In late April, tension swelled up in the hitherto peaceful atmosphere of Western Equatoria State, more especially at Tombura County. Until then, we had enjoyed months of peace. And now people lived in fear.

During the previous conflict in 2021, thousands of people fled their homes and took refuge in different places that they deemed “safe”. Then, Ave Maria Mission hosted thousands of refugees of that war. Now another tribal war was looming in the horizon and it was building up so fast.

Now that the flames of war have been lit again, the only safe place that appeared in the minds of all affected is Ave Maria Mission at Ngboko.
Hundreds of internally displaced people (IDPs) began to arrive from the neighbouring villages of Dingimo, Akpa and Nabanga, all out-stations of the parish. The refugees came on their bicycles fully laden with their few personal belongings. They brought along all that they could manage to salvage from their homes. The more unfortunate one fled only with the clothing on their backs.

The priests at the mission, Frs. Avelino and Albert welcomed the IDPs and hosted them at the Magnificat Pilgrims’ Center, in the parish hall and in any other available space within the compound. There were 603 displaced persons: men, women, children and the elderly. Everyone got a place to rest and ease their troubles after walking for 3 days and 3 nights.

With clean water that is available at the mission as well as other amenities, and with a functional kindergarten, primary and secondary schools and a vocational training center, the displaced persons who sought refuge at Ave Maria have been able to survive.

Feeding all the refugees has not been an easy task but with the little we had in our stores, the IDPs have been able to at least have something to eat. For most of them, returning to their homes is a mere illusion for now.

Since the vast majority of them are totally dependent on farming as their source of livelihood, the mission has also seen to it that the IDPs have portions of land nearby where they may carry out some agricultural activities.

Many of the IDPs are hoping to be around for the long term as they feel safer and at home here. Ave Maria Mission is committed to promoting peace and discouraging tribal conflicts by any means at our disposal.

Providing a safe haven to people in dire need is one of the ways of assisting the refugees, and we have tried to do this by bearing in mind Paul’s exhortation in his letter to the Romans (see Rom 15:7): “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

Benjamin Maketa
Junior Apprentice, MCSPA
Ave Maria Mission

A 5-day eye campaign, organized by Ave Maria Mission in collaboration with volunteer ophthalmologists and healthcare workers from Spain, has just concluded, leaving a lasting impact on hundreds of lives in the community.

The campaign, which took place from April 08 till 12, provided free eye examinations, medications, as well as surgeries for individuals who lacked access to proper healthcare. Many residents in Tombura and Ezo County areas struggle with untreated cataracts, glaucoma and other eye problems that adversely affect their daily lives.

One of the beneficiaries expressed her gratitude, saying, “For years I’ve been struggling to see clearly, making it so difficult for me to work in the fields. Thanks to Ave Maria Mission and the Spanish eye-doctors, I can now see the rows of seedlings I plant and the crops I harvest. It’s a life-changing difference.”

Over the 5 days, the Ave Maria Mission Eye Campaign served 421 patients with 92 successful surgeries, treated 91 cataract cases and 1 case of pterygium or “surfer’s eye” … thus, sight for many were restored and the overall well-being of the community improved. The success of the initiative highlights the critical role such outreach programs play in bridging healthcare gaps and empowering individuals.

Ave Maria Mission is committed to continuing its efforts to provide essential medical services to the needy. The Spanish ophthalmologists are already planning future eye care campaigns even as they prepare to go to Nzara (another nearby county) to carry out the same program as at Ave Maria Mission for another 2 days. Thus we work towards a future where everyone has access to quality vision-care.

Peter Sokakulo,
Ave Maria Mission,
[South Sudan]

The inauguration of a building housing the new Operating Room took place near the Dispensary of Nariokotome Mission on February 23.

The building was blessed by Frs. Antonio Aguirre and Zacchaeus Okoth and officially opened by Dr. José Luis Gil and his wife Angelina Ruiz de Temiño, and Dr. Paco Galván and his wife Lola, who have been part of this project since its inception and represented all those involved in it but who could not attend the ceremony.

This project consists of an isolated building which boasts two fully-equipped operating rooms for minor outpatient surgeries. In addition, the building also has a patient recovery room for both surgical patients and for pregnant and postpartum women. Likewise, multi-purpose rooms were built for consultations and nutrition-related programs coordinated by Scholastica Wamalwa and the Health Team of Nariokotome Dispensary.

With this news, we would like to thank the efforts of all those who contributed to the development of this project, especially the missionaries at Nariokotome Mission.

We also want to thank the people who in one way or another have been part of this project, such as Jorge, Victoria, Luis Carlos, María Jesús, Begoña, Alfredo, and many other doctors, architects, engineers, and different benefactors who have made this reality possible.

It was through the Founder of the MCSPA, Fr. Francisco “Paco” Andreo who spread his enthusiasm for Turkana in 2006 to his doctor-friend, Dr. Ana Mañas, and together with her husband, Dr. Emilio Cuevas, also a traumatologist, that we created a bond of friendship and collaboration. We thank the dedication of Emilio and Ana, who continue to come to Nariokotome every year, bringing with them relatives, friends and various collaborators.

We end this news report with a saying much quoted by Paco: “Actions speak louder than words”. Today, this has been fulfilled!

By Scholastica Wamalwa, Doctor Ana Mañas and a team of friends and doctors from Spain

On 22 February 2024, we inaugurated the Derma Nariokotome Project which aims to support the local population of Nariokotome by manufacturing soaps and creams that help improve health and control skin diseases.

This initiative is sponsored by Cantabria Labs. The premises of Derma Nariokotome was blessed by Frs. Antonio Aguirre and Zacchaeus Okoth. For the inauguration Patrizia Aniballi, Scholastica Wamalwa, Lenny Jilo, Lydia Imbala and Lucia Blasi were present. We also had a small representation from Cantabria Labs: Antonio Matji, Marta Domínguez, Tere Sanz, Toñi García, and Pepa Sardinero.

Derma Nariokotome has as its patrons Sts. Cosmas and Damian, two physician-pharmacist saints who devoted their lives to helping the sick by providing them with “miraculous remedies”. In return, these saints only asked to speak of Jesus, becoming physicians of both body and soul.

Lenny Jilo will be in charge of the project with Samuel Kapua as director. Samuel is trained to formulate and manufacture everything needed; he was educated at the mission since he was a child, thanks to a sponsorship by Cantabria Labs, which also continues to support us in development and education projects in the Nariokotome area.

By Patrizia Aniballi, Lenny Jilo and representatives from Cantabria Labs.
Nariokotome Mission

“Show love in your apostolates by your presence” is a moving statement from Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of the Catholic Diocese of Cubao during his visit on February 19 to St. Joseph and St. Francis Xavier House of Theology in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. In the company of Fr. Edwin Peter Dionisio, OFM, the Episcopal Vicar for Religious in the Diocese of Cubao, and Sr. Veronica Gungon, SJBP, the Bishop’s Secretary, Bishop Honesto’s pastoral visit is a big blessing to the MCSPA community here and a gesture of good working relations.

Bishop Honesto and team were shown around the house by Frs. Francis Teo and Alex Campon, accompanied by all the other members and apprentices. Introductions were made and the bishop was especially keen to know the origins of everyone and what each was studying. We then sat down for some Ethiopian coffee and Malaysian cake!

The bishop’s awareness of the MCSPA is remarkable for he intimated to having read widely about the community on its website, in addition to the constant contact that Fr. Francis has kept with the Diocese of Cubao. The bishop’s message to us all was to keep serving the people of God with zeal and commitment and in whatever small ways possible. Reaching out to the elderly and conducting English and Mathematics tutorial classes to children from the depressed areas (slums) are two activities that he singled out as particularly important. Thus, Bishop Honesto reminded us to show love in our apostolates by our presence with the children and families.

By Cosmus Onyango,

MCSPA Apprentice

Manila

The episcopal ordination of Abuna Lucas Teshome was held on Sunday, February 11, 2024, at the Eparchy of Emdeber, Ethiopia. At this elaborate celebration, steeped in the culture of the Eastern Rite, Abuna Lucas was consecrated as the new Coadjutor Bishop.

The celebration was an occasion to celebrate unity, marked as it was by the presence of the Archbishop of Addis Ababa, Berhaneyesus Cardinal Souraphiel, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Antoine Camilleri, a great number of bishops from all over Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as government representatives and heads of different churches, all giving their blessing on the newly-consecrated bishop.

Abuna Lucas Teshome, who is himself from Emdeber, was warmly welcomed into his new appointment to his native land. All roads were closed and the whole town was decorated for the occasion. 

Catholics make up only 0.5% of the whole population of Ethiopia, but Emdeber has one of the largest Catholic communities in the country.

The MCSPA opened a mission at Emdeber in 2023 with two members living and working at St. Scholastica MIssion at Dakuna. It is the most recently-established mission of the MCSPA.

We look forward to working with Abuna Lucas in bringing the Kingdom of God into this corner of Ethiopia, and we pray for him in his new appointment as shepherd of the local church.

by Amanda Falgas, Apprentice of the MCSPA

Surgeons from Spain have been carrying out surgical campaigns for the last 20 years in Turkana. This programme originally materialised following the invitation of members of the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostles (MCSPA). The surgical campaigns are done more specifically at Lodwar County Referral Hospital and at Kakuma Mission Hospital which is run by the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar.

Last week, as is the annual routine, a team of 40 surgeons came to spend the weekend at the Nariokotome Mission, the motherhouse of the MCSPA prior to a continuing surgical camp. 

Scholastica Wamalwa, a member of the MCSPA, welcomed all as she introduced the other missionaries living and working at the above-mentioned mission. Dr. Carmen Hernandez warmly thanked everyone for the effort they had put in to ensure that people with medical and surgical cases in Turkana could be attended to. Thus far, 20 campaigns have been done in which more than 9,500 medical consultations, 4,900 surgeries and several mobile clinics have been carried out.  The impact on the local community has indeed been tremendous.

The following day after a colorful Eucharistic celebration, presided by Fr. Zacchaeus Okoth, they attended to 53 patients at Nariokotome Dispensary. The patients were from the different villages around the area. The mobilization team did an excellent job in ensuring that many people with different medical issues received information on the surgeons’ visit at the dispensary; the turnout was very good!

Memories of experiences and of a friendship and cooperation that stretched over a long period of time were shared over the weekend. 

The MCSPA would very much like to commend the efforts of the “Cirugía Turkana” programme that was initiated by Dr. Elena Mendia and others, now lead by Dr. Carmen Hernandez Perez, whose husband, Joaquín Vazquez, together with many others have placed great effort in concretely changing lives for the better in Turkana.

It is always an honour for the missionaries to host these surgeons!

By Lydia Imbala, MCSPA member, Nariokotome Mission.

On 21st January, the MCSPA celebrated its annual Family Day at the Women’s House in Nairobi. The occasion was graced by the presence of Rt. Rev. John Mbinda, Bishop of Lodwar, who presided at the Eucharistic celebration. It was fitting to give thanks to God for his many blessings bestowed.

We also celebrated two infant baptisms at the mass.

We would like to thank everyone who attended, contributed to our projects over the year and journeyed with the MCSPA throughout all this time. We hope to see you all next year as we extend a welcome invitation to you to come visit our missions in Turkana. KARIBUNI SANA!!!

We celebrated the drilling of the well and the installation of taps in the village of Mechela Wortu, Muketuri, Ethiopia.

We were invited for lunch where they slaughtered a sheep and made two huge traditional breads.
During the prayers, people continuously thanked having clean water, which has changed their lives. One man explained: “Many people speak of you, most are surprised at how you love children that are not your own, especially the ones with disabilities… They say that you love the children more than their own parents!”

68 families are benefitting from this well which has been drilled up to 72 meters, with solar panels that supply energy to the pump that pumps the water to the tank with a capacity of 10,000 liters, and from there to the taps.

Before, the girls used to fetch water from hand-dug holes in the land, this water is brown due to its uncleanness. One day a missionary went to the village with a bottle of water in her hand, people were scandalized as they believed that she was carrying alcohol so early in the morning. This is because, for them, water was brown and the only thing of such clear color was the traditional alcohol they make called ‘arake’.
Many young girls can go to school now that they have water close to them and don’t have to walk for kilometers to collect the water like before.

At the end of the celebration everyone danced and repeatedly blessed us saying: “God grant you a long life!”

On the 17th of February 2023, the village of Lobur experienced a very strong wind which caused a lot of damage to the village. Within the damages, there were the solar panels of Lobur village water point which were blown away. This destroyed all panels of 200W 24VDC Crystalline solar and the structure.

Once we had the funds, the MCSPA Pump Maintenance Unit (PMU) team went to the ground and reinforced the structure. We purchased all the solar panels and they were transported from Lodwar to Lobur (210 kms away). The team fixed all the panels at the site and did a pump test to check if it worked. After the test, the pump gave a yield of 5000 liters of water per hour. The community of Lobur were glad to have water once again in their taps. There is much water now for both human consumption and for the consumption of hundreds of animals around. Water availability in Lobur villages is restored after 4 months of absence. This is a great joy. On behalf of Lobur community, we would like to thank New Ways UK who have made this possible with your support.