PERSONAL APPEAL via Petersvoice.com

July 2006

1. I am particularly concerned about the in-depth formation of the catechists and the future priests, namely, the seminarians. If we do not have holy seminarians but we have highly academically formed seminarians, this will be a disaster for the church. Therefore, we want to give them spiritual and moral formation both of which go hand in hand with the academic formation. For each seminarian we pay $3,000/annum and currently we have 13 seminarians. For each catechist we pay $1,750 and we currently have 110 catechists.

2. We need to build decent living quarters for the fathers and sisters. If we want people to be productive we have to ensure that they are in a healthy environment and that they get the necessary tools to be productive. Their presence in such remote areas is already a sacrifice which is highly appreciated. The very fact that they left their families and came over to give hope and preach the message of Christ is a blessing. In fact, our missionaries live in remote areas where there is no electricity, no running water, no means of transportation, no television and no radio. At a minimum, a hygienic standard of living is essential for the second community of the Sisters of Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the Comboni Missionary Sisters as well as the Missionary Sisters of the Most Precious Blood. Construction cost is ~ $45,000 per residence.

3. Education is another area of critical need. Without education, the church cannot thrive. Whole generations of children have been denied basic schooling as a direct result of the conflict. Schools have been devastated, teachers have been left untrained and unpaid, equipment and furniture is non-existent. The critical need at this time is the establishment and recovery of an educational infrastructure, everything from basic child schooling to adult literacy and teachers' training centers. Only through education can the capacity of our vulnerable people be built upon to be self-sufficient and self-reliant in the future. Rebuilding and equipping demolished schools costs ~ $100,000.

4. Water is LIFE! The majority of streams and rivers tend to be seasonal. Recent drought has exacerbated the problem leaving girls and women, who are responsible for domestic water collection, the task of walking for up to 5 hours in order to find water. Absence of clean water increases the occurrence of water borne diseases. So far, we have succeeded in digging 30 wells in the Nuba Mountains plus an additional 10 in Northern Bahr el Ghazal. Since the rig is already in place, we would like to drill 15 additional wells. Each well costs $20,000.

5. We have formed two women's associations where we teach tailoring and home economic skills. We supply women with kitchen pots and pans so they may prepare clean and hygienic food for their families. Start up cost for materials and training at each new site is $50,000. This includes purchase and/or maintenance of sewing machines, textile material and thread, etc…

6. We need to render the diocese efficient by building the capacity of the diocese in the area of logisticians, radio operators needed for security, teachers etc…This costs a minimum of $20,000/year.

7. In the field of agriculture, so far we have 400 ox-driven ploughs. We need to buy 800 oxen because each plough is driven by 2 oxen. These animals could be purchased locally at the cost of $250/ox.

8. Medically, we need to buy used small equipment, vitamins, medicines for malaria, anemia, and gastrointestinal diseases; dermatological solutions, antibacterial and surgical disinfectants, as well as surgical gloves and dressings. These basic health care supplies can be put to immediate use now that we have the sisters working together with a lay missionary nurse practitioner soon to be joined by a medical doctor. These essentials cost up to $42,000/year.

9. Transportation cost remains critical. Given available funding, all needed materials may be purchased in Kenya but have to be transported by air to the Nuba Mountains and Turalei (Northern Bahr el Ghazal). Ground transportation to Turalei is only possible during 2-3 months of the year. Travel by truck from Kenya can take up to 15 days to reach their destination. Ground transportation costs $5,000/truck while each flight can cost up to $15,000.