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News from Fr. John:
Hello Peadar,
It's been a while now since I've been in contact. I suppose after being more than 10 years here I think people at home are weary of
hearing too much of the comings and goings of life in South Sudan as not too much changes from year to year. However, this year
the Pope is coming on Friday to our Capital City - Juba for a 3 day visit. We are all going there to meet him. A Loreto Sr. from Bray
has organised a 9 day Peace Pilgrimage to walk from here in Rumbek to Juba - a distance of nearly 300 km. Even the Bishop who
got shot in the legs 2 years ago is walking with them. I am enclosing a short video link of their walk. I will attach some photos of our
own going Church, farming and relief activities and 3 stories of abandoned babies and how they were saved.
Noeleen is missed here because of her good work in the Leprosy Colony, we wish her a speedy recovery.
Blessings. John
Stories of Abandoned Babies from the orphanage here.
The baby was thrown away by an unknown mother at Akuac, near Savanah Secondary school in Rumbek. The baby was put in the
Bush by its mother. At around 8pm in the evening, some people went to ease themselves in the Bush as they have no latrines at
home. So they wait until it is dark before going to the toilet. People did hear a baby crying but they didn't pass any remarks on it
until a young boy called Sebit ran home and told his mother that there is a baby lying in the Bush. The boy said he didn't see any big
person around, just the tiny baby lying all by itself. The mother of Sebit rushed with Sebit to see where the baby was lying. She
called two other people to go with her and got a long bamboo cane in case it actually might be a baby of a lion or some other wild
animal that had given birth in the Bush. When the reached the place, the other people said let us go back as it is dark and dangerous
here but the mother of Sebit insisted on going to see where the sound of crying was coming from. Another young man was in the
area and when he saw the woman moving the torch from side to side he asked if they had lost something. The women said we hear
the sound of a baby crying. I also heard it said the young man. Use your phone torch to help us said the women. The women were
fearing to move closer to the sound of the crying, so the man took the bamboo stick from the woman and went closer to the sound of
crying. When he saw something in the dirt, he proded it with the bamboo stick and realized it was indeed a baby. The mother of
Sebit immediately picked up the naked baby and brought it to the police station.
The police registered the baby and then brought it to the local government hospital. The baby girl had a swelling on one side of the
head, it had been covered in dirt and flies. The umbilical cord had not been well cut and was still bleeding, so the doctor stopped the
bleeding and bound up the wound. The hospital called the Missionaries of Charity who came to collect the baby girl who was named
Atheen as she was found in the evening. The girl who is now 13 days old is being cared for by the Missionaries of Charity.
Two weeks ago a mother with twins was having complications in delivery as she was still a very young girl. Also, one of the babies
had its leg on the other babies neck. So the doctor told her that they would have to operate on her. She said better to save my
children even if I have to die. But her husband refused to sign a document allowing the doctor to do the operation. The woman was
4 days in labour and in great distress so some of the relatives called her brother to come and sign the document. He came
immediately and signed and the doctor delivered the twins but the young woman died Immediately. The twins - a boy and a girl
were not in good condition but they are recovering slowly in the Missionaries of Charity compound, being looked after by their
grandmother who has a broken hand.
3rd story . A young mother was brought to the sisters compound many years ago just after giving birth to a baby girl. For whatever
reason, the mother abandoned the baby the next day and fled the compound. She was never found again. The sisters raised the baby
and The girl was named Nyalang after the Superior of the convent . That girl child is now 14 years old and going to primary school.