Finding strength to ‘dig’ in Sudan

Susan and Angelina are the only survivors of a family of six from the war in southern Sudan. As families return to newly ‘peaceful’ areas, they must battle drought and the destruction left by war. Susan shares her tragedy …

“The war gave me a hard time. My husband was shot when Angelina was only one month old. I had that feeling that I was not happy. When my husband died I realized I would have a lot of problems caring for this child on my own.”

Susan had three other children who died from hunger - her first-born, Angelo, who died age two; Teresa, who died age one; Mary, while still a baby being breast-fed.

“When my child died, I went to the tree and climbed up it with a rope. I tied the rope to the tree and I hanged myself. The people saw me, and they cut me down.”

Through ALWS 4,000 families like Susan’s received support with Family Farm Packs of sorghum, maize, groundnuts, cowpeas, sim-sim and hoes, sickles and machetes.

Susan says, “I am still strong so I can dig. I am going to work hard to give Angelina what she needs, so she can go to school.”

Action Idea: Choose a Back to School Pack with text books, stationery, reference material and uniform for a child in Sudan. Just $82.

Country: South Sudan

Where: Twic East & Duk Counties, Jonglei State; Ikotos County, Eastern Equatoria State

What: Reintegration and Rehabilitation Program

Who: Returning refugees, internally displaced & host communities (numbers unclear as situation is fluid)

Our Contribution: $750,000 

Working closely with the UN and other agencies, the Lutheran project in Sudan has assisted the reintegration of people returning to their homeland after many years in refugee camps in neighbouring countries.

Recent projects supported by you through ALWS have focused on primary education, water, sanitation and hygiene, peace building and human rights awareness.

Darfur 

Where: Selected areas in Darfur, West Sudan

What: Darfur Emergency Response Operations (DERO)

Who: Approx 250,000 refugees, internally displaced people & host communities

Our Contribution: $100,000

Hostilities in Sudan’s Darfur region continue to make work challenging for agencies trying to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of tens of thousands people displaced by the fighting.

Conflict, coupled with the forced removal of some international aid organisations in March 2009, has meant an increased number of vulnerable people in the area.

Despite the difficult conditions, the joint ACT/Caritas program which you support through ALWS remains one of the largest non-government relief operations in the region, implementing projects in the areas of health and nutrition, water and sanitation, emergency preparedness and response, peace building, protection, education, agriculture and psychosocial care.