Sisters of the Bible: a guard for southern refugees Sudan

Sor Paola Moggi, CMS – Sudán Del Sur

In the densely populated refugee fields, where violence and scarcity are daily challenges, the sisters of the holy heart of Jesus (SHS) provides decisive support for the refugees. The South Sudan group, which lives in camps such as Kashva, provides spiritual assistance, advice on shocks and practical assistance to thousands of displaced people over decades of conflict.

ProPorSpiritual assistance and practical support for Al -Kashafa

The presence of nuns is vital in the case of the White Nile, and it serves refugees in Kashva and in nearby camps such as Gemeyia and Jourry. They run Christian education programs, visit patients and offer comfort to those who suffer from hunger, ill -treatment, and emotional loading of displacement. “Our main service is to listen to them,” said sister Georgina Victor Niathreat, who has been working in Kashva since December 2023.

From overlapDo for service

The SHS group, founded in 1954 by the Bishop Sivtus Mazzoldi in South Sudan, lived directly in war and displacement. After escaping from the first civil war in Sudan in 1964, the sisters resorted to Uganda before returning to southern Sudan, only for their pressure to flee again when the second civil war broke out in Sudan in 1983. Since then, they remained with their people, and they crossed the Powers to continue their mission.

In 2016, after the escalation of violence in southern Sudan, Bishop Daniel Edwok Core, from Jartum, called for nuns to care for refugees in the White Nile region in Sudan. They established their residence in Kashva, a camp of more than 150,000 Sudanese from the south. The residence of the nuns, which was built with plastic panels, is a modest structure, but its presence was a guard for the home.

Confronting discrimination and meeting immediate needs

Not only serve nuns as care providers, but also as two mediators in a tense environment that often misrepresentation of refugees. Sister Mary Ashwani George, who has been working in Kashva since 2016, said southern refugees suffer from discrimination, including restrictions on the wood and water group. “Many are threatened with rape and mistreatment when they leave the field,” he said. Despite these challenges, sisters offer refuge and hope through prayer and solidarity.

Nuns also provide basic support since food quotas are rare. World Food (PMA) provides some comfort, but the shortcomings are continuing, forcing refugees to work as day workers with a small wage. Sister Mary said: “Tension and frustration can become unbearable, especially for young people who often get sick,” Sister Mary said.

PatchLeave faith and hope

Amid these difficulties, the presence of SHS sisters helps to deepen their faith and resistance. “In the beginning, people were not close to the church.” “Now they love to pray with us.” Every year, bishop Daniel Edwok visits the camps to manage the secret of confirmation and provide pastoral care.

The Marie Wall highlighted the flexibility of the refugees, who share their little with the new arrivals in Sudan. “With the small number of refugees, southern refugees also provide assistance to the displaced people who reach the camps. They tell us:” God is there, sisters, and we will one day go home. “

Father Maria and a woman praying in the Church of the Divine Mercy of the Young field before the wedding mass

Father Maria and a woman praying in the Church of the Divine Mercy of the Young field before the wedding mass