October visit to Juba and Yambio by Sr Pauline and Sr Rosella
SR. HELEN NEINI
Helen has ministered in Juba and Yambio for 9 years. Currently she is teaching Grade 6B at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School located in the Diocese of Yambio. St. Mary’s has 26 teachers and 1,264 students. Sometimes there are over 100 children in one long, poorly lit classrooms. Blackboards are old and cracked and resources are limited. Helen has received funds from Elizabeth Hayes Grant (USA) to fund different projects to help the school since the school’s only financial support is through school fees by parents. 
Some of the projects that have been completed with the help of the Elizabeth Hayes Grant and other donations include:
- Building of the small room for the watchman at the gate of the school.
- The concrete pillars and main metal gate of the school
- Two toilet blocks, one for the girls and the other for the boys
- Renovation and painting of some classrooms
- Supply of School uniform
The Sister’s also donated their Generator to thE school. The generator is used to provide power to the school office.
SR. BAKHITA KPERENGE-FRANCIS
Bakhita, a native of South Sudan, has been ministering in Yambio since 2013. The focus of her ministry is working with women, girls and children who have been traumatized from war and violence in the country. To assist her in her ministry, Bakhita founded an association called ADEESA (the word means all women are equal regardless of their race or culture). ADEESA has 7 active board directors who monitor the activities carried out by the Association. They have 42 registered members. ADEESA has 11 staff as well as 20 active volunteers in Yambio and 8 in Nzara. In 2019 ADEEZA hosted: 12 workshops with 150 women attending, 6 on nutrition and hygiene and 6 on trauma healing; trained 24 psychosocial community workers; conducted 2 training sessions to 75 men and women on Gender Violence; formed 7 women’s groups with 20-25 members in each.
Bakhita is also a member on the Solidarity teachers’ Training College Board and takes communion to the sick and aged.
In the pictures, in order:
Sr Helen’s 6B class – newly painted walls
Board and Volunteers
Solidarity Volunteers in Sisters courtyard
Sisters Accomodation at Yambio