JRS South Sudan Newsletter #8 October - December 2017

JRS NEWSLETTER #8 | October - December 2017

From the Country

Director

Dear team members, friends,

donors and well-wishers,
The year 2017 has been an
intense one for JRS Maban. We
have experienced several
episodes of insecurity, with the
loss of one student attending the
teacher training program. In
December, we also had the Her Royal Highness
unexpected death of one of our
team members, Christopher Princess Sarah Zeid Visits
L omson, due to sic kness,
following 14 years of service JRS Youth Centre in Doro
with JRS. Some long serving
team members have moved on.
HRH Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan is a global maternal
We wish them well.
and newborn health advocate. She is not only Chair of
In this newsletter we have Every Woman Every Child Everywhere, a movement
included news from our sister championing prioritization of, and innovation for,
JRS project in Yambio. reproductive, maternal, newborn child and adolescent
health in humanitarian and fragile settings, but also a board
Despite the challenges, there has
member of the Women’s Refugee Committee and a
also been much joy and
member of the newly formed UNHCR Advisory Group on
achievement thanks to the daily
Gender, Forced Displacement and Protection. Pleased with
efforts of all the team members
JRS support for girls’ engagement in recreational activities
and the generous contributions
as part of youth empowerment programme through sport.
of so many friends and donors
across the globe. We remain
UNHCR Maban Sub-Office and HRH the princess visited
indebted to all.
JRS girls volleyball team. The princess advised the girls to
We keep praying and hoping work hard in school and encouraged them to be responsible
that 2018 will bring peace and despite the many challenges they face in their day to day
development. life. HRH the princess thanked UNCHR and JRS for
supporting girls from the refugee and host communities
Pau Vidal, SJ, Country Director
through provision of space where they can come together

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JRS South Sudan Newsletter #8 October - December 2017

for sporting activities. Girls’ sports not only promote

engagement and prevention of unwanted pregnancies but
also enhance confidence, self-esteem and psychological
well-being. http://www.aljazeera.com/news

Moffat Mpweya Phiri, Psychosocial Coordinator, Maban

Fifth Graduation
Bunj Street Boys Ceremony at the ALC
The market in Bunj town teams
with boys who, in the absence of
a family that supports and cares
for them, have made the streets
their home and turned to their
fellow street children for family.
This adverse context leaves them
very exposed to alcohol
consumption, smoking, stealing
and malnutrition.

It was with this concern in mind

that, last October, the parish of
St. Mark, with JRS support,
began holding weekly meetings
with these abandoned children.
The Saturday meetings, which
bring together an average of 50
children and adolescents between
10 and 18 years, aim to educate
them in topics ranging from drug
abuse, importance of attending
school, some notions of
religions, etc. The sessions are On the 6th of December 2017, JRS Maban Education
followed by football matches and Project concluded its activities for the year with a
a shared lunch. On Fridays they graduation ceremony for the English and computer courses
are given soap to bathe and wash
their clothes – often done in the at the Arrupe Learning Centre (ALC). It was the fifth
river – in order to arrive clean for graduation for the English course and the fourth for the
Saturday sessions. The inaugural computer course.
activity took place the 14th
October at the Arrupe Learning A total of 335 students (235 males and 100 females)
Center, where also shorts and
soccer T-shirts were handed out. graduated from the English course and a further 31
We are very happy for the students (28 males and 3 females) graduated from the
opportunity to work with the computer course. The ceremony was attended by South
local community and to be able
to create new spaces for West Maban County commissioner, community leaders, as
meetings and socialization that well as representatives from the UNHCR and other NGO
dignify the lives of these partners.
children.
Deng Paul, IT Trainer, Maban
Pia Pirelli, Assistant Project
Director, Maban

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JRS South Sudan Newsletter #8 October - December 2017

A Big Thank You to Conchi

and Fr. Álvar for their
Time of Service in Maban.

JRS Maban Celebrates

International Day of
People With Disability
On the 4th of December 2017,
JRS Maban hosted about 750
people in the new multipurpose
hall, built by the Danish Refugee
Council (DRC) with UNHCR
funding in JRS Youth Center in
Doro refugee camp, in the JRS
Youth Center Doro refugee
camp, to celebrate the
International Day of People with
Disability.

T h e c e r e m o n y, w h i c h
commenced as scheduled at 9:30 María Concepción aka Conchi (second left), who served
am, was attended by JRS Maban from November 2015 to November 2017 as
representatives or partner Assistant Project Director, and Fr. Álvar Sánchez, SJ
agencies working with persons
(right), who served as Education Coordinator and Pastoral
with disabilities including DRC,
Lutheran World Federation Coordinator from July 2014 to November 2017, have both
(LWF), and the UNHCR. JRS left the project. Both were indispensable in the day-to-day
Music club and acrobats running of all operations of the project in Maban.
entertained the guests. The event
was also marked by speeches On behalf of the entire JRS team in Maban and the host
from partners who focused on the and refugee communities, it is with great pride that we
support and care to be accorded
recognize their hard work and perseverance in the service of
to the persons living with
disabilities and the need for them people in need. They were examples of dedication and
to be given equal opportunity in creativity and their contribution to the project will be
education and employment to heavily missed. People are and always will be our greatest
enable them to contribute to the asset. Please accept our heartfelt thanks and good wishes
development of their
wherever you may be. You will be missed!
communities as part of the
Sustainable Development Goals.
Olimba Edward, IT Head Trainer, Maban

Dorothy Agoe & Agustino Loro,
Assistant Psychosocial
Coordinators, Maban

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JRS South Sudan Newsletter #8 October - December 2017

From JRS Yambio

Our sister Project in Yambio, Western Equatoria,
opened in 2012 at the request of H.L. Bishop Edwardo
Hilboro. Since then it has been offering educational
support in close collaboration with the Diocese of
Tombura Yambio. Our educational activities include
school construction, scholarships for primary teachers
pursuing higher education and support to female
students.

Demise of In 2017 we also started a Peace building program, very

Christopher Lomson
“I give them eternal
life, and they will
never perish; and no
one will snatch them
out of my hand.” John
10:28
much valued by all. Aidan Azairwe, JRS Yambio Project
Director, who was with JRS for over a decade in several
projects and in several positions, decided to finish his
time with us and take some well-deserved rest with his
family back in Uganda. We thank him for all the long
years of service and we wish him well in his future
endeavors. We hope that 2018 will bring increased
funding for our much needed activities in Yambio.

 
This beginning of Advent, a time
Pau Vidal, Country Director

to prepare the heart for the arrival
of the child Jesus, surprised us
with the sudden and unexpected
departure to the Father's house of Our Donors and Partners:
one of our team members. With
deepest pain we would like to
inform you that on the 2nd of
December our colleague
Christopher Lomson passed away
Funding provided by
while on a field visit of the the United States
project in Maban. Government

He served JRS for almost fifteen

years both in Uganda, his native
country, and South Sudan, with
great commitment, passion and
dedication. In recent years he had
We are also grateful for the in-kind support received from
been working as Country Finance
Administrator for JRS- South UNHCR through the following partners:
Sudan. Christopher was also the
pioneer of JRS Maban, being the
one to open the project in 2013.
May his soul rest in peace and
may the Lord comfort his wife
and daughters.
…and many private donors and individuals from all over
Pia Pirelli, Assistant Project the world who have made our work possible. Thanks to all
Director, Maban
of you!”

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