DROUGHT AND TERMITES:
One of the purposes of the Sudan project is to create a farm, a sustainable green house and a fishpond. This type of farming assures durable economic benefits for the Women of Hope and for the entire project. Food will be more available as better agricultural techniques are used in our greenhouse and fishponds.
It is so sad to see loss in times drought. Termites and the use of traditional agricultural practices hurt the land and threaten the lives of farmers. When people who do not know how to farm correctly clear trees for new farms, it exposes the ground to drying winds. The erosion from intense torrential rains removes the rich topsoil and eventually the soil becomes infertile and farmers move to other land, clear trees, and the destructive cycle begins again.
We can solve the termite and water problem but we also need to solve the traditional agricultural practices. We have begun to reverse that cycle by introducing greenhouse and holistic farming techniques to our group. Our hope is to create farms that work with the land and not against it.
URGENT NEED FOR WATER:
This is an important project to provide clean water in the regular drought situation of Sudan. In many areas of Sudan where the Evangelical Church of South Sudan (ECSS) is strong, there has not been adequate rain since 2008. Rural families must struggle to secure water for their own survival. They need a source of water for agriculture and for their livestock. Early this year, the ECSS with TBC assistance, provided hot meals to school children threatened by starvation due to severe drought. However as the critical situation continues, it is clear that food aid was only a temporary solution. The ECSS has begun planning and praying for long-term solutions through the proposed project of drilling boreholes and the provision of clean water. There is a great need of significant funding for this project for the Sudanese communities. We will be extremely grateful for people willing to support this life-giving project. The wells will cost an estimated $9,500. We are hopeful that the price will decrease over 2011.
Our first wells will be operational in March. At that time we will initiate the greenhouse, Women of Hope Project and the fishponds.
Pray for this fund. "Let my heart be broken with the things that break God's heart." Bob Pierce, World Vision founder.
WOMEN OF HOPE MISSION CONTINUES TO FACE CHALLENGES
Women of Hope Mission (WOH), a women’s group ministry of the ECSS, has always been at the forefront reaching Sudanese women with the Gospel of Christ. In April of this year, WOH conducted a seminar on Bible training, evangelism, self-reliance (micro-entrepreneurship and management). Women have a great role to play in the church and community, especially to families, widows and orphans. Romans 12:4-8. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
WOH is training women for leadership in the local churches, families and communities. The hopes and goals of their leaders are to train 60,000 responsible, active women leaders by 2015 ( a five year plan). Many women are coming forward to be involved with the spread of the gospel. The WOH see that there is a need for training women in income generating activities. Our water, small farms and economic plans will help them do that.
"Women are critical to advancing economic development in their families and entire villages," said Albina Illam, WOH chairlady. “We seek to empower women to uplift living standards,” she continued. “Despite cattle raiding and inter and intra tribal fighting, WOH leaders continue to have hope that agriculture is the best way to lift their members out of the current economic quagmire. WOH seeks to provide women survivors of war, cattle rustling and other inter and intra tribal conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-reliance”
Albina explains that severe drought has worsened the situation in South Sudan hence the threat on food security that has often resulted into famine. She added that women remain in turmoil because of physical and psychological damage, lack of education, and social and economic exclusion, having survived this onslaught of violence. WOH proposed programs will target widows, children, orphans, single heads of household, returnees, internally displaced persons and the physically challenged.
Apul’s story: “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the right of widows” (Isaiah 1:17). The above pictured woman, Apul, with her two children. Apul is a widow from Lofi village, Ikwato County. She recently lost her husband to the hands of cattle raiders. Raiders had attacked a village in Ikwato County two days before Dominic went to visit the village. According to the report from villagers, the raiders came in the night. They went into one of the “Obore” and stole 20 cows. The following morning, thirty local people wanted to follow those who raided their village. They went and fell into an ambush set by the raiders. In that ambush, six people were killed including Apul’s husband. Nine were wounded and others were unharmed. Civilians in Sudan are causing these crimes because they still possess illegal arms. The local authorities tell us that plans to disarm them are underway.
Apul, her two children and the two children of her other husband’s wives, depend on her for food, school fees and a safe place to live. She struggles to feed them every day and to pay their basic school fees. After the killing of her husband, Apul resides with her children in Torit. We can help and are moving in that direction! “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” (James 1:27).
The proposed Water and Farm project is going to materialize! Agricultural practices will be modernized to enable farmers to grow a variety of crops on one piece of land in conjunction with the raising of livestock where viable. It means that a farmer can grow a traditional crop for local market demand coupled with a less typical, preferably higher value green house crop of vegetables. This will begin with training women in necessary skills and techniques and sustainable practices of commercial integrated farming.
WOH members will be provided with vegetable seeds that they will grow on their individual plots. It will enable them to actively earn a living and educate their children. We urgently need financial support to put this project in place.
REVIZED Financial Goals For 2011
Sudan:
1.) Farm Development and 2 Green Houses-- $12,000.
2.) Water for Life--$5,000
3.) Women of Hope-- $5,000
4.) Water wells WOH-- $20,000.00 (I believe we could put 4 wells in for this!)
Total 2011 prayer request and budget is $42,000
