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They are all wearing new shirts she bought them for Christmas.” title_text=”Juba Orphans” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” module_alignment=”center” max_height=”440px” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-20px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
For Christmas, the children each received a new shirt. Sister Rosemary hopes to be able to give them a second shirt this year \u2014 along with shorts and a pair of shoes.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#E09900″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”75%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/combonimissionaries.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Malakal-Elderly-and-Blind-feeding.jpg” alt=”Bishop Stephen Majwok of Malakal helps feed the blind and elderly in the camp for displaced persons” title_text=”Malakal Elderly and Blind feeding” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-20px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The Church is also providing for the most vulnerable adults as well. Here Bishop Stephen Majwok of the diocese of Malakal helps to feed the blind and elderly in the camp for displaced persons.<\/p>\n
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Sister Mary works with refugees in the camp at Kosti.<\/p>\n
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By: Kathleen M. Carroll<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s almost a scene from a horror film: Hundreds of starving children clinging to life in a cemetery in Juba, in war-torn South Sudan. Passing by, Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe saw tents pitched in a graveyard, providing scant shelter for skeletal children. She shared the story during a visit in April:<\/p>\n \u201cI asked, \u2018What are the children doing in the cemetery?\u2019 and was told, \u2018That\u2019s where they live.\u2019 I said, \u2018This isn\u2019t right. We need to help these children.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n While it may seem the obvious reaction, it wasn\u2019t immediately popular. The Sisters working in the region are stretching already strained resources to help wherever they can. Taking in so many children in such dire condition seemed impossible.<\/p>\n But Sister Rosemary knew she couldn\u2019t walk away. \u201cI told the Sisters, ‘We must do something. These children can be helped. We may not have the money to sustain a large program, but let\u2019s do what we can.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI said, \u2018I will knock on doors in America,\u2019\u201d she recalls, and she did just that. With $10,000 a donor had just given her for upcoming expenses, she launched a feeding program. \u201cI only needed $100 for the travel I had planned,\u201d she said. \u201cThe rest can make a start for these children.\u201d<\/p>\n As soon as the program began, it quickly became apparent that the need was far greater than expected. \u201cAt first, we had 450 children. And even though I kept the number low, there are many more who need help,\u201d Sister Rosemary says. Initially, the plan was to feed the children once or twice a week\u2014as much as the Sisters could afford\u2014 but soon it was clear that more had to be done. \u201cI called a contact in California and explained the dire situation. He told me, \u2018If you feed the children three times a week, you\u2019re not helping them, you\u2019re going to kill them.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Without hesitation, Sister Rosemary responded, \u201cIf we feed them only a few times a week, they will die slowly. If we do nothing, they will die faster. If all I can do is to make them live a bit longer, then that\u2019s what I will do.\u201d<\/p>\n Her urgent plea led to a breakthrough. \u201cThe man said, \u2018Sister, I\u2019ll give you enough money to feed them every day.\u2019\u201d For several months, the program thrived, but tragedy struck when the donor suddenly passed away.<\/p>\n \u201cThe money he gave me ended with his death,\u201d she says. \u201cHe was a very generous person and we were able to do a lot of good things with the money he gave us. But now he is gone and so is the money for these children.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite this setback, Sister Rosemary did not give up. Another donation encouraged her and she began to think that she might make some headway with many small contributions instead of one large donation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I came to check on the children, they were still wearing the same clothes they had been in when we found them,\u201d she says. \u201cI asked the Sisters, \u2018Why have they not changed their clothes?\u2019 and they told me that they didn\u2019t even have one clean shirt to change into.<\/p>\n We gave them the first Christmas they ever had,\u201d she says, \u201ccomplete with new T-shirts and a meal.\u201d Sister Rosemary\u2019s work has extended beyond feeding the children. She has provided some healthcare basics.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been able to bring medicine from Uganda, though it wasn\u2019t easy,\u201d she says. \u201cI had to be creative to get it across the border, pay extra fees, and ensure it got to the children.\u201d She also emphasizes that these children are not only victims of civil war but also of tribal conflicts. \u201cIn Sudan, people focus on the civil war, but there\u2019s also tribal violence. One tribe kidnaps children from others,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n Many of the children she serves were abducted and either escaped captivity or were abandoned to fend for themselves. Sister Rosemary\u2019s mission is not just about feeding; education is central to her efforts. \u201cI want to emphasize education. This tribe is among the least educated in Sudan,\u201d she says. \u201cIf we focus on their education, we can give them a future.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the ongoing challenges, including securing enough funds, Sister Rosemary remains committed. \u201cEvery month, I have been able\u00a0 to give Sister Pasqua $4,000 to care for the children. The money comes from a few dedicated supporters. But when the funds run out, I feel nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n The children are blossoming with the care they\u2019ve been shown. “They\u2019re healthier now, and they\u2019ve asked for school uniforms,\u201d she says, reflecting on their transformation. Her hope is that these children can move beyond survival and thrive. \u201cIt is so hard to try to take care of all these children. They need so much and we have so little to offer them. But I want to try. 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