2023
Africano Mande Foundation (AMF) has Provided Agricultural Equipment to Support the Kwanga Cooperative Society
On Tuesday 30, 2023, Maridi, Western Equatoria State, South Sudan, Africano Mande Foundation (AMF) through the production and Livelihood project donated tools and equipment to Kwanga cooperative society to improve food security and livelihoods. The materials include; hoes, pangas, slashers, rakes, double axes, axes, spades, forked hoes spring rope nylons, raincoats, and gumboots.
In his speech at the distribution site, AMF head of livelihood and production, Hon. Enosa Sette Aguno, stresses that the farmers can not only get money from agriculture and supplement their income to send their children to school and live healthy lives. Essentially, he urges the farmers to be united and take good care of the agricultural tools adding that he is happy to see the youth as part of the cooperative society. Enosa appreciated the good work of the members and reminded them that they will benefit in the future.
On the other hand, the deputy chairperson of Kwanga cooperative society, Mr. Paul Razig Buwa applauds the AMF Department of Production and Livelihood for the provision of agricultural tools and called upon the organization to train them on modern farming methods.
Kwanga cooperative society is a farmers’ group that comprises 32 members. The group is capable of producing tons of maize in a single season.
AMF is supporting similar groups in Mboruko, Muku, Nagbaka, and Modubai, all will receive the same support courtesy of the organization.
AMF is a non-political, non-governmental, and legacy foundation named after Africano Mande Gedima, the first Governor of Maridi state.
2023
Fr. Santino Wise Makuei, “Use the Great Gift of the Holy Spirit that You have Received to Pray for Your Brothers and Sisters”
By Sr. Henriette Anne (FSSA)
“Dear friends, today is one of the great joys, for the Spirit has been poured out in our hearts, today is the day we sent forth to proclaim peace and forgiveness from the one who is everlasting peace, he continued, let us take an example of our brothers and sisters who came to Juba from Khartoum, the IDP, they have nothing to eat, they don’t have clothing, medication, they are in a difficult situation, we are the ones to pray for them, we are the ones to contribute for them, we are to be in solidarity with them, these are our people, they are our brothers and sisters, so we are to pray for them”.
Reflecting on the Gospel of the day, “Peace be with you! Peace be with you!”, Fr. Santino stressed, “So for us today we need also to pray for our dear ones and especially for the government of Khartoum to have reconciliation, the healing of wounds and all forms of division”.
He further pointed out that there are varieties of gifts of the Holy Spirit that are meant to be used for the benefit of the entire body of Christ, “some people are really talented, they can preach, they can sing well, among other gifts, I invite you that just like the human body is made up of many parts that work together, so we too are the members of the church united as one body in Christ, let us use our different gifts for the benefit of each other”, he narrated.
Fr. Santino who is among the three priests that were ordained last month by the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, noted that the Holy Spirit intercedes for the believers to live sinful pride behind and give glory to God in all that they have achieved adding that the Holy Spirit is a gift for those who have shared in Jesus’ glorification through Baptism.
2023
“Keep the Prophetic Voice that Pope Francis Asked of the Church in Juba”, US Ambassador to Bishop Eduardo
Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio met the US Ambassador to South Sudan, H.E Micheal J. Adler at his office in Juba.
The US Government has been funding peace-building programs through Interfaith Council for Peace Initiatives in Western Equatoria and through Justice and Peace Commission.
The two men shared more about the need to intensify peace-building activities all over.
From the widespread conflict in WES and beyond to the return of a full-scale war in
Sudan, violence has gone wild.
We live in times of crisis, the likes of which we have not seen for almost three-quarters of a century, Bishop Eduardo the Ambassador.
Inspired by Pope Francis’ 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti and his recent appeal to church personnel at Kator Cathedral in Juba, that the church must always explore ways, the Catholic community can bring bold, creative proposals to current problems and help build a post-pandemic world more attuned to a Catholic vision of integral ecology, human development, and peace, stressing to bishop Eduardo to be the Prophetic Voice in South Sudan.
It is crucial to uphold Catholic Peacebuilding in Times of Crisis: Hope for a Wounded community, such roles pay.
CDTY remains grateful to the US government for standing firm alongside South Sudanese during hard times and working times.
Bishop Eduardo extended a warm invitation to the Ambassador to visit Western Equatoria State.
2023
St. Theresa Mission Hospital Annual Budget Successfully Passed
Members of Board of Governors
2023
Maridi County Receives 2nd Runner-up, Miss Little Africa
By Bongomin Walter Joshua
As South Sudan will join the rest of the world to mark the June 5th International Environment Day, Rita Joy Samantha will have an amazing and incredible story to tell. The ten-year-old South Sudanese who is 2nd runner up, miss little Africa 2022/2023 is currently in Maridi to fulfill her goal of planting 100 trees before 5/6/2023.
Rita, who also miss little ambassador for the environment, has come to Maridi as a volunteer to the Africano Mande Foundation (AMF) organization, and together with her team, they will plant trees across Maridi town. She has already planted 31 trees in the compound of the South Sudan National Revenue Authority (NRA), Juba, with the help of NRA Assistant Commissioner General, Honorable Africano Mande Gedima.
AMF executive director, Sami Charles Mande acquainted Rita with the activities that are being carried out by two of the organization’s departments (technical service and production). AMF is a nonpolitical, nongovernmental, and legacy Foundation named after Africano Mande Gedima, the first governor of Maridi state.
Rita Joyce Samantha was crowned as the 2nd runner up, miss little Africa 2022/2023, in a beauty competition that was held in South Africa making South Sudan number three in Africa out of 54 contestants.
2023
Coaches, Referees, and Football Administrators Commence Training in Maridi
By Bongomin Walter Joshua
Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI), in partnership with the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA), launched a five-day training for referees, coaches, and administrators in Maridi. The exercise, which is being conducted at the Maridi Women resource center and facilitated by FIFA coaches’ instructor Dr. Salyi Lolaku Samuel and his counterpart from the referees’ department, Mr. Sadiq Repent William runs from Wednesday, May 24th – 29th 2023.
Speaking during the official opening of the training, the commissioner of Maridi County, Honorable Miiri Alfred emphasizes that sports are a unifying factor adding that there is no segregation, discrimination, or nepotism in sports
The program co-coordinator for WPDI, western Equatoria state, Mr. Mande Daniel said 24 coaches, 12 referees, and 10 football administrators are currently taking the course under a project “peace through sports”.
Mande further describes the importance of the project, “as a peace organization, we are able to unite the youth and once they are empowered in all aspects, they can build this country, develop it and take it to a higher level.”
Nora Viola, one of the trainees aspiring to become a professional match official, said she hopes to acquire more knowledge on how to control a football match and the laws that govern the beautiful game.
The two-year pilot project starts today and once the training is done, there will be a peace engagement day, and thereafter 12 football teams will be formed to participate in a peace tournament, 6 for girls and six for boys. A total of 204 players from the 12 teams will receive sports supplies courtesy of WPDI once the training comes to an end.
The organization is looking for funding to take the project to other counties of western Equatoria state. Maridi, Juba, and Torit have been selected in the Republic of South Sudan to pilot the project.
2023
CODEP Inaugurates Borehole at Gangura Payam
By Baraka John
Hundreds of members of the community at Gangura Payam gathered on Monday 22nd May to witness the official inauguration of a water point in the area constructed by the Catholic Organization for Peace and Development (CODEP).
In early February this year, CODEP launched a wash project aimed at digging seven boreholes in different locations in Western Equatoria State. The targeted areas include Maridi, Mambe, Yambio, Gangura, and Ezo.
The project being funded by the Sudan Relief Fund is with the sole objective to curb the shortage of water in the targeted location.
Speaking during the inauguration, Rev. Fr. Mbikoyo Charles the director of CODEP applauded the Catholic Diocese of Tambura-Yambio for his tremendous efforts in initiating the wash project to save the lives of communities as well facilitate the work of the Church.
Fr. Charles urged the Christians and community of Gangura Payam to sustain the new borehole through monitoring its functionality to enable long-lasting and providing support to them and the parish priest.
On his part, Mr. Phillip Paulino the Deputy Payam Administrator on behalf of the Payam Administrator stated that the community in the area had been struggling for many years to access clean drinking water which mostly forced them to work long distances to access water points.
The community was spotted jubilating and appreciating the Diocesan initiative to respond to the immediate need of the people in Gangura Payam.
At the inauguration ceremony were the community and Parishioners from Corpus Christi Catholic Church Gangura, CODEP’s deputy director Mr. Ngbaanisa Davide Ariyot coordinator, Davide Rusano Chairperson PPC at Corpus Christi Catholic Parish, Gaaniko Denel Elias youth among others.
2023
A Call for Prayers, Fraternal Closeness, and Solidarity to the People of Sudan from the Office of Episcopal Vicar
The conflict, which began on April 15, has displaced almost 1.1 million people internally and into neighboring countries, living them without basic needs, the office of the Episcopal Vicar for Refugees, Immigrants, Migrants, IDPs, in the Catholic Diocese of Tombura – Yambio has launched an appeal inviting all Diocesan personnel and people of goodwill to donate Food, shelter and other essential aid, health services, and kind attitudes and receptions, to open doors of all Catholics Schools including the senior Seminary and admit pupils and students without charges.
In a letter signed by Fr. Dominic Agbia Sasa, the Episcopal Vicar for refugees, Immigrants, Migrants, and IDPs, directed that “during the coming Pentecost Sunday celebration all over our diocese, second collections are carried out to support our brothers and sisters in Sudan. I ask the Humekodabe Foundation plus the Finance Department, to assist in awareness of this appeal and subsequent follow-up of the resource’s mobilization”.
The CDTY expresses their fraternal closeness and solidarity to Archbishop Michael Didi, His Lordship Trile Tombe of El Obeid, Auxiliary Bishop of Khartoum H.L. Daniel Adwok, Cardinal Zubeir Wako, Archbishop Louis, the Apostolic Nuncio to Sudan, all the Church personnel, entire Christian Faithful in Sudan as well as to all the people of God who live in Sudan. With them, we share the sufferings of all the severely affected people.
The letter further explained that the “Archdiocese of Khartoum and Diocese of El-Obeid, continue to bear the pressure as more people knock at the door seeking support, some are lost in the wilderness, trapped in the bombarded city of Khartoum and other major cities”.
In the letter shared with Rurugene online, the office of the Episcopal Vicar stated that “they endeavor to extend a helping hand, to be a sign of hope to families grappling with the effects of the civil war in the different parts of the Archdiocese and El-Obeid and beyond as part of our call to Christian charity and evangelization”.
2023
CIDA has Trained Over 30 Media Personnel in Yambio on Strengthening the Capacity of Media Organizations
By Joseph Ernesto
The Community Initiative Development Association trained over 30 journalists in Yambio capital of Western Equatorial State on Wednesday, May 24, 2023.
The training aimed at strengthening the capacity of media organizations on transitional justice processes in the greater Equatorial region and building peace through promoting inclusive and participatory transitional justice processes and mechanisms in South Sudan.
Speaking during the launching, the project manager of the CIDA Mrs. Juan Jackline Sadarack said the project’s overall objective is to strengthen the capacity of media and Journalists in the transitional justice process.
Jackeline added that the project will train and support Radio stations to conduct outreach and distribute information on transitional justice at both national and local levels.
For his part, the director general at the state ministry of information and communication Zingbondo Jeremiah said that the project has come at the right time for building the Journalists in the state because they are operating in an environment that is not favorable for them with the current multi-government system in South Sudan.
The acting state minister of information Hon. Bazia Beneth reveals that as CIDA is going for capacity building of Journalists, they should also give them equipment for their work to allow them to disseminate Constitutional Justice Making process to the community.
He further warned Journalists to stay away from politics and be neutral while writing stories.
This project is targeting 150 stakeholders of media organizations and Journalists, about 12 community radio stations, national TV, social media platforms, printing companies, and over 150 Journalists across the three states.
In addition, it’s estimated that over 3,900,000 people across the region will be reached through talk shows programming in local languages and programming targeting women, girls, PWDs, IDPs, and marginalized groups in Western, Central, and Eastern Equatoria States.
2023
A Call for Prayers, Fraternal Closeness, and Solidarity to the People of Sudan from the Office of Episcopal Vicar
The conflict, which began on April 15, has displaced almost 1.1 million people internally and into neighboring countries, living them without basic needs, the office of the Episcopal Vicar for Refugees, Immigrants, Migrants, IDPs, in the Catholic Diocese of Tombura – Yambio has launched an appeal inviting all Diocesan personnel and people of goodwill to donate Food, shelter and other essential aid, health services, and kind attitudes and receptions, to open doors of all Catholics Schools including the senior Seminary and admit pupils and students without charges.
In a letter signed by Fr. Dominic Agbia Sasa, the Episcopal Vicar for refugees, Immigrants, Migrants, and IDPs, directed that “during the coming Pentecost Sunday celebration all over our diocese, second collections are carried out to support our brothers and sisters in Sudan. I ask the Humekodabe Foundation plus the Finance Department, to assist in awareness of this appeal and subsequent follow-up of the resource’s mobilization”.
The CDTY expresses their fraternal closeness and solidarity to Archbishop Michael Didi, His Lordship Trile Tombe of El Obeid, Auxiliary Bishop of Khartoum H.L. Daniel Adwok, Cardinal Zubeir Wako, Archbishop Louis, the Apostolic Nuncio to Sudan, all the Church personnel, entire Christian Faithful in Sudan as well as to all the people of God who live in Sudan. With them, we share the sufferings of all the severely affected people.
The letter further explained that the “Archdiocese of Khartoum and Diocese of El-Obeid, continue to bear the pressure as more people knock at the door seeking support, some are lost in the wilderness, trapped in the bombarded city of Khartoum and other major cities”.
In the letter shared with Rurugene online, the office of the Episcopal Vicar stated that “they endeavor to extend a helping hand, to be a sign of hope to families grappling with the effects of the civil war in the different parts of the Archdiocese and El-Obeid and beyond as part of our call to Christian charity and evangelization”.