55. A Candle Flame - By Br. Bill Firman

55. A Candle Flame

It is six days now since we have had town power. The referendum may be two months away but already there are shortages beginning to occur in Malakal. No service station is selling diesel. So we can only run our generator for short periods. As I type, I am sitting in my room with a candle flickering in the background. Just a little light but it makes all the difference. The candle gives light but it also warms the darkness – not literally but metaphorically. Candle light is cosy light; candle light brings comfort; a candle flame is a powerful symbol of hope and a future.

What was it George Bernard Shaw stated so graphically?

"I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I've got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to the next generation."

Yes life is a splendid torch, an opportunity to burn brightly, to make a contribution, to make a difference – for the better. Life does not last forever. Like the burning candle we are consumed. We are all consumed in death. The real issue is what do we do when we are alive? What will we pass on to the next generation?

Elsewhere the irascible Shaw wrote:

“Life is a flame that is always burning itself out, but it catches fire again every time a child is born.”

Shaw is also the poet, the conveyor of vivid, verbal imagery. ‘A child is born’. Jesus is born in Bethlehem and God is among his people. There are many children in Sudan. They are the future of this country. The people of Southern Sudan may be poor economically but they are rich in family life and optimistic for their future. They see light after the darkness of war. Many express an overt faith in Jesus who said ‘I am the way the truth and the light’. (John 14:6)

Jesus is the light that encourages them in their joyful celebrations of mass. God is revealed in their faith, gratitude and good will to those of us who have come to live with them. Here it is normally good to be seen as part of the Church – untainted and respected - because the Church stood with the people during all the war years. But a couple of days ago as I was getting into our vehicle after shopping at the market, a small, untidy-looking Sudanese woman, who was carrying a child on her hip, picked up a stone and flung it into the windscreen. Fortunately it did no damage. Very unusual. Did she resent what I have and she does not? What was the darkness in her life that led to this action? I have no idea but it reminded me that how I feel may not be how I am perceived. What is the light I give out?

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 to 1894) told a story from his childhood when he gazed from his window on a dark night as a man came down the street lighting the gas lamps. Robert called out to his mother:

‘I see something wonderful. There’s a man coming down the street poking holes in the dark’.

Sometimes it is beyond us to take away the dark. There is so much still to be achieved in Southern Sudan but we can punch a few holes in the dark. It is always ‘better to light a candle than to curse the darkness’ as the proverb states. In anyone's life, there can be dark times when burdens, disappointments or depression seem overwhelming. One small light, a candle of hope, is all that is needed to ensure the darkness does not become overwhelming.

– Br Bill

Pointed


Naomi and Sara


Juba Children


Father Alberto, Construction Supervisor


Brothers from Australia


Sister Betty & student teachers

54. Tested and Tarnished

54. Tested and Tarnished

It takes a lifetime to accumulate wisdom. Those of us who are lucky enough to live long enough have been granted the opportunity to become wise by experience and a personal search for knowledge. Wisdom is not a quality always appreciated by the young who burst upon the world with great enthusiasm and endeavour.

But part of living is always the ‘terribile quotidianum’ (Latin) which translates as ‘the terrible daily grind’. Many saints such as our Lasallian saint, Brother Mutien Marie of Malonne, have become holy by their fidelity to the ‘terribile quotidianum’. (pronounced tare – rib – ill – ay)

I recall some media reports expressing shock that the saintly Mother Theresa had moments of depression and feeling faithless. Yet she remained cheerful and determined. In Southern Sudan I have come very clearly to appreciate her example. Life is never handed to anyone on a silver platter. It can appear to be but each person must cope with the personal struggle of his or her own limitations as a human being. We may like to act like gods but we have feet of clay. I may be a confident, competent person, but life teaches me my limitations. That is the beginning, I trust, of wisdom.

What a gift it is to be cheerful and enthusiastic! Our Claretian Father Joseph is such a gift as he welcomes people with enthusiasm and warmth, be they Sudanese or expatriate. To shift the image slightly, he is a ‘pied piper’ to the local children, greeting, encouraging and gently chastising when required. I often reflect on the parable of the talents: ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’

Recently, I spent two hours here talking to an ordinary but extraordinary couple from Canada who are here to follow up on their generous work with, and for, the poor in this country. Their work of love began eighteen years ago in Eritrea where they became friends with one of our dynamic Brothers, Amilcare Boccuccia, an Italian who has devoted much of his life to empowering the African people. Amilcare became a Brother almost by accident. He did not attend a Brothers’ school as a boy but somehow found himself in the situation and the challenge of making a difference as `Brother’ to those whom he meets. It usually takes time to make a difference. It always takes courage to believe that we can make a difference. It is a gift to be cheerful; it is a gift to believe we can make a difference.

To be honest, I have to admit I do not find life in Southern Sudan to be easy. It takes me out of my comfort zone; but I believe it takes me on a journey into God. I see many young people here working for NGOs, among them girls who look even younger to me as each year passes. Why are they here in the full flourishing of their womanhood? Most seem to me to be vulnerable yet they are cheerful, courageous, confident and, overwhelmingly, ambassadors of hope. Courage and vitality are alive.

It is okay for a tarnished and tattered, ageing man to be here but what brings these enthusiastic and energetic angels of peace to Sudan? I find myself thinking that life is there to be grasped, to be made meaningful by what we give, not be what we gather. Life is about giving rather than accumulating. I am inspired by the number of ordinary people I see doing extraordinary things in Southern Sudan. They are not escaping the ‘terribile quotidianum’: they are grasping it and energising it.

Winston Churchill once wrote:

‘We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.’

At times I am astounded at the resources the world is pouring into Southern Sudan through the UN and NGOs; but more importantly I am encouraged by this manifestation of the conscience of this world. It is more blessed to give than receive. - Br Bill

Sr. Ninet & teachers

Memory test

Sr. Luchita having fun

Fr. Joseph with friends

Faces of the Future

53. Unite or Divide - by Br. Bill Firman

53. Unite or Divide

It seems to be a simple choice: stay as one country or divide into two countries: unity or secession by the Southern Sudanese people. While the final outcome may be a stark choice of one nation or two, the reality for those in this country is far more complicated and the referendum scheduled for January 9^th, 2011, is already impacting on the lives of many people. The most important outcome for which we pray is peace, not war, but even if the peace is maintained, considerable disruption looms to the pattern of daily living.

A few days ago, I met Father Caesar, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Juba. He said:

‘I am always optimistic for peace: we don’t want war. I came from a family of nine. Now they are all dead, except me. There is no-one behind me and no-one in front of me as a result of that stupid war. I am totally on my own!’

So are many of the street children who put out their hands pleading: ‘One pound, one pound!’ to any passing ‘kawadja’ (white person).

Registration of voters begins mid-November. It is critical that those who register do actually vote. There seems to be an almost unanimous conviction emerging in the south that to vote for secession is the way forward. Even if there is an overwhelming vote for secession, there is also a stipulated condition that at least 60 percent of those registered must vote for the outcome to be valid. So not only can results of voting be manipulated, so can registration. It would be relatively easy to assist people to register but then, later, to impede the same people from voting. Further, in the elections held earlier this year, there were widespread reports of people selling their registration cards.

Ultimately, there is the possibility that most will vote for secession but that outcome will not be achieved through the formal voting procedure. This would create a very volatile situation that could ignite a renewal of war even though all are enjoying the increasing, new opportunities that five years of peace have created. It seems, however, that not enough has been done to prepare for a transition period leading to peaceful and co-operative co-existence of two parts of a divided Sudan.

School in the north this year are closing in November rather than December to allow southerners in the north to return to the south before the referendum. It is expected that there will be a huge influx of Arabic-speaking school age children seeking entry into the already overcrowded schools of the south. In places such as Malakal and Wau where the commercial infrastructure is conducted almost totally by Arab traders, there is likely to be critical shortages of supplies as Arabs move back to the north, closing many businesses, at least temporarily. Relationships between the Arab traders and the indigenous southerners is normally quite good but even respected people can become targets in times of hostility.

Only a few days ago here on the outskirts of Juba, a priest saw some agitated young people running. When he asked them what had happened, they explained that a woman was in a field with her ten year old son when men from another tribe forcibly stole the boy. The priest told me the boy will probably be sold and become a house slave. The Sudanese people seem very secure among their own tribal group and within the large cities but, where tribal boundaries blur or overlap, there is often insecurity or fear.

The South consists of many tribal groups who identify more with their own tribe than with a potential nation of Southern Sudan. Even if there is peaceful secession, there remains a clear possibility of conflict between southern groups competing for power. Some analysts suggest the north deliberately foments tribal conflicts in parts of the south. While this may be true, it is a fact that many tribes of the south have regarded other tribes as traditional enemies rather than fellow Sudanese. It may take a long time for a Southern Sudanese consciousness to emerge and supplant tribal loyalties as the dominant force in this society. We must work to heal divisions and build mutual respect. - Br Bill

Walking for peace


Road to peace


Police for peace


People for peace


Longing for peace


Children for peace


All for peace


We need peace

52. A Slice of Ham - by Br. Bill Firman

52. A Slice of Ham

On Friday morning, 22^nd October, our Solidarity with Southern Sudan community in Juba met at 6:45am in the chapel of the Daughters of St Paul community who live next door. At the request of the Pauline Sisters, our SSS Father Joseph celebrated the Eucharist in remembrance of Blessed Timothy Giaccardo, the first priest in the new congregation of the Society of St Paul which began in 1914 and a man who dedicated his life to teaching and spreading the Gospel message. Not that I knew anything about him until this mass!

One very noticeable fact about living as a religious in Southern Sudan is the great interaction and support the members of the various religious congregations and the priests offer to one another. Social life is very limited indeed and one learns to enjoy simple treats that never seemed remarkable in the more affluent circumstances in which I have spent most of my life. Here I find myself living with humble and dedicated people who each display the gift of holiness in his, or her, own unique way.

I am convinced that none of us think of ourselves as ‘holy’. All of us live with the knowledge of our own human weakness that is simply part of our condition. All of us are tested by the struggles in life that can sometimes seem almost to overwhelm us. Some of the words of one of my great mentors and friend, Brother Damien, come to mind:

“We grow old not by having birthdays but by deserting ideals. Passing years may wrinkle the skin but lost enthusiasms wrinkle the spirit. We are old indeed when the central places of our heart are covered by the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism… … We Christians live with the virtue of hope, which is the ability to dream, and when we lose this we begin to die by centimetres."

I live with hopeful people, people who urge and pray for peace, who dream of a better future for the people of Sudan who have endured generations of subjugation. The paths we tread at times seem risky and potentially perilous but what better thing is there to do than journey in hope with people who have no other option? There is no snow of pessimism here although there are other elements that could make one shrivel and wither. Our principal gifts to the people here are encouragement and accompaniment.

This past week I have taught seven hours of theology to the third year class at the Catholic University. I have enjoyed the interaction, and I think the students have as well, even if they find some of the work difficult. The Catholic University was started by a Jesuit priest, Father Mike Schultheis, now in his late seventies. On Friday, before I gave out a multiple choice test paper, I wrote, perhaps a little mischievously, a sample question on the Board with the instruction that one has to circle the most appropriate answer. The question said:

Fr Mike is: A. handsome; B. athletic; C. funny; D. pretty; E. helpful.

The overwhelming, spontaneous class response was ‘E. helpful’. It was a clear affirmation of this humble yet persistent man who is trying to improve the opportunities for the people of Sudan at a time in life when many others would say: ‘Enough is enough’. Of course, enough can be enough. Perhaps one of the the biggest challenge in life as we approach the later years is trying to come to terms with our declining abilities. I am unashamedly practising avoidance behaviour for as long as I can.

After the mass of Blessed Timothy, we joined the Sisters of St Paul for breakfast where, to my surprise, they produced some humble, ham slices. No, it was not ham-off-the-bone nor smoked gourmet ham; just wonderful, packaged ham slices, the first I have seen in fourteen months. Breakfast of ham and eggs was a special treat. You appreciate what you have more when you have less. That’s something I am learning. If you have everything, what is there left to hope for?

- Br Bill

51. Job's Apprentice - by Br. Bill Firman

51. Job’s Apprentice

I have always thought that the story of Job being tested by various afflictions is one of the most dramatic descriptions in the Bible. It has certainly not been on my wish list to be similarly tested. I don’t pretend to have the incredible integrity or patience of Job as he suffered his serious of afflictions but just lately I seem to be confronted by a series of problems that leaving me feeling a bit like Job’s apprentice. Unlike Job, however, my health continues to be excellent. So maybe I am just succumbing to the original ‘Murphy’s Law’, ‘Anything that can go wrong will go wrong’.

On the plus side, Brother Jorge from our General Council from Rome has visited and brought me a fine new computer which I am now using. Even with an ‘Italian keyboard’ where not all the symbols on the keys match the underlying Australian set-up of keyboard functions, it is a good computer. Some of the software has instructions in Italian but I am coping and improving my limited Italian at the same time! Brother Jorge has taken my older computer to Rome where I think the installation of a new battery will restore to me the much wider range of software on that computer, not to mention some recent data I had not backed up.

I have been fortunate to be in Juba this past week where the computer works well. In Malakal the situation I described last week worsened. My SSS partners have had to cope with town power surges that not only burned out the power adaptors of their computers but also most of the light bulbs in our house. I heard only today that the situation has been rectified in Malakal but I am still trying to find and buy a suitable replacement recharger for my mobile phone which is now inoperable with a totally flat battery.

Unfortunately for me, I have now lost, without a trace, possibly dropped when returning from an outing, a small bag that contained my passport, camera, Sudan driving licence and a small amount of cash. So I spent a morning at the police station going from office to office, with the invaluable assistance of the Arabic-speaking logistician from the archdiocesan offices, and now have documents attesting to my losses. I refrained for a couple of days from reporting my lost passport, still hoping and praying to find it, because once reported, it becomes an invalid travel document. But I have now been on-line to report the loss and filled out an application for a new passport. My major difficulty is that there is no Australian embassy in Sudan. The nearest haven is the Australian High Commission in Nairobi, Kenya. Replacing the passport requires an interview but travelling to another country requires a travel document! I shall ring the High Commission for advice when I get my phone working again - or use a borrowed phone! (The Commission does not list an email number and we don’t have a fax.)

The passport application requires someone with an Australian passport to attest to who I am. The only possibility is Brother Denis and he is in Wau. They do allow the alternative of someone who has known me for than twelve months and qualifies to be on a list of occupations that I have not seen. Fortunately, I have known Father Joseph for just over 12 months and hope his attestation and status will be sufficient. The application also tells me that I shall need to show a driver’s licence as proof of identity. I do have a valid Australian licence but it is in Malakal. On the plus side, I have a photocopy of my old passport and an electronically scanned copy on my back-up hard drive, with attached colour photos.

So I shall be in Juba longer than planned but this will allow me to participate in a couple of education gatherings and I have agreed to teach some theology at the Catholic University while I am here. I’m not totally useless and I haven’t had malaria - yet!

- Br Bill

Traffic jam


Sticky situation


Spectators


Police band


Malakal road after the wet


Br. Jorge hands new computer fo Br. Bill


Br. Heldon marching

Solidarity Unwanted - by Br. Bill Firman

50. Solidarity Unwanted

‘Solidarity’ is a great idea, standing together with the Sudanese people and journeying with them, and our fellow workers, toward our common goals. I am here as part of Solidarity with Southern Sudan (SSS). Our mission statement asserts our purpose: ‘Solidarity with Southern Sudan is a project that seeks to promote the Kingdom of God in partnership with the local church and the people of Sudan through the establishment and development of teacher and health training institutes and those pastoral services deemed most urgent.’

SSS is the combined response of more than 150 Superiors General of religious congregations to the plea for help made by the Catholic Bishops of Southern Sudan. This is the first time so many congregations, forming mixed communities from diverse religious institutes of men and women, have responded collaboratively to such pressing needs as faced by Southern Sudan after more than forty years of wars and oppression. Our presence here helps build confidence and hope. Our combined endeavours bring great resources generated by the considerable efforts not only of the eighteen women and five men currently living and working in Southern Sudan but by many others planning, supporting and fund-raising in other parts of the world and coordinated through our SSS Board and office in Rome.

The way forward is being found not only with the Bishops and people of Sudan but in forming cooperative partnerships with other contributing organisations, both government and non-government. What seems to be the single, greatest, peace initiative across Sudan is the 101 Days of Prayer Towards a Peaceful Referendum. It is encouraging to know so many people outside of Sudan are also supporting this focus on peace, the campaign started by one of our SSS sisters, Cathy Arata, a diminutive figure in size but not in spirit, who was also one of the key pioneers who brought about the existence of SSS in the first place and promoted the value of such solidarity.

Someone said to me recently in Malakal: ‘We are with you Bill in solidarity’. It was a quip about an unwanted solidarity we have recently experienced. We have had power surges and burn outs, the product of faulty work and equipment in this region where shoddy standards of workmanship are all too common. Now, not only my computer was out of action but so were the power adaptors of every other computer in our community as well as the adaptor on our satellite internet modem and router. On the same day that we awoke to these computer problems, our water supply from the Nile cut out and we had been waiting three weeks for a new supply of gas bottles to arrive from Khartoum. We were not out of gas as we have a reserve bottle which would normally last a month. A few days later our phone rechargers ceased to operate. We try to plan ahead and ‘be prepared’ but even surge protector power boards don’t prevent mishaps. Our internet provider in Juba told me that a high intensity flash of power can be so fast it gets past a protector before it can trip.

So what do we do? Respond to the issues one at a time, share and help one another where we can and learn to be more patient and grateful for what we still have. The gas did arrive, I have a new computer to use, albeit with many instructions in Italian and a keyboard with buttons not always doing what they indicate and I have found another way to charge my phone. I am now in Juba and today sent our restored internet equipment back to Malakal. It is good to be alive even when the technology on which we come to depend is temporarily ‘dead’.

- Br Bill

Will of people for peace


Watch your step


Through the town


Soldiers for peace


Observers


Muslim prayer


Gathered


Children marching


Bishop speaks


Beginning peace march

101 Days to Pray-Br. Bill Firman

49. 101 Days to Pray
Yesterday we marched – and marched. The normal ‘Murphy’s Law’ states that ‘Anything that can go wrong will go wrong’. There are two Sudanese variations: ‘Anything that can be delayed will be delayed’ .. and .. ‘Anything that can be changed will be changed.’ Both variations applied today. In Church on Sunday, one announcement said that our walk to launch the 101 Days of Prayer Towards a Peaceful Referendum would start at 8:00am, the other said 8:30am. We opted for 8:30am and prudently did not turn up until 8:50am. Actually we weren’t prudent enough as the walk did not actually begin until 9:30am – but I’m not really complaining as everyone was in good spirits and the cloud cover kept the temperature at a pleasant level.

The marchers walked happily and many onlookers came out to watch. The police band beat out a lively rhythm and after about half an hour the leaders turned at the designated spot to head for the so-called ‘Peace Square’ where there would be speeches. But suddenly we came to a halt and the parade was directed back to the road we had just left. The people marching from the other end of town had not arrived. So the sudden decision was made that we would walk on towards them. Inevitably the two walking groups met head on not far from the main market near the centre of town. Both groups stopped. Small problem there of where to go now! Eventually the other group wheeled around, the police band moved forward, the other group retreated whence they had come and our larger contingent followed.

This more than doubled the distance of the march but it did mean we passed through both end of the centre of the town. All this was achieved with great good humour and tolerance, even by the bemused vehicle and donkey cart drivers who were marooned amid a sea of people as the waves of walkers passed them by. The altered route turned out well as it focused very many people’s attention on the 21st September as the International Day of Peace and on the theme of praying for peace leading up to the referendum.

According to the programme, speeches were to begin at 9:30am and conclude by 11:30am. Yes there were a lot of speakers - sixteen - plus three lots of entertainment and both Christian and Muslim opening and closing prayers. Speeches began at 11:00am and finished at 2:00pm. What was most impressive, however, was the wholehearted support of the initiative by the whole community. One of our SSS members, Sister Cathy Arata, conceived this idea, and with the promised support of Catholic Relief Services, presented it to the Sudanese Bishops’ Conference. All Bishops agreed to implement it throughout Southern Sudan.

In Malakal, the Catholic organizers invited the involvement of the other Churches, including the Muslims, plus the Government - and all joined in enthusiastically. The Governor arrived with his military escort. It was a little ironic at this peace rally that there were many prominently placed armed soldiers in view, but this is Sudan and most people seem to take no notice of armed soldiers.

It may have been a long event but it was good to have been part of this great launch of the 101 Days Of Prayer For A Peaceful Referendum. What was also evident from the tone of the speeches was that the present mood is strongly towards separation from the north. The day was an encouraging expression of unity in the south. - Br Bill

The Priority is Peace-Br. Bill Firman

The photos show some of the poor people of Southern Sudan who are hoping and praying for continuing peace. Be with them in prayer, and in any other ways you can help them. If war comes, we can leave. They have nowhere else to go.

- Br Bill

48. The Priority is Peace

In January 2011, there is to be a referendum with Southern Sudanese voting for either a unified Sudan or secession. The referendum was brokered as a key factor in reaching the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005. In the South, the feeling is running strongly in favour of secession. My sympathy is with the poor people of Southern Sudan who have suffered for centuries from violence, slave trading and oppression. The south itself, however, has no real unity other than fractured opposition to the north. Secession could quite possibly lead to more inter-tribal violence and, maybe, anarchy. The president of the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Rudolph Deng has cautioned:

“Many people do not realize that more southern Sudanese were killed by other southern Sudanese than were killed by those from the north.”

I fear that there is an unreal hope in the South that a vote for secession will deliver more prosperity, more opportunity, better education and health care. The agreement for the referendum came as part of the process of ending the long war. The priority then was to find a way to bring about peace. The priority now is to maintain the peace.

Whatever the result of the referendum, be it unity or division, it is what happens after the referendum that will be critical. The south depends heavily on Muslim traders for the supply of goods. That infrastructure is very important. If the vote is for secession, the south will still need the north as a good neighbour. Is the north prepared to be a good neighbour? Will the Arab traders in the south be able to continue to deliver their services with safety and security? We simply don’t know.

There is the abundant oil in the south but the refineries are in the north, Good cooperation between north and south will be essential, at least in the short term or both north and south will suffer. The danger is that the referendum be seen as a battle between north and south over assets such as oil. At present there is real progress and improvement in many areas. Every effort must be made to preserve the peace and for a time of healing, not hurting, to ensue.

The waters of the Nile are another key issue. Egypt favours unity as it does not want there to be yet another nation to negotiate with over water rights. The waters of the Nile are a precious asset. Disputed borders, and determining who should be eligible to vote, are further problems to be dealt with. A process of peaceful conciliation and arbitration, not violent intervention, is the only positive way forward in solving such issues.

A return to the horrors of war should be unthinkable but is, unfortunately, possible. Both sides have spent the years since the CPA was implemented in re-arming and being prepared for renewed hostilities. If war breaks out it will be far worse than before. Maintaining peace is the priority. Steve Hilbert, Africa specialist on the staff of the U.S. Catholic Bishops asserted:

“There are a million ways this can go wrong, and only one it can go right. Will we witness a new peace or a return to an old war?”

Many organizations, especially the Churches, are pleading for respect for different ethnicities and religious convictions, whether or not there be one Sudan, or two. Peace, reconciliation, respect for the rights of others and freedom of choice are the kind of values that this country needs in both north and south. September 21^st is the International Day of Peace. It marks the beginning of a campaign for peace, the ‘101 Days of Prayer Towards a Peaceful Referendum in Sudan’, ending with the World Day of Peace, (January 1, 2011). Peace is the priority for the Sudan. Enduring peace is the only way there will be winners! Join us in praying for peace in all Sudan. - Br Bill

Child 1

Our World

Mother & Child

Keep life good

Give me a chance

Children

Children

Children

Children

Children

Potholes and Patience-Br. Bill Firman

We were pleased to welcome Sr Luchita back to Malakal from Colombia. It is much cooler than when she left and the gardens have come alive with flowers. It is almost a year since I arrived and I have included two photos that show our gardens then and now after careful cultivating by some of our community members. The climate seem to me to be much more temperate than this time last year when I arrived – or maybe I have adapted. I’m not yet sure. Best wishes to all. Br Bill 47. Potholes and Patience 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. So far I have been lucky. Although I have driven down some very muddy roads and have come close to being stuck, I have each time managed to move on. Neither have I slipped into a ditch nor collided with anything or anyone. Fortunately, we never have far to travel and at times our speed is that of the walking donkey cart in front of us. It is also kind to pedestrians to drive slowly and not spatter them with mud! At one UN security briefing, attended by Sr Betty, the issue was raised that some drivers have been seen speeding at 40kph. 20kph is recommended. 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

The Market

The main road

Sr. Luchita

Slippery

Outside the market

Now

Muddy road

Layer

Hazardous

12 months ago