By, Roy Carlos Zúñiga Paredes.
Juba
is the capital of the newest African country: South Sudan. Here, a kind of
miracle happened recently. And though it could not be appreciated by all, those
who witnessed it valued the event in its real import: 17 abandoned children
were rescued from wandering around the streets and started the trip of their
lives on the last day of February 2018. They are part of a long awaited
educational project which hopefully will take them far off into a different
future. That is their dream, but they are conscious that their efforts will
also benefit their country, as well as, their very selves. God’s designs of
peace and justice for the suffering peoples of this impoverished country can
easily be ecognized in this sign of His providence.
Chelsea, uniform,
education, Juba, Kit, South Sudan
“My name is
Johnson” answered, in Arabic, the slender and tallest of the group of children.
Wearing the blue colours of the London Chelsea soccer team, Johnson and his
companions were sitting at the back of an opened four-wheel-drive vehicle. A
kind of transport you must have if you want to reach anywhere in South Sudan.
Anyone seeing those children dressed in blue, would have payed attention to
them: it was a weird sight in a country that was supposed to be ravaged by
civil conflict and stricken by poverty. “Who were they? Why were they uniformed
in such a way? Were they a school team preparing themselves to beat a
neighbouring school?” The answers to those questions were not simple and went
beyond the appearances. Paolino, in charge of their transportation, narrated a
very diverse account: those children had lived sad stories of abandonment, drug
abuse, juvenile crime, poverty and a chain of unending sufferings.
Paolino Tipo Deng, South
Sudanese Comboni Missionary working in Juba.
Paolino Tipo
Deng is a South Sudanese Comboni missionary priest whom was deeply struck at
seeing those children living in such an appalling condition. So, he took upon
himself the task of doing something to change their situation and prayed that
God may help him in his purpose. Now he oversees an educational project which
hopefully will take at least a hundred children out of the streets and will
give them back an opportunity to study and enjoy their childhood for the first
time in their lives. The “dine–and–out house” from where Paolino rescues those
boys is a half – ruined place. It used to be a religious formation house, but
after several years of war and strife, the building is all but a comfortable
home –in fact, it lacks many services– , but for around a hundred street boys,
it is the only home they know: a place where they may shelter by night, be fed
during the day and, after some recent works of maintenance, have a decent
shower as well.
Street children
playing in front of the orphanage, Juba, South Sudan.
Some days
back, two Comboni missionaries had visited that “house” and they were struck
just by the look of it. They had found the children kicking around a deflated
soccer ball and when they had seen the visitors, all the street boys had come
to greet them surrounding their car:
“What are you
doing here?” one of the missionaries had asked, very curious, in Arabic.
“This is the
orphanage”, one of them, smiling, had managed to answer him in English.
Street children at the
orphanage need still proper accomodation. Juba, South Sudan.
Later, one of
those missionaries was given the chance to accompany Paolino and the first
group of street children in their trip to the village of Kit and their new
home: “Brother Augusto Memorial Primary School”, an educational boarding
facility run by the Saint Martin de Porres Brothers, a local congregation
founded by two famous Comboni Missionaries: Bishop Sixto Mazzoldi and Fr.
Giovanni Marengoni.
After 40
minutes, including a short stop to refresh the passengers with some soft
drinks, the group arrived at the Good Shepherd Peace Centre in Kit, a newly
made Comboni facility, furnished with a chapel, a refectory and accommodation
for up to 35 retreatants and cared for by a religious community under the
umbrella of “Solidarity with South Sudan”, an inter – congregational initiative
to foster peace and justice in the country.
The Good Shepherd Peace and Spirituality Centre. Juba, Kit, South
Sudan.
The children
were impressed by the beauty of the compound. As they came down from the car,
one of the missionaries asked them:
- “What do you think?”, waiting expectantly for their reply.
- “This is our new home”, said happily one of them while he downloaded his “sunduk”, a kind of metal trunk they were given to keep their belongings.
Father
Paolino gave them the keys and a padlock to keep all the stuff they were given
for a start. From then on, they were made responsible for their own toiletries
and educational materials. Before they didn’t have anything, now all their
hopes were kept and symbolized by that trunk. They spent some nights at Kit
Peace Centre before their new huts were readied nearby their school.
Father Paolino foresees that he will need great
financial support to continue helping the street boys. He is always pointing at the
advancement of those youngsters:
- “When I first saw those children, forsaken and roaming around the streets of Juba town, I knew I could not witness their situation and do nothing about it”, says Father Paolino convinced that he is doing the right thing.
Among other
things, Father Paolino will have to improve the living conditions at the
orphanage in Juba, then he has a plan to build proper boarding accommodation
for around 100 children near the primary school. But the big issue is not only
to put up structures but to be able to run them. He is quite becoming the
foster parent of all them.
- “At present, I can only keep 18 children at school. I need more resources to be able to bring more. The 17 boys we brought will join the one that came earlier. His companions call him John the Baptist”
Paolino
giggles remembering the wit of the children, whom were able to call thus their
forerunner in faith and in human development.
Some of the new comers posing for the journalist.
Before the
day was ended, the missionary assembled the newcomers and gave them some
advice. He told them not lose their opportunity. He spurred them to be brave,
because the road ahead would be challenging and difficult. He encouraged them
to be the future leaders of the nation and reminded them that the success of
the project was in their hands:
- “Among you I can see the new president of South Sudan and the future ministers of our country. Do not disappoint the great expectations we have put on you all.”, said Father Paolino looking at them intently.
The children
listened to their mentor with much attention, they filled their souls with
great ideals, with hope and faith. But while they were learning also some other
Christian values they had never heard before, the smallest one in the group
raised up his hand to pose a demand:
- “Are we going to watch TV also?”, he said rather concerned.
- “We came here to study and not to watch TV”, retorted Johnson immediately, before even Paolino could reply.
Br. Santrina is a teacher at Br.
Augusto Memorial Primary School in Kit, where 18 street children are now
studying.
Some days
after, Brother Santrina, one of the teachers at the Brother Augusto Memorial
Primary School, informed the missionaries that the new comers had settled down
quite well and they were not giving any special trouble to the school
personnel. Moreover, they all seemed to be very happy with their new school
life.
(If you are
interested in helping in this educational project: please, contact Father
Paolino Tipo Deng, at this e-mail address: paolitipo@yahoo.es )
Read: FROM STREET BOYS
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