Recent Trip Update - South Sudan
Purpose
of November - December Trip
- re-establish networks and introduce new GYA
leadership to the on the ground leadership in South Sudan
- monitor and evaluate clean water projects in
South Sudan as self sustained small business initiatives in:
*
Mundri South Sudan
*
Yei River County South Sudan
*
Nimule South Sudan
- introduce 5 module education program, with
education pieces in the following areas:
*
Biblical Entrepreneurship
*
Theology of Work and Christian Work Ethic
*
Biblical Stewardship
*
Community Banking and skills
*
Church Planting Training
- renew all MOU’s of GYA in South Sudan with:
*
ECC Emmanuel Christian College
*
ECSS & S Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan
*
SSEMNET South Sudan Evangelical Missions Network
*
Regional Leaders in South Sudan in two States
- introduce cost sharing for all future trips (as
well as part of the 5 module education)
Establishing
Networks:
In
August of 2015 we lost the president of Go Ye Africa, and South Sudan Leader,
Eric Musee, to illness leading to death and so Go Ye Africa had to act quickly
in reinstating a new CEO and representative for the work and ministry in South
Sudan.
That
was accomplished by October 2015 and Omari Omollo is the new leader of South
Sudan. With Gordon Skopnik (long term
worker in South Sudan of 12 years) Omari
was introduced to all the previous networks to continue the planting of
churches and development in South Sudan in the areas of 1. Leadership Training
and Church Planting 2. Social Economic Development and 3. Children ministry and
trauma care. These areas cover many
other facets as will be stated in the following report.
Clean
Water Business Projects
Water,
and sanitation hygiene (WASH) is a major public health challenge, not only
globally, but also in the Republic of South Sudan. It is estimated that 1 in 10
(768 million) of the world’s population do not have access to safe drinking
water, most of whom are in developing countries, while a third of the world’s
population (2.5 billion people) do not have access to adequate sanitation.
In South Sudan, the official statistics indicate that only a minority of
the population does not have access to clean water and that most cases of
illness are water related.
Although
the government set a target of reducing the number of people who did not have
sustainable access to safe drinking water those targets have not been met,
coupled with the current conflict which started on the night of 15
December 2013 in the country, and poor infrastructure, the little progress that
might have been made in relation to improvements in water and sanitation
provision, has been terminated, if not reversed, in the parts of South Sudan
most affected by the conflict. Most NGOs funding such programmes have
withdrawn.
One
example of how Impact South Sudan (name given in South Sudan by regional
leaders) is moving forward is through the Diocese of Yei Youth Group with
support from Impact South Sudan started Bio Sand Filter (BSF) project in the
month of November 2014 at Yei Vocation Training Centre (YVTC).
The
group has so far constructed and sold filters which have served over 300 people
with clean water in their community. As
the conflict continues it become more difficult to make this a viable business,
though we believe we can move forward with the proper training and education.
Two
other projects were evaluated and it was found that Nimule could move forward
with providing clean water to their community but because of the ongoing civil
war and unrest the Mundri project has been stalled in providing clean water to
their community. Overall through the
years these water projects have provided clean water to 1000’s in South Sudan.
Five
Module Education Program
It
is important to realize that South Sudanese have lived their entire lives in
civil war. However, the introduction of
Theology of Work, Biblical Entrepreneurship Development, Community Banking
System, and Call to Stewardship Education will be able to play a greater role
in food and financial security/stability, while these church planters continue
advancing God’s kingdom.
Community
Banking Systems is one of the key components in Biblical Entrepreneurship
Development towards team building that enables all participants in the class
organise themselves to start a bank
within the community. Hence, leading towards local based resource development
and the alleviation of poverty.
In
response, a class that started with 30 participants made a commitment of
remaining united through out the whole course of five modules, which is going
to last for a period of one full year of education.
Our expected
impact is to see vibrant national leaders raised and taking the lead of
ensuring that churches are planted in refugee camps and in rural areas. Peace
building prevailing in South Sudan. All tribes that make up South Sudan country
will be able to live in harmony with one another irrespective of tribal,
political or religious divide. National leaders are the answer in this
difficult tapestry of culture in South Sudan as they understand the languages,
the different tribal cultures, and can bring the unchanging Gospel message strategically
and with depth.
Development
can only occur where there is peace and harmony, that is why this education is
vital at this point and time. It is a paradigm shift that will engage young
people into turning their weapons into instruments of peace as stated in,
Isaiah 2:4.
They
vowed in their commitment one after the other testifying that they are going to
work hard and help bring transformation into their beloved nation which is full
of natural resources. The class was represented by seven denominations.
Investing
your resources in these young, vibrant, passionate and well informed ladies,
and gentlemen is actually supporting the future of South Sudan as well as helping to expand the Kingdom of God. It is an opportunity to engage in prayer and
seek God’s intervention.
Transformational
testimony by Rev. Gismala Beneth Aronason
“As
being one of the participants, this education on Theology of Work has fully
enlightened, moved and focussed me to “WORK”.
I was working but the truth on the matter is that, I didn’t understand
exactly how work is such an important vocation to serve and worship the
Almighty God.
I
would like to express my appreciation to Go Ye Africa, Gordon Skopnik, and
Impact South Sudan for having organized this wonderful education of first of
its kind in my life. I have studied in
many schools, and colleges in different parts of East Africa, and only now I understand
work from a Godly perspective. I am now equipped to be good steward of God’s
resources in this great nation of South Sudan, and beyond, by the virtue and
grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.
I am
now ready to go back to my church and to my community to reason together
(Isaiah 1:18), and become an agent of change through peace building and poverty
alleviation”.
Renewed
Relationships
Cost
Sharing
Another
exciting aspect of the development in partnership with our brothers and sisters
in South Sudan is the investment made by the various communities. Even though inflation is at an all time high
in South Sudan, and poverty is ramped, the communities that we work with want
to share costs of the ministry that we do together. This
is very exciting because it is true partnership as we in Canada partner with
our friends in South Sudan.
Prayer
Item
-
My appeal is that we pray for the peace and
reconciliation to prevail in South Sudan
-
South Sudan is potentially rich of natural
resources but because of war, the nation is at its ruin.
-
Pray that more workshops of such nature should be
organized to see effectiveness and efficiency in raising up national leaders
for mission work in South Sudan and beyond.
-
Pray that we as ministry partners would be
willing to take up the challenge of cost sharing in equipping and empowering local
church leaders for the advancement of the gospel to refugee camps. and
un-reached people groups, especially the nomads and Muslim communities.
Moving
Forward:
Plans and schedules for 2016
- We
will have a follow up mission work alongside Enviro-stewards in February
with clean water projects and empowerment.
- We
will have another follow-up – monitoring and evaluation in April
- In
May, we will have the second training for 4 days to continue strengthening
the group mentioned in this report.
- July
– Monitoring and Evaluation with the trainees
- October,
continuing the investment in the 30 committed members leading to planting
churches throughout the nation
- December – Monitoring and Evaluation of the same
group and writing final impact report for the year 2016 and graduating the
group and sending them into the nation with the Gospel of Christ in church
teams.
In partnership with ECC we will plan to send
teachers for the new year in partnership with GYA and according to their MOP
with the institution:
-
Loney’s (Grace and or Grace and Paul)
-
Gary Cymbaluk
-
Gordon Skopnik
