Five days before leaving office

  Sudan's bitter, 22-year long civil war ended in 2005. Many people returned home from both domestic and overseas areas, and have started restoring and rebuilding their old lives.

  JEN has developed the support activity in Lainya, where intensive battles between the Governmental force and SPLA(Sudan People Liberation Army)were fought. The SPLA  also had its strategic base here, and most of the streets and town areas were turned to battlefields. Many had to evacuate the town, so as not to be involved in the war.

  Since 2007, JEN has supported returnees to restore thier lives.  The number of people in Lainya district has increased over these two years, and many newly opended shops can be seen all over the town. An improved distribution system has brought about increase in commodities in the market.

  In addition, conditions on the streets has gradually improved, as well as hinterlands have being cultivated for agricultural use.  Many tucles (houses made out of local materials) have been built on areas where there were no houses.

  I have had a very satisfying but challenging experience, working with local staff and people through sharing the thoughts and working with them for these two years since I  took charge of the progmamme.  Now I have only five days left before leaving the office, and it feels very odd when I think about my time here, and that I will never again see any of the places, roads and faces that I have come to know so well.
(By Ayako Wakano, Juba Office Programme Office)

Hardship of Field Work

  I have been in charge of the Admin and finance in Juba office.  In July, I had a chance to visit Kashokeji district, where JEN has been working for and with the local people. I left for the district with the following purposes and anticipationsin my mind:to see hygiene education promoters, who were recently employed, to take part in the preliminary research for the hygiene education in school, andto visit the region near the Ugandan border

  On the very day of departure, however, many unexpected accidents occurred, such as the necessity to arrange the substitute car and the accommodation on the way, because the car got out of order in bad road conditions. Early departure on the next morning enabled me to get to Kashokeji at noon.  After an exhausting trip, it was a great pleasure to see the hygiene education promoters, who seemed so happy to offer hygiene education to school children.

  (picture: A road to Kashokeji, looks like just a grassy plain,    Taken from the car,  July 2009)

  This trip turned out to be a good opportunity to know the hardship of field work. I will keep supporting the local staff working in the field, and will work hard in Juba office so that JEN can give effective support to people in Sudan to improve their lives.

Dance And Frog

  Assisted by supporters and Japan Platform since April 2009, JEN has continued with hygiene education at elementary schools in Morobo district and Kashokeji district, located in Central Equatoria State. Let me show what children can learn through the education.

  As a first step to introduce the hygiene education, children were encouraged to find problems in their daily lives that relate to hygiene education.  For students in 4th grade to 6th grade, they were asked to draw any one scene in his or her daily life. Then, they talked about their drawings, and made a story with 4 drawings.

  The purpose of this work was to let children find the problems concerning water hygiene in their lives. But drawings and stories, written by the children, were full of fresh new ideas, not influenced by the hygiene problems.

  For example, some students drew frogs as main characters in the daily life, and others drew scenes like " catching bees" and " cutting trees ". These are scenes that children feel the most familiar in their daily lives.

  When asked "What do you think is the problem in your everyday life?", a student answered "dance". His reason was that he thought "dance" was closely related to drinking alcohol.

  Though this kind of answers seem at the first place irrelevant to the concerned question, it shows that children think about problems in their daily life very seriously. It was actually a great relief that there were less model answers of hygiene education.

Bacteria Are Spread By Flies....

  Assisted by supporters and the NGO Japan Platform, JEN has continued, since April 2009, hygiene education at elementary schools in both Morobo district and Kashokeji district, located in Central Equatoria State.  At present, we are carrying out preliminary research checking the "hygiene  level" of children and clarifying the reasons why children are reluctant to follow hygienic rules.

  The research results showed that children have their own idea of hygiene manners. For example, some children, who have no toilets in their house believe that "they will not be sick if they leave faeces in the bushland"  This idea might be a combination of things taught by adults and the knowledge that Bacteria is scattered by flies, which they have learned in school.

  Concerning how to relieve diarrhea, the local people have their own beliefs. Diarrhea is very dangerous for them, especially for children, as it might sometimes cause dehydration.  It is said that a patient, in case of emergency, should take water which has similar ingredients to body water. The water is a mixture of a certain quantity of water, sugar and salt.  But some people think that water would not relieve diarrhea. Others think they should add coffee, soil, and mud to the water mix.

  The purpose of JEN projects is not to teach the local children the right knowledge and rules of public hygiene, and to make them follow the rules. Rather, JEN aims to let the children identify problems facing them and solve and analyze those problems independently by themselves.

Solving problems using local materials and methods

  In southern Sudan, we can find a tree named “Neem” everywhere.  A tea made from its leaves is believed to help cure all kinds of diseases because it helps boost the immune system.  It is said that the tea works especially as a prevention and cure for Maｌaｒia which many people in Sudan have often suffered.

  It is said that diseases breed more easily in the rainy season.  Therefore we asked local staff to bring Neem leaves and make tea from it. We took a sip, it was much bitterer than we imagined.  It is no exaggeration to say that the taste was the bitterest we have ever tasted!  When we took one more sip, the strong taste was spread in our mouth again and we feel like needed something sweet immediately.  We thought that the Japanese saying “ a bitter pill has the best effects” truly describes this.  Local people drink this with sugar or honey as it is too bitter.

  Since we know Neem can be easily obtained, we have regularly kept Neem tea in our fridge.  When we feel under the weather we drink Neem tea.  We look after our health following JEN’s policy of solving problems using local materials and methods.

Feces on my face

   JEN organized a ground-breaking ceremony at Somba Primary School on June 10th where we have been assisting their school building construction.

  The construction had started before that day, but people from the Bari tribe, who were among the indigenous ethnic groups in Southern Sudan, suggested JEN to organize a traditional ceremony as something special for the construction workers. Local tribe chiefs, staff from the Education Ministry of the Government of Southern Sudan, and a representative from UNHCR, which is JEN’s partner in the project, all joined the ceremony. 

  The ceremony was held to make awareness how to ensure the safety of the construction workers and the health of the people involved, and it involves animal sacrifice. JEN contributed one goat, corn powder, cooking oil, salt, tomatoes, and a barrel  of locally brewed alcohol as the Bari people are well-known as heavy drinkers!

  Soon after being handed over the goat and other food stuff, the local chief inaugurated the ceremony by offering the animal in sacrifice. He took all the blood from its neck and seeped it into the ground. He also took its feces and urine, add cooking oil onto them and mixed them before placing them on the school building site. Local women kept shouting loudly throughout the ceremony, so as every creature on the ground could hear.   

  Later the tribe chief stopped in front of me, and uttered an incantation. I closed my eyes to listen to it. I opened my eyes when I felt something warm put on my face to find he was putting the sacred feces and urine on me! 

  A government officer told me that the feces on my face would guarantee my safety and good health. Would this animal poo bring me luck? I must admit I was in shock, I was out of my mind while attendants gave their speeches. All I could remember was the unusual smell!.

  It was such an unexpected experience that I was totally at a loss. Gradually, I became happy that my good health was now guaranteed.

Local Residents and Supporters Meet

Ms. Kazuyo Katsuma, a member of “Chabo!” writers group together with the JEN’s Bord members, visited the project sites. For the people in the field, it was their first time to see so many Japanese people at once. Children greeted them with songs of welcome, and enthusiastic messages were delivered from the teachers to Ms. Katsuma and her party.

Roads to the sites are in bad condition and its location is where the assistance is difficult to reach. The local people were able to feel the warm support from Japan more directly by this visit of these Japanese supporters.

Ms. Katsuma’s message of “Let’s plan what to do together ”, hopefully became a  symbol of the first step supporting the peoples’ self-reliance.

Elsewhere, “Else-wise”

Hello everyone.  I am Emi Yamada  and I have just transferred to Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan, after working　for JEN in Pakistan.

In Pakistan, I used to wrap a scarf called the “dupatta” around my head, according to Islamic customs. I thought that in Juba I would be able to dress as I pleased, but the other day, there was an incident where a young woman wearing trousers was arrested. It turns out women living in Juba should wear long skirts . I guess I must give up fashion until I am back in Japan.

Living overseas, during work, what is always  in my mind is  the importance of showing respect to that country’s culture. It is important to readily accept different things and to try to understand and adjust to the culture.

I can’t help but express my surprise at the amount of dust, which is well over my expectations as well as the brown water that runs out of the faucets. But I am trying to gradually adapt myself to this environment and to   put my energy into the projects in Sudan together with all of our staff and I would like to  take this opportunity to request your continuous warm support.

Handover Ceremony

The water and sanitation improvement project carried out since February 2008 for 3 elementary schools in the Lainya County have now been completed, thanks to the Japanese Government and many other supporters. We had a ceremony to handover the borehole and toilets on August 16th. 

During this handover ceremony, 15members of the management committee for the facility maintenance of boreholes and toilets in the 3 elementary schools, as well as the education officer of Lainya County and the official for restoration and development of Southern Sudan, all participated. 5 participants including members of the committee, the education official, the water official, the Central Equatoria State's department of education, and JEN signed official handover documents. 

The education officials of Payam, a smaller administrative unit than a county, as well as administrative officials of Boma, much smaller unit than Payam, were also present at the site.  

From now on, the operation and maintenance of facilities at each school will be assumed by members of the committee. In other cases, where repairs are unable to be addressed by the committee, the local administrative official is responsible. . 

We ended the ceremony wishing the facilities to be operated and maintained properly for a long time to come. 

From Dusk till Dawn, @School

   - Training of the management committee for borehole maintenance (1) -

Currently, the project of Improvement of School Water Sanitation and Hygiene implemented with the cooperation of the Japanese government is reaching its peak. 

Installation of the wells and latrines in the three targeted schools was completed according to schedule, and training for members of the “the management committee for facility maintenance” on the borehole maintenance is now in operation.

When staying in the field, it is necessary to decide where to stay at night.   

Although it isn’t hard to find a lodge in the middle of the town, things aren’t as easy in remote places. 

As the location of training, this time, was at an elementary school about 2 hours from town, we were able to lodge in the school’s classroom. 

The 2 Sudanese staff decided to set up a tent in the classroom and spend the night there, but since I had been suffering from the staff’s awful snoring, I decided to sleep in the car, in a sleeping bag.   

Although it gets pretty cold in the field at this time of year, sleeping in the car turned out to be warmer than I’d expected, and comfortable as well.  I might develop a habit of it!

Farming at the Juba Office

One of my minor joys amongst the busy daily duties is to watch the lettuce, okra and local spices which we planted 3 weeks ago grow. All of our staff had participated from very early in the morning weeding and sowing the seeds of local spices and the seeds of lettuce and okra which I had brought from Japan.

A large portion of vegetables in Sudan are imported from neighbouring countries, such as Uganda. A variety of vegetables (mainly tomato, cabbage, onion and potato) available in Sudan is not as wide as in Japan. In addition, not only is the variety limited, but also the price of the vegetables is similar to that of Japan.

We hope our vegetables that are now about 10cm in height will grow well, so that we can all enjoy beautiful dishes together after the harvest, such as okra curry and lettuce sandwiches.

This is a picture of our staff ploughing the backyard of our office in order to transplant our vegetables.

Traces of War

The road from the Juba office to the project site in Lainya County is often blocked. This is because an international NGO is overseeing the removal of landmines that have been planted in the roadside during the war. Lainya is an area where there were intense battles between the Sudanese army and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army. Therefore, even three years after the end of the war, the people’s lives are threatened by the innumerable neglected landmines and unexploded bombshells that remain hidden. 

In the past, when such road blockages occurred, I was impatient thinking ‘The meeting time at the project site is drawing nearer!’ However, the removal of such landmines is an indispensable component in the revival of Sudan. Therefore, until such tasks are completed, I drink juice, taking a break with the driver and other staff members, waiting patiently until we can drive through again.

New Days

Hello, my name is Etsuko Inomata, and I am in charge of the affairs and management of the Juba office. It has been almost two months since I arrived in Sudan, and I am doing well although I am spending my days in the midst of the unfamiliar intense heat of the afternoons.

Here is Juba, dust covers everything, even my nails, nose and ears. My white clothing has turned brown. My room is also covered in dust and I have had to grow accustomed to this aspect of life.

Before the beginning of the rainy season, the intensity of the heat abated. Time is passing incredibly fast as I am surrounded by cheerful staff. From this point on, I will continue to explore Sudan and report my findings to you.

(PICTURE: Nakamura, a JEN Supporter, visiting the Juba Office)

The Ambassador Visits Juba

Last week, Ambassador Ishii and First Secretary Hasegawa visited the JEN Office in Juba. Presently, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JEN is implementing Water Sanitation Improvement projects in Lainya County. In this project, well construction, toilet installation, the establishment of a Water Sanitation Improvement Committee and training for operation management are being completed in three schools in Lainya.

During this particular meeting, the Juba office reported on the progress of the project, and explained related matters of security. In addition, there was an explanation on the life in Juba and opinions were exchanged with regards to future plans in Sudan. JEN would like to continue to continue our projects in Sudan by continuing to interact with people and organizations from the embassy or Ministry of Foreign Affairs and would like to thank them very much for their visit.

A Heartfelt Ceremony

Thanks to both the support of you and the Japan Platform, our project that started in April last year was completed on January 31st, 2008.

By the end of January, we had been able to install wells and school sanitation facilities in five schools, which had the highest needs. To celebrate we conducted a handing-over ceremony in which community members, facility management members, the community chief, the school principal, local water/sanitation workers, education affiliates, and the Commissioner of Lainya were all present.

The Commissioner stated, ‘There have been many NGOs active in Lainya, but JEN is the first one to formally hold a handing-over ceremony such as this one. This is truly appreciated’. He continued, ‘we are extremely pleased that you have completed the work we agreed on together without abandoning the project partway through. While we hope JEN will expand and continue their activities elsewhere, we also hope JEN will return to Terekeka!’ We were overjoyed to receive such kind words; it was a special day and these positive comments filled my heart with joy.

At the Height of the Dry Season in Sudan

The JEN Overseas Office strives to assist those returning to Southern Sudan by improving the hygiene and sanitation conditions in two counties in the Central Equatoria state, where there are a large number of returnees. In addition to this, there are also hygienic education initiatives in place to further spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation issues.

It is the peak of the dry season here in South Sudan. However, in three months time, the rainy season will arrive and will continue for the following six months. We are only able to advance our construction efforts during the dry season when the ground is stable, and therefore it is a very busy time for our local engineer.

Early Monday morning, the engineer travels for three hours to the project site. He returns to the office in Juba on Saturday, only to depart for the project site again on Sunday. Day and night, the engineer monitors the progress of the construction, overseeing its progress to completion.

Unfortunately, this is the life of the JEN engineer; he is rarely able to return home even though he was recently married!

(PICTURE: Upper Left: Holding discussions with the community, Lower Right: The Community Leader with the JEN engineer)

The ‘Well Machine’

Hello everyone!

JEN has been digging water wells throughout our project sites around the world, but one aspect of this that has not received widespread attention is the ‘well machine’ that installs these wells. I would like to take this opportunity to explain how this machine works.

  All the water wells that JEN is presently digging in Southern Sudan are 80m to 100m deep. In order to dig to such depths, the machine often comes across extremely dense layers of rocks and clay. The machine crushes through the layers of rock and clay, and like a rocket taking off, lifts massive amounts of sand up into the air. Water then floods into the dried layers of clay.

However, at this stage, the water is undrinkable. The machine must continue to crush further through layers of rock and clay until it reaches depths of more than 100m underground and finally arrives at water that is clean enough for use.

Today is Cleaning Day

On the morning of 14th Jan 2008, our office security guard suddenly started cleaning the area in front of our office.  He was unusually serious when he explained: “If the army comes and I am not cleaning, they will pick me up!”  Since it seemed so urgent, I gave him a broom and a plastic bag and let him clean up around our office. I did not dare to ask for more details at this point.
(Picture; the rubbish everywhere in the town of Jubbah)

Later I asked the guard the reason why he had to clean today.  He told me that the day before there had been a radio announcement informing everyone that tomorrow would be ‘Public Cleaning Day’. That morning, some of our local staff were also stopped by the South Sudanese Army, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), and asked: “Where are you going?” “Why are you not cleaning?”  If they had not had any excuse or business to do, the army would have taken them to the town market directly where they would have had to join the cleaning event.
(Picture; The guard, cleaning up) 

  I was impressed, because this Public Cleaning Day was done thoroughly using combined efforts even with the army. Thanks to this day, the road in front of our office is now very clean.  In fact it is the cleanest I have ever seen it since I came here 4 months ago.
(Picture; the clean road in front of our office)

New Year in Africa

Happy New Year!

Thanks to your support, we were able to start the New Year with our newly established JEN office here in Sudan.

Last year, we were able to both improve and spread awareness about water and hygiene conditions.

By the time we complete our projects, wells and bathroom facilities will have been installed in five schools, which had the highest need, in the counties of Terekeka and Lainya in Central Equatoria in South Sudan.  Through water sanitation and hygiene education in both these states, we were able to promote healthy lifestyle practices to 3,000 people to prevent waterborne diseases.

Just as in 2007, we hope to continue our efforts to improve water sanitation and hygiene conditions with your assistance, as well as that of the local people here in Sudan. Throughout this coming year, we hope to be motivated by your kind generosity that reaches us here in Sudan, where it is warm all year round. 

I would like to extend my warmest wishes to you for the New Year. Thank you for your support, as always.

The Water Project is in its Final Stages: Part 1

Hygiene education that we have been conducting in Terekeka and Lainya County of Central Equatoria state is coming to a close. At the same time, we are starting a training program to discuss with the community members on how to maintain and repair wells in areas where JEN is constructing wells and latrines. 

From December 9th, JEN went to Terekeka County to prepare for the training on wells, and met ten of the local community members, in addition to those who generously provided us with space for training.

Mr. Cosmas who has put together an NGO in Lainya County, and is also a government water sanitation official and Mr. Amule, a member of that NGO, will be conducting the training.  These two people are very knowledgeable on wells, and have work experience in NGOs that work closely with water related issues.  The training started from Monday the 10th in Terekeka County. 

The Water Sanitation Management Committee Training has Begun!

Training has started on November 19th for the “Water Sanitation Management Committee”, which was formed recently. 

This committee will undertake a supervisory role in the operation and maintenance of the wells and toilets of the five schools currently under construction.  

The water sanitation officials of the local administration will be teaching mechanisms and maintenance methods of the pumps used to fix the wells, as well as teaching the importance of maintaining sanitary conditions in the surrounding environment.  In addition, they will start building fences to keep animals away from the wells, as well as a cleaning duty system of the toilets at each school. 

From now on, various meetings will be held among members of the Water Sanitation Management Committee in order to maintain better sanitation of wells and toilets. 

Well-Digging Has Begun

  JEN started well-digging operations in Lainya County on November 6th.

That day, the latest model excavator, owned by a Kenyan vendor, arrived at the target school: Loka Round Elementary School. Excavation was started at the point that had been assigned and checked by the management committee.

With the local people and students watching, water was found on the very first day of excavation, and everyone cheered!  Tests will be conducted to determine whether enough water can be drawn from the well, and hand-pumps will be installed if the results are good. 

Increased Demand for Engineers

   Currently, as a part of the project to improve sanitary environment, construction of toilet facilities are now underway at five elementary schools.

Skilled and capable engineer is a must in these types of projects.  While the actual construction will be taken care of by the construction companies, engineers from JEN play a critical role in making sure that the construction project is proceeding as planned, including whether or not (1) the facilities are constructed strictly following the plan, or (2) the quality of the materials are satisfactory. 

After the construction of toilet facilities has started, the engineers from JEN are working hard to monitor the progress by going around each of the five schools at least once a week. 

A busy week is expected to continue until December, when the facilities are expected to be completed.

A Borderless World in Sudan

In Southern Sudan, which has experienced the longest period of internal war among the African nations, it is more likely to see goods and products from surrounding nations rather than those originated from Sudan itself.

For instance, currency.  We often see currencies of neighboring countries used in Sudan’s markets; in Lainya county, which is close to the border of Uganda, the currency of Uganda is widely used.  Also, states near Ethiopia use Ethiopian currencies, and the same is said to be true for states near Kenya.

Another example is the use of mobile phone.  The most popular and most accessible mobile phone company in Juba, Gemtel, which has its origin in Uganda, uses the international phone code of Uganda for its cell phone numbers. 

Therefore, if you wish to communicate with a Sudan person having a cell phone number with Sudan’s international phone code, the communication will be considered as an international phone call even if the two persons are physically located inside the same city of Juba.

A Committee to Manage Wells and Toilets Has Been Established

A Committee to Manage Wells and Toilets Has Been Established

Here is the update on the project to improve water sanitation conditions at schools; this has been fully supported by the Japan Platform and other supporters.

JEN will be undertaking the construction of toilet facilities and drilling of wells at five schools at Lainya and Terekeka counties.  Prior to this, in three schools at Lainya, a committee to manage water sanitation facilities has been established consisting of school staff members and local residents.

The committee will be in charge of holding meetings between the school members and local residents with regard to the determination of the location of drilling and construction sites and providing necessary services to local construction/drilling companies.  In addition the committee will also be responsible for maintenance of the facilities after the completion of the construction.  JEN will be in charge of undertaking training sessions for the maintenance of toilet facilities and fixing of wells.

Upon the establishment of the committee, a cooperation agreement has been signed between the committee and JEN.  The officers from the education and water department of the County also attended the signing ceremony.  Immediately following the signing, a discussion has been held with regard to the location of well drilling and construction of toilet facilities.

That’s “Made in Japan”

In Juba, there are a lot of Japanese cars.  Not only the cars of UN institutions and NGOs, but also the buses and other vehicles in the city used by Juba citizens are secondhand cars imported from Japan. 
It seems that for a car to be imported from Japan is a kind of status symbol.  There are many cars with the names of the organizations and shops of the previous Japanese owners, printed on the side of the car. 

For example, “xx-pre-school”, “xx-swimming school”, “xx-glass store”, “xx-transportation” etc…  There are also trucks that make announcements in Japanese such as “Back Shimasu (this truck will reverse),” accompanied with electric noises when they reverse.
Just think: cars previously owned by people reading this blog might be running through Juba right now, supporting the lives of its citizens. 

A Soup Based on Kelp or Bonito?

Hello everyone.  This is Wakano from Juba office in the Southern Sudan; I came to this office on September 5th, and one month has passed since then.  Southern Sudan is now in the wet season.

Although I did expect this before coming to Sudan, what was most shocking was that even the water in this office is not transparent.  The degree of intransparency is such that it is as if we were looking at a kelp or bonito soup in Japan.  This is because the water used for showers, toilets, sinks and other purposes are all taken originally from the Nile river.   

Once every week, a water tank truck comes to the office.  We use the water transported by the truck.  Water is a must for our lives; we need to take a shower, wash dishes, wash toilets, boil the water to drink and to cook food.

The activity of JEN at South Sudan is to prevent diseases arising from water through the construction of toilets, drilling of wells, and general education about sanitation.

In Japan, we can safely use waters as it is.  The safety of water is taken for granted by all Japanese people.  This, however, has not been the case for Sudan.  Fully understanding the hardship that the Sudan people had to undergo without the safety of water, I am determined to lead the project as much as possible.  I will do my best to improve the quality of live using safe water, and to encourage people to know more about the necessity of having a good quality of life with safe water.

The Economy of Juba: Part 2

Last week, we reported that the majority of goods in Juba are imported from Uganda, which has its border with Sudan in the south.   Because of this, the prices of goods go up as we go from South to North.

Our project location, Lainya, is located south of Juba, and Terekeka, is located north of Juba.  Therefore, the prices of goods go up in the order of Lainya, Juba, and Terekeka.  For instance, the price of a bottle of Coke will cost two Sudan Ponds (SP) at Lainya, while three at Juba and four at Terekeka. 

However, there are some exceptions such as sheep and goats.

Since people at Terekeka earn their livelihood by nomadic herding, there are ample sheep and goats in the place.  Therefore, sheep and goats can be bought at around 60SP in Terekeka, but in Juba, these cost 100SP on average at Juba.

The Economy of Juba (Part 1)

In Juba, the prices of goods are rising.

The reason is roads.  The majority of goods in Juba are from Uganda, which has its border with Sudan in the south.   In a wet season like now, the road condition gets worse due to series of rains.  This prevents large vehicles such as trucks from using main traffic roads.  Therefore, we can see a severe shortage in the supply of goods, which in turn results in rising prices.

The county of Lainya, where JEN has its project sites, is also along one of the main traffic roads.   Because of the bad road conditions, accessing the project sites has become increasingly difficult.

As you can see in the picture, a large number of large trucks are making long queues.  Sometimes we meet a driver whose truck has been stuck for more than two weeks.

The government is trying to cope with this situation by making efforts to pave the road, but because of the weather condition, this seems to be in a deadlock.

We hope that the road condition will improve as soon as possible for the benefit of the stability of Juba’s economy.

The Puppet Show

With regard to the sanitary education that we are currently implementing, we are trying hard to make the students learn about sanitation through fun.  One effort is the puppet show.

The dolls that are used in the show are hand-made by the teachers themselves using sponges of mattresses and old clothing that they can get from nearby places.  The same is true of the story; the teachers create their own story based on the experiences learnt from the students, and focus on the points where the students seem to understand least.

Since the puppet show is somewhat special and not usual here, not only the students, but also people from the community enjoy watching the show.

By doing these shows, we believe that the important messages regarding sanitation will be spread to the community with the school being the distribution core.

The Fashion of Mundari Women

  Mundari women living in Terekeka county, unlike others who live in the South of Juba, still enjoy daily dress ups wearing traditional clothes, as most of them spent their days inside Sudan, even while internal conflict was taking place.

For instance, the cloth that they wear is a mixture of bright and unique colors such a red or black, and they wear skirts with various patterns.  On their elbows and necks, both men and women wear black rings made of rubber, and they wear colorful earring made of beads.  Also, all of the babies have a “V” shaped character carved intentionally into their forehead, and at the age of ten, all children’s lower front teeth will be removed.  Because of these physical characteristics, it is easy to distinguish Mundari people from other people. 

In other parts of Sudan, with the end of the internal conflict, they are observing a return of refugees.   As a result, less and less people now are capable of maintaining traditions that have been passed over generations after generations for a long time.  While peace has returned to Sudan, it is sad to see that the traditions are now disappearing.

Take Your Hands and Let’s Go for a Walk

I visited a school called Nyengele in the Lainya county the other day.

To reach Lainya, it takes approximately 3 hours by car from Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan.  The school is located about 1.5 hours from Lainya following winding roads in the mountain.

Since we are seeing much rain these days because of the wet season, the car I was riding in actually got stuck, and I had to walk the last thirty minutes to school.

The local staff I went with stayed together to free the car, so I went to the school by myself.

After some struggles, I reached the school.  Everyone was so surprised to see a foreigner like me walking alone to the school, and they welcomed me with loud voices and songs.

After I finished what I had to do at the school, and was about to return to the car by foot, the teacher said to the students “Let’s walk and sing together and send him off!”.  Thereafter, the students were kind enough to walk along with me singing for twenty minutes.

It was a very happy moment for me to be surrounded by the songs of the students.

The Sanitation Song

  For the sanitation education currently being employed, JEN is teaching the importance of sanitation to children using a ‘Sanitation Songs.’ 

Here, I shall introduce one song written by JEN’s sanitation promoter. 

“Let’s all use toilets!
Let’s all drink clean water!
For your health’s sake don’t ‘take care of your business’ in the fields!
Let’s wash our hands before we eat!
Let’s wash our hands after we use the toilet!
Let’s work together to keep our surroundings clean!” 

It is a pity that I cannot deliver the melody to you at this time, because the message gets through better when it’s sung!!   

Now it’s common to see children singing JEN’s original Sanitation Songs in villages where sanitation education has been implemented. 

Language through the history of civil war

   JEN operates in Central Equatoria State where many languages are spoken. 

First, there is the local language, Bari.  Depending on the tribe, other languages such as Mundari, Kuku, and Kakuwa are also spoken in this state.  These languages are so similar that in Central Equatoria State, even tribes speaking different languages can communicate with each other. 

The second language is an Arabic language called Juba Arabic.  Because during the civil war, Juba used to be under control of the Sudan government military forces from Khartoum, many people speak this type of Arabic which has its origins in Juba.  However, there are very few people that can read and or write this language. 

The third language is English.  Many people speak English after having fled to Uganda as refugees during the civil war, and receiving education there. 

It is very useful for us that many people can speak English, but it also gives us strong mixed feelings to think that this results from the people of Southern Sudan been turned upside down through their histories of civil wars. 

Toothbrushes

In Southern Sudan, I have learnt that some of the common items used in every day life for me are not so common, and are only available in the big cities.

"Toothbrushes" are just one example.

Away from the cities many people use branch sticks as their toothbrushes, just as shown in the picture.

By biting the tip of the branch stick, fibers like a brush come out and the natural toothbrush is ready for using.

Such is the wisdom of the local people.

My Birthday in Juba

A few days ago, I celebrated my birthday in Juba.

I was doing my normal daily work at the office, when I suddenly heard from behind me the local staff and the head of the office in Juba start singing Happy Birthday. They also surprised me with a cake, which I thought to be impossible to get around here!

They looked all over Juba for a cake, and found the only restaurant that can make it. Since they couldn't find any cake candles, they stuck a thick one like those used when there is a blackout in the town.

This homemade-like birthday present will make this day a very memorable one for me.

A long way to work. Part 3

When our four hour boat ride ended, we learned that we still had another six hours to go to Juba. We rapidly changed our plans. We got off the boat, and decided to go by the passenger bus. So, after being tossed around in the bus for about two hours, we finally arrived in Juba.

This field trip has been a demonstration of the difficulties we often face just to access Terekeka. At remote locations where access is difficult it is hard to deliver assistance, and thus it is in such places that JEN has taken on the mission of providing assistance.

We guarantee the delivery of our assistance but also deliver it with safety.  We place our staff’s safety as our top priority and we design our operations to deliver assistance in a flexible way. For those who are in need, we reach out to assist.

A long journey to work. Part 2

After we returned to Juba, we hurried to come up with a back up plan. We decided to try to reach our target by chartering a speedboat along the Nile River.

We departed Juba early the next morning, and after an uninterrupted three hour trip on an express boat we arrived in Terekeka. On the way there we were relieved as the charter speedboat proved to be a great idea; however we had a bit of trouble on the way back as we chose to ride on a passenger boat.

Even after the departure time, scheduled for 8:00 in the morning, there was no hint of departure, and we were left waiting intently. The boat finally departed after 12:00 but unfortunately, it began to rain only thirty minutes after departing.

After a while a storm began with thunder and strong wind, and our boat was rocking badly. We were desperately trying to avoid the rain, and at the same time not capsize the boat! After a long struggle, we arrived in a town along the way and realized that four hours had already passed. It honestly felt like we were lucky to be alive.
It seemed likely that it would still take another six hours from this town to Juba

To be continued.

A long journey to work. Part 1.

The other day we visited Terekeka, one of JEN’s operational locations. The road between JEN’s office in Juba and Terekeka is in a very poor condition, and with the rainy season underway, we anticipated difficulties on the way. We were right. The road to Terekeka was very bad, and misfortunes followed…

On the day we left, the car we had planned to rent had not returned from a previous trip to Terekeka, so we could not use it. Hurriedly, we tried to find another car instead so we could continue (at this time, JEN’s cars had not arrived yet, so we were relying on rental cars).

Unfortunately, rental cars are not widely available here. By the time we had found a car strong enough to stand the road conditions, and we were ready to depart from Juba, it was past midday, and we were already half a day behind schedule.  On that day, the road was in a really bad condition, and on the way there were news reports that many cars had got stuck in the mud. We decided that continuing by land would be dangerous, so we turned around and headed back to Juba.

To be continued…

Heavily Viewed Billboards, Part 1: Job Advertising Information

A few days ago I have arrived in Sudan, and the search for new staff began. 

In Japan, we would normally inform applicants of this via phone, mail or Internet.  However, exchanging information in Southern Sudan, which lacks regular telephone and Internet services, is quite, in fact almost, 180 degrees different.

The billboard in front of the UN Office is the most popular, and therefore it will be used.  The process begins by placing a job advertisement on this billboard.  Those searching for jobs come by everyday to check the advertisements. 

When they find an advertisement they like, they tear off a strip of the ad containing the job information and return home. 　So, we keep making and posting new ads on the billboard.

Once the selection of applicants has been completed the most suitable candidates are called in for an interview.  Again, to do this, we will inform the candidates who are to be interviewed via a notice on the billboard advising of the interview date and time. 

Using this process the candidates will come in for an interview as per the notice.  The billboard is extremely valuable in that it allows us to communicate effectively with people.

Opening Operations in The Sudan

From April 2007, JEN started school sanitation projects in the South of Sudan funded by the Japan Platform.

After twenty years of civil war, the peace agreement in January 2005 granted the autonomy of the South Sudan.  Consequently, 3.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 350 thousand refugees started to return to their place of origin.

Many refugees from Uganda and The Congo are returning to the State of Central Equatoria in the South Sudan.  JEN has decided to start school sanitation projects in Terekeka and Lainya, two counties in that State especially in need.  Our team will distribute original teaching materials on hygiene education to 78 schools (10,675 children).  The staff will then use the materials for children’s lessons and teacher training.  We are also planning to organize theatre workshops that involve both teachers and children to learn through active interaction.  To set this up successfully, follow-up training for teachers is essential to our principles of community-wide development.       

Furthermore many schools in the State of Central Equatrea do not have proper school buildings.  Children are frequently infected with diarrhoea due to unclean water and a lack of toilets and water sources in their school.  JEN will set up basic sanitary systems (drinking wells, water pumps, toilets and drainage gutters) in schools in order to improve the children’s health.  We will also establish a management committee at each school for sustainable maintenance of these systems by teachers.

JEN appreciates your kind understanding and contributions for our new project in The Sudan.