杏MAP导航

By Francesca Merlo

Claretian Fr Paul Smyth is the President of 'Solidarity with South Sudan'. Speaking to Vatican Radio鈥檚 Seán-Patrick Lovett, he explains that the organisation 鈥渨as established little over ten years ago鈥�. Fr Paul explains that after the civil war ended, the Bishops鈥� conference was looking for religious to support them 鈥渋n rebuilding the church, and really, in rebuilding the nation鈥�.

Fr Paul Smyth, President of 'Solidarity with South Sudan'

Collaboration

He says that some representatives from different congregations in Rome travelled to Sudan. There, they recognised that 鈥渙ne congregation alone" would not be able to commit themselves to help, but that through collaboration and working together 鈥渟omething could be done鈥�.

Fr Paul says that over the years around 400 congregations have been involved in different ways. 鈥淪ome through funding, some through sending personnel鈥�. We all committed to establishing programmes and projects that would 鈥渉elp build a capacity in the people鈥�, he adds.

An estimated 420,000 people displaced from their homes in recent natural disasters.

The programmes and projects

A teacher training institute was built and 鈥渃ommitment was made to develop a health training institute for nurses and midwives鈥�. An agricultural project was established because the civil war, 鈥渨hich went on for so long鈥�, caused so much displacement that 鈥減eople had lost the basic skills for tending land鈥�.

鈥淭he other area we did a lot of work with鈥�, continues Fr Paul, was pastoral, 鈥渂ecause of the need for trauma healing and helping people deal with all the consequences of previous situations they had been in, in Sudan鈥�.

A photo from 2017 shows some of the 1000 women in silent protest to express the suffering of women and children. The theme was "End the war?"

A memory

As President of the Organisation, Fr Paul travels to the country often, but one of the strongest memories that stays with him and motivates him dates back to his very first visit in 2011, shortly after the referendum for the independence of South Sudan.

鈥淲e were just at the point of being able to open the institute that had been built in Malakal 鈥� which was a teacher training institute 鈥� and I was there the first day the students were arriving. I remember one woman in particular. A Muslim woman. She was wandering around with her eyes wide open, saying to herself 鈥榶ou鈥檝e done this for us, you鈥檝e done this for us鈥�. It was that sense that she was just so surprised that anyone would do something like this for them, and the amazement in her that really touched me. It made me realise just how much need there is there, in so many different areas.鈥�

Internally displaced persons take part in a traditional ceremony at a protection of civilian site in Malakal. Around 30,000 displaced people inhabit the camp.

A potential visit

The Holy Father has mentioned several times that he would like to visit South Sudan. Fr Paul says that one of the main beneifts this visit would bring is that it would 鈥渙nce again bring the world鈥檚 attention to South Sudan鈥�. He recalls that a few years ago South Sudan was in the media, but that it unfortunately quickly became old news 鈥渆ven though the situation hasn鈥檛 really improved鈥� 鈥� in fact, he adds 鈥渋t has probably deteriorated鈥�.

Hope for a solution

Although the 杏MAP导航 visting would put more pressure on finding a solution to what 鈥渉as lasted far too long鈥�, just his expressing his desire to 鈥渄oes bring it to attention鈥� and hopefully, concludes Fr Paul, 鈥渕ore can be done to resolve this situation鈥�. 

Solidarity with South Sudan's General Assembly