The Healing Touch

I sent out a photo last week, which I labelled ’the wig’. Dangerous ground it is for me to comment on female fashion – or hair for that matter! One recipient of my email, presently in Sudan, corrected me gently: ‘I thoroughly enjoy your essays. They truly capture the spirit of your work here. Regarding the little girl with the red wig....fyi, the picture showed a little girl with a weave. There is a big difference between a wig and a weave, at least in the eyes of the wearer. A weave is the result of longer synthetic hair, in this case the color red, literally woven into one's own hair to make it look longer or thicker. The child's hair was styled in braids which is very much an ethnic style that reflects the tastes of big and little girls of color all over the world. I say that because your essay touches on the isolation of these children. In fact, that hairstyle shows the girl or her mother indeed consider themselves part of a larger world at

least when it comes to fashion. just thinking.’ Very good comments. But here I am again this week, because it is an important issue, daring to venture into commenting on the place of women in society, particularly in Sudan. I suspect if women had more say and more scope to use their talents, there would be a much diminished likelihood of

war here or anywhere else.

In my comments this week I quote Charlotte Whitton (1896 – 1975), social worker, feminist and the first female mayor of a major Canadian city, Ottawa. She also had this to say: ‘Weall have ability. The difference is how we use it.’ I surmise that what really hurts is to have ability and to be frustrated in any attempt to make use of that ability. It is important to open up the opportunities for all people, but especially the girls, in Southern Sudan, to use and develop their abilities. That is why we are here. Br Bill

41. The Healing Touch

In a development report, based on research carried out in 2009, recently released by the European Commission in Brussels, I noted the following appalling statistics:‘Indicators in Southern Sudan are amongst the lowest in the world:

-over 90% of people in Southern Sudan live onless that $1 per day.

-One out of six women who become pregnant will die and one in six children die before their first birthday.

-The under five mortality rateremains high at 135 per 1,000 live births, despite having reduced significantly from 250 in 2001….

-Only 27%of girls in Southern Sudan attend primary school and a 15 year old girl has a higher chance of dying in childbirth than completing school…

-Nationally, adult literacy stands at 71% for males and 52% for females. Only 8% of female adults in the south can read and write.’

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

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

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

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

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

‘Ready service, according to our ability, even in very small things and even if rendered by women, is acceptable to God.’

Of course women clever with words and endowed with confident good humour, such as Charlotte Whitton, have always been able to assert themselves. She once quipped:

‘Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.’

Whitton also said: ‘Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you’. The Catholic Sudanese Bishops tried precisely to do that when they met last week: much of their focus was on trying to bring about a

peaceful future for Sudan. The Book of Proverbs states: ’ The tongue of the wise person brings healing’. Healing is what this country needs. At times it is what we all need. The Bishops chose their words carefully trying to encourage

healing rather than ferment rage. Sudan needs healing not more violence. Southern Sudan needs better nurses, better teachers, better healers. That is what we are trying to achieve and in healing and in comforting, it is women who more often lead the way. - Br Bill

Sr Maria, the builder

Night Study

Dormitories

Attentive class

Catholic Health Training Institute Courtyard

Sr Stella (left) & Sr Esperance (right)

Sr Mary Anne in class

Sr Maria

Sr. Stella gardening

Welcome to Our World

The 'luck' of where we are born is a huge factor in determining the shape of our later lives - one of God's gifts. Those of us who were very lucky in the gift we received need to reach out to others less fortunate. Many of us can decide many things - some have far less opportunity. This is a place of limited opportunity but with many admirable features - and some to be endured. All goes well. Br Bill 40. Welcome to Our World The wig was almost falling off the back of her tiny head. A small boy with laughing eyes crouched behind her while another in a ‘Joe Cool’ T-shirt stood at the back. They had come to request a lolly from kindly Sister Cathy. These are the children of Juba and this is their world. I often find myself thinking, when I see young children, that where they are is their whole world. Most have never ventured far from home. Their entire world, especially in the more remote areas, consists of the local tribe and the tukuls with grass roofs and dirt floors in which they live, with no gas, electric power, nor running water. They learn to carry water and to cook over charcoal fires. They are too young to remember the war. Yes, they do see cars drive by and planes fly overhead but they live in a happy simplicity. One sees very small children wandering around roads, or playing, with no watching adult anywhere near by. This is mostly a safe world – unless it is made hazardous by the LRA or other militias showing scant respect for human rights. The children in the Congolese refugee camp at Makpundu are alienated from their home country. I imagine they must share some of the anxiety of their parents about the activities of the LRA. They welcome the reassuring presence of Father Mario and the support provided by our Sisters in Riimenze. Yet they are cheerful, like children normally are, smiling, laughing, playing games and tolerating, if not enjoying, schooling - if they are lucky enough to go to school. They love to be photographed and laugh excitedly when shown their own imagine in the digital screen of the camera. So do some adults, but many in the cities object to having their photos taken. The questions in my mind are not profound. Why would any mother, especially in this climate, place a red wig on the head of her very small daughter? How hungry for food, or affection, is this child at the door? How have they learned to cope with environmental hazards such as mud, snakes and scorpions? Sister Margaret and I were walking down the road at Nzara when she spotted a large snake moving towards a pile of cut-down tree trunks. Her call alerted a teenage boy who calmly threw rocks at the 2.5 metre cobra successfully encouraging it to slither away. Margaret and I kept our distance! The bush, and such hazards in it, are part of their world. Into this world, minus the snakes but replete with rain and mud, we were very pleased to welcome Brother Ambrose, the Australian Provincial of the De La Salle Brothers, who first issued the invitations to Br Denis and myself to come here.‘Welcome to our World’ we said, not in those terms but in expressed appreciation of his taking the time to understand better this unique world of the people of Southern Sudan. It is certainly good to have such cheerful and encouraging support. Brother Ambrose was also pleased to meet up with our Indian confrere, Brother Heldon whom he knows from previous visits to India, and other SSS (Solidarity with Southern Sudan) members. Peter Stemp, from the USA, arrived on the same plane from Addis Ababa as Brother Ambrose, to begin a six-week familiarisation visit to Southern Sudan. For some of us to be able to live and work in this third world country of Southern Sudan requires a lot of fundraising by others in the first world. Peter has joined the SSS team to prepare project submissions to various trusts and philanthropic organizations, not only to seek funds for capital development but to assist us in achieving long term self-sustainability. A key goal is to develop our work so that we can gradually hand over viable enterprises to be continued by Sudanese people themselves. Jesuit priest, Teilhard de Chardin, wrote that ‘The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of oneself to others.’ Some of us can give by service and some by support, financial and otherwise. Afro-American poet, Dr. Maya Angelou wrote: ‘I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.’ The world of the liberated is a good place in which to be. - Br Bill the wig Sr Cathy & kids Sr Margaret & children student teacher with Sr Felista cobra class in refugee camp Refugee Congolese Bill & Fr Mario Br Ambrose & Peter Stemp at the Nile Brs Bill, Ambrose, Denis & Heldon Sr Cathy, Peter Stemp, Br Ambrose, Fr Joseph