The Potentials and Possibilities
By Fr. Silas Kemboi, SJ
Greetings from Wau, where we are currently gathered for a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Eastern Africa Jesuit Development Office (JDO) in collaboration with the Irish Jesuit International (IJI), the lead agency within the Xavier Network (XN). The meeting serves primarily as a monitoring visit to various projects in South Sudan.
The team first met in Juba on 11th September and travelled to Rumbek on the 12th. I had arrived a few days earlier to get a feel of the land before the visitors joined. Our journey to Rumbek was eventful—we had to check in twice. We woke up early and arrived at the airport on time, only to be informed that our flight was cancelled due to bad weather. Understandably, many were disappointed, as this was a trip we had prepared for nearly a year. On our way back to the hotel to recheck in, we received word that another flight was coming to pick us up. We rushed back to the airport, and this time, the process was smooth.
In Rumbek, we visited St. Theresa’s Parish, St. Theresa’s Kindergarten, the St. Peter Claver Ecological and Computer Training Center, the Jesuit Development Office in South Sudan, and the MAJIS Agricultural Institute.
On 16th September, we visited the Cesar Mazzolari Educational Center, which houses Mazzolari Teachers College, Victor-Luke Odhiambo Memorial Secondary School, St. Justina Primary School, and Kooth Comboni Kindergarten. On the way, we also stopped at Loreto School in Rumbek.
On 17th September, we travelled by road from Rumbek to Wau—a five-hour journey that was thankfully uneventful.
For me, coming to South Sudan has felt like returning home to a place I had never been. I attended the minor seminary in Kitale, which had been built and sponsored by the Diocese of Rumbek. Reuniting with some of my classmates and school after more than eighteen years has been a highlight of this journey.
South Sudan, in my view, is a country of immense potential and endless possibilities. From all the apostolates we have visited, it is clear that companions have done—and continue to do—remarkable work. Yet, too often, these efforts and the country’s inherent potential go unnoticed. What is needed, I believe, is stronger storytelling to make these narratives visible and to inspire even greater hope.
