Salesian
Mission Supports Millions of Displaced People
South
Sudan’s 15 years of independence haven’t gone well
(ANS
– Juba, South Sudan – July 9, 2026) – The anniversary of South Sudan’s
independence isn’t cause for celebration; it’s a wake-up call. South Sudan
became an independent state on July 9, 2011, but the long-awaited peace hasn’t materialized
for the majority of the population. Violence, internal conflicts, food
insecurity, floods, and a lack of essential services have forced millions of
people to flee their homes.
Salesian
missionaries are supporting displaced and vulnerable communities in places such
as Tonj, Maridi, Kuajok, Wau, and Don Bosco Gumbo in Juba, as well as in neighboring
Uganda at the Palabek refugee settlement, providing education, shelter,
vocational formation, child and youth protection, humanitarian aid, and
peace-building activities.
Ara
Tena, a volunteer with Misiones Salesianas, the Salesian mission office in
Madrid, sums up the Salesians’ work in the country as a presence that combines
emergency relief with development. Misiones Salesianas is currently
active in South Sudan, both in the field of development and in the humanitarian
sphere, she explains.
At
Don Bosco Gumbo, the Salesians have for years been supporting people displaced
by the conflict, providing shelter, food, basic services, and assistance to
particularly vulnerable individuals, such as single mothers, orphans, and the
elderly. In recent months, they’ve also stepped up emergency aid in the refugee
camp. “We have just completed an emergency operation in the Gumbo refugee camp,
where we distributed plastic sheeting to cover tents and food supplies, as part
of the ongoing support we have been providing for years,” adds Tena.
Alongside
this humanitarian response, development projects aim to reduce dependence on
aid and create opportunities for the future. In the Tonj area, Misiones
Salesianas works with particularly vulnerable rural communities to improve
their nutrition thru sustainable agriculture. The initiative also includes
awareness-raising activities on Hansen’s disease (leprosy) and a peace-building
component integrated into all Salesian projects in the country.
In
Tonj and Maridi, the Salesian presence is focused on providing technical
formation for young women. A similar facility already exists in Tonj, while in
Maridi there are plans to build and equip a technical formation center specializing
in cooking, food preservation, sewing, and dressmaking.
For
Ara Tena, this type of work addresses a clear priority. “We believe it’s
necessary to empower women, especially economically, so that they can generate
their own income and improve their social status,” she says. In a country where
gender inequalities remain deeply entrenched, vocational formation can pave the
way to self-reliance for women and families living in situations of extreme
vulnerability.
In
Kuajok, too, the Madrid mission office, together with the Salesians of Don
Bosco-BOSCOAID, has developed inclusive, equitable, and high-quality
educational projects as a driving force for development and peace-building.
Furthermore, the Salesian projects include a scholarship program for children
that will support a thousand pupils from 10 selected Salesian schools in the
country’s most deprived areas.
For
displaced or vulnerable young people, returning to school means regaining a
sense of routine, protection, trust, and a future. And for communities scarred
by years of violence, education represents an investment in peace.
“We
understand that everything we do for peace and peaceful coexistence is
fundamental, because South Sudan is a country that has never known peace,” Ara
Tena emphasizes.
The
crisis in South Sudan is also having repercussions beyond its borders. In
Uganda, the Palabek refugee settlement is home to nearly 100,000 people, most
of whom come from neighboring South Sudan. Many arrived after fleeing with
nothing but the clothes on their backs, having lost family members, homes,
schools, and livelihoods.
In
Palabek, the Salesians don’t just run projects: they live in close contact with
the refugee population, and their work focuses on education, pastoral care,
vocational formation, the protection of young people, and community support.
Salesian
missionary Ubaldino “Uba” Andrade, who has been supporting the refugees in
Palabek for years, points out that war leaves behind not only material
destruction but also deep wounds in people’s hearts. “War is a destructive
experience. It destroys not only homes but also hearts. Everything’s left
behind; everything vanishes from one day to the next,” he explains.
15
years after independence, therefore, this young country needs stability,
protection, and a future for its people. In Tonj, Maridi, Kuajok, Wau, Don
Bosco Gumbo, and Palabek, supporting, educating, and standing alongside those
who have lost almost everything is also a practical way of building peace.
Source: Misiones Salesianas
Editor's note: Between 2008 and 2021, some 2 dozen Salesian Missioners from New Rochelle have served the youngsters and families of Gumbo (Juba), Maridi, and Wau.
