Angelo Asking

45. Angelo Asking

One of the difficulties in living in Southern Sudan is being confronted with so many very obvious needs. The circumstances in which many people live in simple tukuls, presently surrounded by mud and pools of murky water, is appalling – to my eyes. Many of the people, however, have never been elsewhere and thus do not make comparative judgements as readily as I do. One hopes that they are not as conscious as we ‘kawadjas’ (white people) of how far there is to go in attaining better living conditions and that they take encouragement from seeing some of the obvious improvements that are occurring. Perhaps the increasing prosperity of some who have employment provides the strongest motivation for a lasting peace.

For the ‘kawadjas’, however, there is another related problem. Those in need see the resources of the expatriates and, specifically, what we are doing as part of Solidarity with Southern Sudan, and think we should be able to respond to their needs. Although we try to explain that we have to fund-raise ourselves for the high priority needs of better health services and delivering teacher education, the perception persists that we have a capacity to respond to other needs.

One becomes accustomed, even if it remains a little unsettling, to meeting children in rags who plead ‘Kawadja, one pound, one pound.’ I am referring here, however, to more than this. As well as the obvious need for better home, the Church is trying to address the need for better schools and churches and even the simple need for transport for priests to visit their remote congregations and chapels in this vast diocese. This must be one of the few places in the world where the size of the congregations far exceeds the capacity of the churches and chapels.

Last week, the Vicar General of the Malakal Diocese, Father Angelo, who is the parish priest of the Cathedral parish, asked to meet with me, along with Sr Elena, a Comboni Sister, who directs the local Catholic radio station. Fr Angelo showed me, on a map, the extent of his parish and pointed out more than fifteen parish centres, most of which have very run-down bush chapels. They have catechists and a strong adherence to their faith but the road conditions, and the lack of a suitable vehicle, prevent priests from visiting some of them even once each year.

We visited three sites within Malakal: one where there is a small church, with dried mud walls, on government land; one where the church has its own land to build a new parish church; and one where a new Comboni Church (named after St Daniel Comboni) is almost completed. Sr Elena has been instrumental in raising finance from Italy for the construction of this Church. Although the people live in poverty, the building of this new Church brings pride and confidence to the local community and a sense of hope which is at least as important as the bigger space which the Church will be providing for liturgical celebrations.

Fr Angelo and Sr Elena commented on the rapid expansion of Malakal. It is the same in Juba, Yambio and Wau, where we also have communities, with so many internally displaced persons returning to begin anew since the war ended in 2005. Providing community infrastructure is a massive problem for the Government, which does have resources, and even more so for the Church as the people themselves are unable to contribute much financially.

Another notable issue is the presence of squatters on land where the Church is planning to build. It is not easy for Church authorities to move people off Church land even when the people have built their homes there illegally. The Church aspires to bring hope to people, not homelessness. So it is a delicate problem. SSS also aspires to bring hope but we have clearly defined, targeted areas in which to apply the resources we generate. So while I would like to respond to Fr Angelo with some real hope, it is a problem. Fr Angelo is legitimately seeking assistance for the good and faithful people of Malakal, and for those in isolated places that we simply could not visit by road or river. ‘Harden not your hearts’ is one gospel injunction I regret I simply often have to ignore in Southern Sudan. Bill Gates, where are you?

- Br Bill

River outside my room

Outside Comboni church

Old Church boat but no motor

Next to the church

Local church near Nile

Inside new Comboni Church

Father Angelo outside staff room

Church storage barn

Church kindergarten

Children near new church

The Quality Quandry

44. The Quality Quandary Long ago, Confucius warned: ‘Seek not every quality in one individual’. Wise advice. None of us is perfect. Quality is a real issue for us here in Southern Sudan. A couple of days ago as I drove around Malakal with Peter Stemp, from our Solidarity with Southern Sudan Rome office, he listed several economically poor countries he had visited and remarked of the muddy Malakal roads: ‘These are the worst roads I have seen anywhere’. It is not just the quality of the roads, but also of goods, that is a problem here. The tap on our kitchen sink has already been replaced three times this year. The poorly made fittings simply break or fall apart. Toilet seats disintegrate, The electrical cables, far from being systematically tested, as in developed countries, are often just two lengths of wire loosely joined together. Fortunately, we have a Syrian builder who is focussed on quality. He is bringing most electrical fittings from Europe. The switchboard for our new Teachers’ College was made in France. With clothing I find myself opting for lower quality because it is thinner, lighter, cooler and washable – never mind if the appearance is not so smart. It is a matter of survival for me. Ironically, many of the Sudanese dress very smartly in suits with collars and tie while I appear quite casual by comparison. When I think it is pleasantly cooler than usual, they say it is cold! These things, of course, are only incidentals. The real issue is the quality one finds in the people. Many Sudanese speak at least three languages fluently – Arabic, English and their local language, such as Shilluk or Nuer. One of our Riimenze workers, Justin, speaks sixteen languages. Compared with these people I am educationally deprived. Yet in delivering the educational curriculum, there are still very real problems relating to quality. The quandary is that some of the qualities one would like to find - such as basic literacy in English and numeracy - simply are not possessed by many of the presenting teachers. We certainly heed the advice of Confucius and are grateful to have even a few teachers in each class bringing to it some of the qualities we seek. It would be desirable to have clearly implemented levels of expectation in such areas as comprehension, knowledge, attendance and punctuality. The reality is that the Government of Southern Sudan curriculum, on which we base our programmes, is set well above the current levels of attainment of the presenting teachers. It will be a long process raising standards in the teaching profession in Southern Sudan. When the first secondary school students who have been educated in English-medium classes begin to graduate at the end of 2011 - and we commence full-time pre-service education in 2012 - it may be possible to generate a leap in quality. But our current clientele will be teaching whether we give them more skills or not. So we have resolved the quandary by taking in many who certainly have ‘not every quality’ we would wish they had. In our Health Training Institute in Wau, however, the decision has been made not to compromise quality. The aim is to train registered nurses to international standards. Entry is restricted to those who have completed secondary school successfully and have adequate English. We begin by providing a three-month, ‘Foundation Programme’ in English, Maths, Biology, Computer Education and Ethics - before the actual nursing curriculum is commenced. The students have seven hours of tuition each weekday day plus Saturday morning classes and supervised evening study. The stress is certainly on meeting agreed standards. As a consequence of the dearth of qualified applicants, the nurse education programme is presently under-subscribed but as more graduates are produced from English-medium secondary schools, there will be strong competition for places in this four-year residential programme. Both our tutors and the Sudanese students need to take heart from the words of St Francis De Sales: "Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them –every day begins the task anew.' This is certainly a place for patiently, each day, beginning the task anew. - Br Bill

Worker in Malakal

Visitors

Nursing Student in Wau

Neighbors

Roofing our containers in Malakal

Peter Stemp from Rome Office

Emmanuel

Sister Barbara with seminarians

The Gift of Peace

43. The Gift of Peace

I have decided that I like the wet season. Yes, it brings slush and mud, slippery roads, paths under water and many roads, especially near the main markets, become quagmires; but the much cooler temperatures, the varied cloud cover, the lack of dust and even the sound of rain on our tin roof bring ebb and flow, light and shade to the pattern of our living. ‘Glory be to God for dappled things’ wrote Hopkins, in admiration and praise of variation and diversity in creation.

At the recent blessing of the local Catholic radio station, after Sunday morning mass, the Apostolic Administrator of this Malakal Diocese, Monsignor Roko Taban, spoke of the diverse tribes of Southern Sudan. ‘There is difference here but be proud of who you are and what tribe you belong to but there is no place for violence. Beauty is not a competition’.

He used the analogy of flowers in a garden. ‘The flowers are greatly varied but they do not need to fight one another. Each can be appreciated for its own beauty. There is no better or worse flower. They are all flowers and we are all people. I am Balanda and proud of being Balanda. You may be Shilluk. Be proud of being Shilluk. God made some of us Bari, some Azande, some Nuer, some Dinka. Be proud of who you are but we are also Sudanese and there should be no violence between us. Some here come from other countries and also live and work peacefully among us’ The approaching referendum (January 2011) is very much in the minds of the Church leaders who are using every possibility to urge continuing peace.

A little earlier, at the end of mass, Monsignor Roko had spoken of the ‘101 Days of Prayer Towards a Peaceful Referendum in Sudan’, the days between the International Day of Peace (Sept. 21) and World Day of Peace, (January 1, 2011). This initiative proposed by Sister Cathy Arata, our Solidarity with Southern Sudan Director of Pastoral Services, is being sponsored by Catholic Relief Services from the USA and endorsed enthusiastically by the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Sr Cathy describes the initiation of this campaign of prayer and activities for peace: ‘This will be an important period in which to teach people how to be peace-builders, reinforce the importance of peace in our communities, prepare for the referendum by praying for peace, and deepen one another’s commitment to becoming advocates for peace.’ The Bishops have agreed to promote and implement the campaign in every Sudanese diocese.

7000 posters, written in Arabic and English, are being produced plus a 36 page booklet with prayers and reflections for each of the 14 weeks of the campaign. There is also a prayer card, written in various Sudanese languages as well as English and Arabic, to be used as a special prayer for peace after communion at every mass during the 101 days. The theme of the campaign is ‘Change your heart. Change the world.’

In a country where violence seems to have become ingrained, a change of heart is needed. Many teachers belt the children in class, even secondary school boys and girls (some of whom may be as old as twenty – mature ‘kids’!). Every donkey cart driver seems to belt the poor old donkeys, even if they are already moving quite rapidly. The belting seems to be done more from habit than any need to make the donkeys move. Every day we see many soldiers in uniform and carrying guns. Rifles slung over shoulders are so common they draw no special attention – but every now and again one hears of incidents of drunken soldiers shooting people. Yet for all of this, people live happily here and pray that they will be allowed to continue to do so.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: ‘Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.’ Any attempt to impose uniformity on Sudan will clearly fail. Understanding, accepting and respecting the obvious differences between the tribes, between north and south, between Christian and Muslim is the only way forward. There is a will in Sudan for peace. As General Eisenhower once said, in another context: ‘I think that people want peace so much that one of these days government had better get out of their way and let them have it.’ - Br Bill

Br Bill in rain attire

Soldiers' camp next to Malakal house

Chickens

Sr Cathy with children

Br Bill with Srs Cathy, Stephanie and Mary Anne

Father Michael Shultheis

Child

Br Dennis relaxing

Br Heldon cooking

Cat in Malakal