Visiting Different Refugee Camps
WA salaam Alheikum! Receive warm greetings from the companions in Maban. October has been packed with many activities the different refugee camps and within the host community around Maban. The month began with preparations to resume a new project year, which also came to par with the opening of schools. When the students joined, I accompanied Abuna Meela in one of the rounds, inspecting St. Marks primary school. Students were in class despite the poor state of classrooms, floods and rain, which forced some structures used as classrooms to be suspended because of the floods.
Being at the border between two countries (Ethiopia and Sudan), curbed by political instability and clashes, Maban has become one of the safest places where civilians rush to seek asylum and protection. Thus, with the current situation in Sudan this month, Maban has been flocking with refugees to the point of overstretching its capacity. JRS is at the frontline in one of the reception centres at Doro Camp, where we hold activities like counselling the stressed arrivals, most of whom are women and children.
JRS Maban also participated in the Mental Health Day Celebrations that took several days here due to the number of refugee camps in the region. The theme for this year’s celebrations was ‘Mental health is a universal human right’. We were improving knowledge, raising awareness on protecting people with mental health issues and educating the refugees on possible causes and solutions, which is part of JRS’s mission here in Maban. I was privileged to give a talk on the same at Batil Refugee Camp, sensitizing mental health as everyone’s right.
One of the most cherished feasts in Sudan and South Sudan this month is the feast of St. Comboni. It is a feast which took the residents more than a month to prepare. The fantastic part is how this feast brings together all the people despite their denominations, beliefs, and political stands. The day was marked with Mass outside the church due to the number of congregants who attended. The Mass was presided over by Abuna Meela, who reminded everyone to remain focused on St. Comboni’s vision and prayer.
The other primary mission which defines our Mission and Identity with and for the church here in Maban is the Pastoral mission. Jesuits are the only Abunas (priests) serving at St. Mark Parish, which has about 47 outstations. These outstations are far apart from the parish in that some receive Mass once in every 3 years due to bad roads, few priests, and impassible roads, primarily when it floods or in the rainy season.
As Jesus teaches us in Mathew 9: 37, ‘the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few, therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest’. Maban is an apparent reality in this passage. Christians are so strong and committed to their faith despite not having a structure to hide themselves from the hot sun or rain. Most of the outstations have their Masses under trees or grass thatched structures.
The Masses are so lively and contemplative thanks to the Congregant’s participation and angelic songs in the Mabanese language. We pray for alacrity and indelibility for all the missionaries working with refugees and communities affected by wars and political instabilities. Pochen ptolem.
