The gift of Don Bosco Alumni to Sudan technical schools

By Br. Marino Bois, SDB

Juba, South Sudan, 5 February 2018 -- After one month of my stay in Kenya, I was happy to celebrate the Feast of Don Bosco in our parish attached to our school in Makuyu, about 60km from Nairobi. Although the 6 hours long Mass was well animated, for me it was rather long! But I was giving thanks for all magnificent things achieved during past 30 years in Africa!

After 3 weeks of hard work in Makuyu DB Technical School mechanic department. After arrival looking at the machines I was desperate "There is now hope anymore here!". But after experienced the strong desire of the instructors and students to learn, I became really enthusiastic. Then we started the repair two large machines - one lathe and one cutting machine. I was happy, that also the students were eager to dirty their hands in this repair.

The whole repair operation was quite complicated, we needed to rent from automotive section some other tools and machinery. The Providence helped us! SDB Economer provided the most necessary tools! In the same time with Mr. John (one of the DBTech teachers) we produced also a tool-panel for all tools used in common in the workshop. In this way also the other workshops would follow and the clean return of all tools is guaranteed.

And then I'm now writing from Juba, the capital of South Sudan, the youngest country in the world, and then will continue for Khartoum, the capital of Sudan (North) and El Obeid, since I got already the necessary visas.

Really, the situation of South Sudan now is very critical, after the independence in 2011 exploded the civil war and now with more than 3 million of refugees who fled to nearby countries like Uganda. Now here at the bank of the Nile river a large educative, social and religious complex with the parishe, schools, training center. Here, South Sudan after the war were destroyed many schools.

With Br. Jim Comino, we will visit some of the rural schools built with the help of South Korean benefactors. In El Obeid we will share the fruits of the DBYC Seoul 50th celebrations - the gift of Don Bosco Alumni to Sudan technical schools.

We continue to pray for the peace and to stop the madness of this long and senseless civil war!

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