Our new initiative is well under way in South Sudan after launching at the end of 2021. The “Improved Literacy through Trauma Healing & Peace Education” program has been specifically designed to help children overcome trauma so they can go on to lead healthy, productive lives.
The civil war may be over in South Sudan, but the effects remain. As many as 19,000 children were kidnapped or recruited to join the armed forces, and many women and children were also brutalised. UNICEF believes that three quarters of South Sudanese children have never known anything but war.
When a community is traumatised, the children suffer. They are often without a voice, and sadly their emotional wounds go untreated. This can lead to a significant risk of PTSD and depression. Most of these families have had no support in dealing with the experiences of war.
The aim of the project is to equip parents and teachers to:
- Reflect and come to terms with what happened.
- Reflect on what God says about suffering and how His word can bring healing.
- Identify behavior caused by trauma and apply strategies to engage.
- Recognize signs of childhood trauma that impact behavior and learning.
- Facilitate healing groups in schools and the wider community.
The project’s aim is to be operational in 20 schools in South Sudan over a period of 6 -12 months. It will be implemented using a model of biblical and mental health principles, adapted to the local community.
Depending on funding availability, the program will include healing activities such as storytelling, poems, music and skits using materials from the Bible Society’s Trauma Healing Institute. These tools will be used to train and equip teachers, peer leaders and parents to facilitate their own trauma healing sessions.
Please show your support! Help us provide these precious children from South Sudan with the skills to deal effectively with trauma, so they can recover and live a normal life.
It is wonderful to see the progress of Community Transformational Groups (CTGs) across Africa. The Rwanda model has been such a success that AE is now looking to incorporate it across all 11 national teams.
Members generally come from some of the most impoverished and vulnerable communities in the country. Many are women who have escaped a life of prostitution to gain new skills and earn an income. They are given an opportunity to start a new life in groups that are learning to make cleaning products and develop sewing skills.
CTG’s engage with beneficiaries to emphasize both the value of economic goals, as well as social and spiritual empowerment. These groups build a sense of worth in members by helping them to act and realise their God-given potential. The conditions in severely impoverished communities have always been a barrier to the poor in developing necessary life skills.
CTG’s aim to change this by giving people hope. They often build on existing programs so that graduates have support to build their own businesses. This support is vital in achieving the attitudinal change needed for people to take action on their own behalf.
Most teams are using current programs to form new CTGs. The recent focus has been on providing vocational training aimed at empowering women. South Sudan has also had some success in partnering CTGs with churches (pictured), who are embracing the concept of being a part of transforming communities.
CTG’s do so much more than build financial independence. They promote a sense of belonging, and teach people to work together for the greater good. The benefits are shared throughout the entire community and bring people a much-needed sense of purpose. Through your generous support, people living in poverty are finding their way towards hope and building a sustainable future.
The Mombasa West Mission in Kenya is the first one to be conducted in the year 2021. The mission is scheduled for 1st to 11th July. The mobilization of missioners and preservation facilitators took place in the month of May. The AEE Kenya team intends to host 300 visiting missioners in 9 zones. The rest of the missioners will come from within Mombasa. This month, there has been a series of continued mobilization and trainings.
The Kayonza Mission in Rwanda was scheduled for 20th – 27th June but following the Volcanic eruption in the neighboring DRC, the mission was postponed to 15th – 22nd August. Preparations for the same are ongoing. At least 127 homes are targeted to be trained to conduct Home Based Evangelism (HBE). Though this is an ongoing activity, 42 households were reached in May this year using HBE and 9 people accepted to follow Christ.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), preparations for the Mont-Amba Mission, which is set for 16th to 24th October, are ongoing. Mont-Amba is located South East Kinshasa in DRC. AE DRC Team conducted School of evangelism in the targeted location of the Matete, Ngaba, Kisenso and Lemba districts and a total of 276 participants from 99 local churches were trained. Currently, the team is mobilizing for prayer and funds for the mission. Earlier, 19 different local churches were equipped for further church members’ mobilization in the target area.
AEE Tanzania is set to have its mission between 22nd and 29th August in the capital city, Dar es Salaam. The team has been meeting the Pastors, equipping them through trainings towards the mission and conducting prayer for the 2021 Mission. Mobilization of evangelists and partners to participate in Dar Back-to-God Mission has as well been ongoing. In the month of May, a group of intercessors from different Churches gathered to purposely pray for the mission preparation and all programs at AEE-Tanzania.
In September, AE Uganda will have a mission in Jinja from 19th to 26th. The AE Team conducted a Vision Casting seminar for the mission where 52 leaders from Jinja City attended. This meeting brought together both the Anglican church leaders and Pentecostal church leaders in one house for the same purpose bridging the gap and dealing with misunderstandings that have always been there. Mobilization teams have been established and tasked to draft their strategies to aid achieving the mission targets. An overall steering committee with 18 members was constituted in May to help oversee the preparations. AE Uganda facilitated a training held in Entebbe for 120 evangelists by our partners in ministry who are planning a citywide mission in that city. The training was organized by the Joint Pastors Network in Entebbe city.
AE Southern Africa Region (AESAR) which is comprised of the Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe teams is set to hold a mission from 19th – 25th September in Zomba, Malawi. AE Malawi held three training sessions in Zomba ahead of the mission where 85 people were trained. The second phase of training the same group was set for the month of June. In April this year, task team leaders for the Zomba Leadership Mission were successfully appointed and a meeting with Church leaders in Zomba to review mission plans was held.
The AE Zambia team continues to go through the AE Manuals to adequately prepare for both the Kitwe and Lusaka mission scheduled for this year and next year respectively. The AE Zambia team visited Kitwe at the invitation of the Maranatha Pentecostal Assemblies of God church to help with the mobilization of the church for evangelism. Close to about 100 church members turned out for the evangelism outreach in Kalulushi.
In Ghana, the AE team is preparing to have a mission in Lome, Togo from the 15th to the 25th of October. An online meeting with the leaders in Togo was held earlier to aid preparations. The leaders were also able to meet the working committees in person. A HBE online training is scheduled for 30th June.
Preparation is ongoing for AE Ethiopia’s mission scheduled for 22nd – 26th December in Kotebe, North East of Addis Ababa. Last month, the AE team held a Home Based Evangelism training as part of the preparations steps for the mission.
Santino Yuot, a former refugee and leader in the South Sudanese community in Australia, has a passion for the gospel in his home country which has been enhanced by studies at Sydney Missionary and Bible College.
AE provided funding towards Santino’s trip to his hometown Wedweil in the northern part of South Sudan (Aweil State) at the end of last year. This area was reduced to rubble during the war with Sudan and remains extremely poor and neglected. A staggering 92% of the population live below the poverty line and many have never experienced proper schooling. The government has been unable to provide even basic education services, and Santino has also been working with other NGOs to rebuild the local school.
Many became Christian during the war and became committed to preaching the Good News despite not having even basic Christian training. Santino has a passion to train these men and women to be able to deliver a faithful bible-based message. As almost all South Sudanese identify as Christians the government schools have Christian Development studies as part of the curriculum. So training Christian teachers to know the gospel clearly will have a multiplying effect on all their future students.
Santino used the NT 1 module of PTC (the Gospel of Mark) and 2 Ways To Live materials to train both pastors and teachers. He recruited several other ministers to present the material both in English and Dinka using the recently repaired classrooms.
As pastors generally do not receive salaries and some had travelled up to two days on foot from other states, food and dorm accommodation was also provided.
Please pray with us:
- Pray for preparations to teach 300 pastors in South Sudan in early 2021 as restrictions are lifted
- Pray for Santino’s family as he commits to this process in a six month period in SS.
- Pray that pastors will grow well in their understanding and application of Bible truths, and that they would effectively minister and disciple new generations of leaders.
Prayer is such an important part of supporting African Enterprise. It’s one of the gifts you can give Africa – your time in prayer. And Africa needs your prayers now more than ever.
A couple of months ago when we compiled our Prayer Diary for May, June and July, we did not know the challenges that we would be facing. As always we look at our calendar and prepare the prayer points around the mission activities happening during that month. This time however, what we planned three months ago has changed enormously from what we are currently facing. The number of coronavirus infections are increasing drastically daily in Africa and more than ever we need to pray for our teams and the people in Africa.
As our CEO, Ben Campbell mentioned in the Prayer Diary:
“Please pray especially for the vulnerable refugee populations, and other marginalised communities, that have less access to help. In all things, our hope and confidence remain firmly in the Lord! As Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) says: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” May God bless, strengthen and encourage you today, as you continue to pray for the salvation and healing of people in Africa. “
Throughout June and July, please join with us in prayer for all of our AE Teams. They are all facing unprecedented times. We will keep you up to date with all the latest articles and responses from our teams as far as possible on our website and facebook page.
Updated prayer requests will also be uploaded to the PrayerMate App.
We are also in the last few days of our Prayer and Fasting Season ending on Pentecost Sunday with a Global Day of Prayer.
Additionally, let us know if you are interested in starting or joining a prayer group. It can be among you and your friends, families, colleagues or members of your church. You can meet face to face or online and as frequent as you want. Let’s gather in the name of Jesus and pray for Africa. Please send an email directly to ae@aeint.org if you would like to be part of or to start a prayer group.
Thank you for spending time in prayer for African Enterprise.
Pastor Santino Yuot came to Australia in 2004 after escaping war in Sudan, where he settled in Auburn Sydney with his wife and six young children. Born in South Sudan, he started working early as a ‘cattle keeper’ and fisherman before he was even in his teens. His objective was to sell fish and buy a cow, to help get a wife as is the custom. He moved to the north of the country for work in Khartoum at the age of 13, where he felt the call into ministry.
Coming to Australia as a refugee, he began working as a translator and then became a teacher of Dinka, a main language of South Sudan. Whilst supporting his family and church in Australia, his ties to his home country remained very strong. Even when in Australia, he had to go back to pay the 40 cows he owed to his wife’s family as a ‘bride price’. For over nine years, he has been preparing the ground to train pastors and teachers in the Gospel, in English and in Dinka. Last year he trained 135 pastors and teachers in the Aweil area and in December he will be teaching 150 pastors to ‘train the trainers’.
AE is keen to support people like Santino to evangelise the cities of Africa in Word and Deed in partnership with the church. Please pray that we will raise the necessary financial support to teach and support a training centre in the war-ravaged area of Aweil.
Photo – Ben Campbell and Pastor Santino Yuot
Juba, South Sudan
Earlier this month, AE convened a Trauma Healing forum in Juba South Sudan, seeking to enthuse the state & national government education officials on the need and importance of Trauma Healing interventions, with a focus on educators in South Sudan. on Monday 14 October 2019 Salva Kiir Mayardit (the President of South Sudan) hosted regional Heads of States for the launch of “Peace Talks” in Juba ahead of November 2019’s formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity as required by the revitalised peace agreement signed by the warring parties led by Kiir and Machar (former vice president). However those talks have since stalled.
According to AE South Sudan Mission Coordinator Williams Muchari, some of the Church Leaders he’s spoken to emphasized the need for fervent prayer saying that any disagreements between the two political leaders could collapse the peace agreements and mark a return to war. “Inflation in South Sudan is currently at an all time high and basic commodities are way beyond the reach of the common people”, he said. “Civil servants are going for months without pay and local media have been reporting that this is also worsening the security situation across the country”.
Please pray for us as we work toward AE’s implementation of a new leadership program in November. This will involve equipping school teachers and administrators with practical trauma healing skills in addressing and debriefing children affected by trauma, run in collaboration with Bible Society South Sudan & the Ministry of Education.
