Today we have received the visit of Mary’s Meal Kenya from which we receive the help to feed 1,834 children with 1 meal a day in our territory of Lobur Mission alone.

Thank you for this important contribution to the Turkana children.

Maque Falgás

Today the Christians of Ave Maria Parish gathered to celebrate the Corpus Christi. We thank God for the gift of Peace in the area.

All the church and civil institutions had an altar prepared next to their premises. The kindergarten too prepared and decorated their altar with toys and playing kits that they love.

Thank you all who made this colourful celebration to be so alive.

Lillian Omari
MCSPA

Recently, in Ave Maria Parish, South Sudan we conducted a workshop for all the traders and business people of the area of our two parishes. Forty-two women and men attended. They participated very keenly in our SWOT analysis. Fr. Avelino Bassols explained to them the Gospel of Zaccheus, and how he had to climb the tree in order to come out from his petty little things and view his life from a wider perspective. Then he met Jesus and his life was turned inside out…

We usually run all kinds of workshops for catechists, teachers, health workers, water committees, apostolic movements, and youth… but we had never tried with the business community. So we decided to try and see what happens? Maybe they feel their profession has nothing to do with Christian life … Let us open the road for them to experience that they can live their faith whilst doing business.

The response was really overwhelming, people were so happy to share and talk!

Fr. Albert Salvans MCSPA

On Saturday 19th of March, are delegation of all the departments of the local government of Nyangatom Woreda travelled to Turkana north, accompanied by the team of the MCSPA working in Nyangatom and Mr. Abdi Adam from the Turkana County. The purpose was to visit the different mission of the MCSPA in along the border and the projects we are carrying out there.

The aim of the visit was to take advantage of the peace situation between Nyangatom and Turkana for the last one year, trying to foster father links of collaboration between the two communities, by visiting the different projects that the MCSPA is carrying out in Lobur, Todonyang, and Nariokotome missions. 

In Lobur the team visited the school and the Furrows in the desert project, and it was an amazing experience to see the trainees, women and men from different ages, including one from Nyangatom, fully equipped and ready to learn about the wonders of growing fruits in the dessert. On Sunday, the team was welcomed by the christian community during the lively mass at Lobur chapel.

In todonyang, the team visited the project at Nakinu, where the mission drilled several boreholes to provide water for the pastoralist communities at the foot of the Lapur mountains, helping shepherds and herds who before had to travel long journeys in search for water every other day, to places where they used to class with the Dassenech. Now, as the water is near the pastures, they can stay confortable by the mountain side. In addition, the boreholes provide sweet water to the mission through a pipe 10 km long.

The following day we visited the Todonyang integrated school, where Fr. Andrew Yakulula explained how the school was initiated as a Peace initiative. The main objective is that children from both conflicting communities, the Dassanech and the Turkana, learn and grow together in the same school, and establish bonds of friendship that change their negative cultural assumptions about each other’s communities into positive ones.

Fr. Andrew also explained that the botany project carried out by the mission is helping fishermen in their livelihoods and giving them an opportunity to send their children to school and give them proper education. 

It is amazing to realise how all three projects, water, education, livelihoods, intermingle to improve the lives of the people and give peace a chance in the Turkana-Dassanech corridor. It was a wonderful learning experience.

On Monday morning, the team headed for Nariokotome mission. There we visited the health centre, and Kaitoo kindergarten. In the afternoon, we visited the mission and ended with mass and dinner. Nariokotome offered a whole different experience to the crew, whereby they saw how the mission has shaped, along its thirty years of existence, an entire barren and arid region, improving the lives of so many vulnerable people through health, nutrition and provision of all basic resources such as water, livelihoods and education, necessary for human life. 

The trip ended with a visit to Lodwar, where the delegation was received by the Turkana county commissioner and the county secretary. On the way back we also had the chance to visit Loropio IT school and also discussed about possible cooperation in the near future through training of young people.

Throughout the whole exchange trip ideas about how development is possible in such remote areas through securing water and the basic human needs, gave the whole team encouragement and hope. It was a re-assuring journey of discovery and strengthening bonds of cooperation between the Nyangatom local government, the mission in Nyangatom, and the Turkana counterparts.

Let us enjoy the fruits of peace!

Fr. Angel Valdivia MCSPA

We would like to ask you to join us (MCSPA) every day to earnestly pray for peace in South Sudan and more so that our mission of Ave Maria is protected from all the fighting going around its mission territory.

Yesterday the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission coordination office in Ezo County of Western Equatoria state registered 23,550 IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) from Tombura due to the ongoing violence in Tombura County.

The majority of the IDPs are women and children who are in need of humanitarian support. All men who were trying to flee the fighting have been captured and forced to fight, sometimes even against their own people.

As of Tuesday, at least 11 people were reported killed, including the former Commissioner of Tombura County Hon. Babiro Charles Gbamisi.

Things are very difficult and tense, and many children are affected and are in need of food and shelter. Let us join our hands to support them with prayer and in kind.

Thank you!!!

Lillian Omari MCSPA

Recent violence has affected many people in the area of Tombura, where MCSPA members are running Ave Maria Parish.

A peace convoy lead by Bishop Eduardo Hiboro from the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, and other bishops and priests from other denominations, came to visit the victims of this unjustified and abrupt mayhem.

Let us direct our prayers to the victims, especially to the people who have lost parents, children, siblings, and property. Above all let us pray that peace may prevail and leaders stop this nonsense.

Lillian Omari

During the first half of this year, Turkana mission workers involved in child care (especially in our Mother and Child Centers) have participated in several training activities on Child Protection.

With the support of the MCSPA Safeguarding Committee, we have invited them to create child-friendly environments, to reflect on their role and responsibility in the prevention of child abuse in the communities where we are present.

These have been very fruitful and important meetings for the formation of the whole team, with excellent facilitators who have helped us to improve our mission that the children of our missions grow up in a safe environment, free from abuse of any kind: physical, sexual or psychological.

We thank all those who make this series of meetings possible. We will continue to train, follow-up and promote awareness of this issue in each of our missions. We know that fathers, mothers, entire families, friends, teachers, missionaries, priests, medical personnel, workers and social leaders must work together to prevent child abuse wherever we are present.

Diana Trompetero, MCSPA

Today on the feast of Corpus Christi, Fr. Avelino Bassols celebrated the Mass and did a solemn procession at Ave Maria Parish, South Sudan.

He was accompanied by many the parishioners and the children from the parish schools. The Holy Sacrament was adorned with beautiful traditional ornaments made from palms and branches from the surrounding forest. The community of South Sudan always keeps their faith as the most important thing in their lifes, in spite of being affected by so many hardships.

In this important feast of the Body and the Blood of Christ, let us celebrate Christ who gives himself really and truly to us every time we receive him in the Eucharist. What a great gift and opportunity to become better human beings and better Christians!

Nariokotome Parish marked Mission Sunday by celebrating the Silver Jubilee of Catechist George Lokiru. Catechist George Lokiru is a Commissioned Catechist married to Alice Lokiru. He has served in several outstations within Nariokotome Parish. Prior to Nariokotome Parish he served in Loarengak and Lokitaung Parishes. He is renowned for his singing skills and for being a cheerful preacher.

His silver Jubilee was commemorated with people coming from all over Nariokotome Parish and beyond. There were a big number of his fellow catechists from within Nariokotome Parish and other neighbouring Parishes.

The celebration began with Mass where the letter of the Pope on Mission Sunday was elaborated with the theme: ” Here am I, Send me”. The preacher of the day challenged the Christians to support the catechists and invited young people to want to serve the Church as Catechists.

After the Mass there was entertainment by the different Church groups. Afterwards there were speeches whereby George was praised for his dedicated service. Gifts followed. He was showered with an array of gifts. Several Christians also pledged various construction materials to help the Catechist construct a better house.

The guests were served with lunch after the ceremony of the cutting of the silver jubilee cake.

We thank the Lord for the 25 years of service of George Lokiru. We pray that the Church may be blessed with many committed Catechists to carry on the Mission of Christ.

Fr. Denis Odongo MCSPA, parish priest

It seems like the rainy season has started. In Turkana this means blessings, happiness and good times. This is what we are seeing in the farms of our project Furrows in the Desert.

Our farmers are improving and understanding the good of agriculture. They are able to feed their families, their communities and also to sell the surplus to get income. With that income they can buy the rest of basic needs and even the school fees of their children.

Eight years ago, when the project started, the turkana people didn’t know anything about producing their own food, as they come for a pastoralist culture, now you can see where they have reached. Amazing!!!

Maque Falgás