. For a moment I worried that our vehicle was literally going to topple over backwards in an Olympic-style backflip!  Our intrepid Sudanese driver, however, didn't even blink; I couldn't tell whether his furrowed brow and maniacal grin signaled intense concentration or a sudden death wish.

Most of Southern Sudan lacks roads of any kind. Paved roads remain only a distant future dream (except in Juba, the provisional capital, which now has exactly 2 paved streets). Most rivers have no bridges.  Travelers are often stranded for hours (or days) on one bank of a river, waiting for the water level to drop so that they can slog across to the other bank.  Even bone-dry riverbeds are deceptively dangerous: Bishop Paride Taban nearly drowned once while crossing a dry wadi when a flash flood suddenly engulfed his vehicle.  He escaped only because he was able to squeeze out through an open window and somehow swim to safety amid the muddied water and uprooted trees. The vehicle was never found. 

Bush planes are actually the safest form of travel in S. Sudan, but chartering them is prohibitively expensive.  For now, Mercy Beyond Borders travels by vehicle.  The lack of rest stops or roadside eateries (hard to have a roadside restaurant when there are no roads!) doesn't worry me, but the likelihood of mechanical breakdown, armed ambush, or flash floods is enough to keep anyone awake.  I'm always a bit surprised--and more than a bit grateful-- to arrive safely at any Sudanese destination.  And I have tremendous respect for all who live and work there, day in and day out.

Taking Away the Kalashnikovs

Disarmament is a good thing, right?  Yes, but in Sudan, where nearly every male has a gun, it can actually escalate violence.

Prior to the April elections, the military in Southern Sudan began entering villages to force the people to turn in their AK-47s.  Surely this is a good thing.  However, some people feared being defenseless: "If I give up my rifle, but the men in the neighboring village do not, I will not be able to protect myself or my family..."

When any family failed to surrender their weapons, the soldiers summarily grabbed the family's young children and beat them severely until the parents complied.  Some fathers instead attacked the soldiers. People were killed.  All of this added to the general unrest that pervaded Sudan at election time.  Thankfully, the violence did not spread and the elections were completed without major disruption.  But the people remain distrustful that peace can endure. They cling to their weapons for safety.  It is the terrible legacy of four decades of civil war.