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