Special to the Kent Reporter

In the midst of increasing conflict in the nation of South Sudan, one local church is sharing hope and providing important supplies for the African country.

A team of 14 volunteers recently returned from the remote village of Malwal in the Republic of South Sudan. The team provided education, medical help, clothing and food to the residents in the isolated community.

Malwal was the site of the beginning of Sudan’s bloody civil war, which began in 1984 and ended with independence for the South in 2011. But Malwal, which is directly on the border of Ethiopia, is likely to be helped by the new government for many years to come. Without a road or airstrip, the community cannot be reached except by foot or terrain vehicle, a several-day journey from the state capital.

Kent Lutheran Church is home to a large number of families who have immigrated to the United States, often as refugees from Sudan.

“Church members approached the leadership to see if we could assist in helping relatives repatriate from refugee camps back to their home community,” said Pastor Jane Prestbye. “It’s an unlikely task for a community church, but we agreed to try to help the community of Malwal with education, water, resources and micro-enterprise.

“During the war, the community was leveled, and there was nothing remaining to return to,” Prestbye added. “This community is currently not served by aid organizations, and as of yet, unreached by its own government. However, refugees are already returning to South Sudan from camps on the Ethiopian side. The village continues to grow despite lack of access to medicine, food and clean water.”

The outreach team included members of the church and non-members who came from the local community, including Robert Bonaci, a Kent business owner and international service chairman of the Kent Sunrise Rotary Club, which contributed toward KLC’s water and sanitation projects in Malwal.

The diverse group of volunteers included individuals of American and Sudanese descent and a variety of occupations, from entrepreneurs to college students to senior citizens. Half of the U.S. team were Sudanese-born, half American. The team had a mixture of Americans, Canadians, Ethiopians and Sudanese, crossing over to many disciplines and denominations.

Kent Lutheran established a portable library, including dictionaries, picture books and easy readers for children and adults. They also provided clothing for nearly 300 school children, and provided medical supplies to the clinician in the village. The church also brought micro-enterprise equipment including a sewing machine, materials for mosquito nets, agricultural tools, a canoe, and one mile of fishing nets to ensure food security for the community through all seasons.

Kent Lutheran plans future investments in the community of Malwal, including a trip next year with additional educational and medical resources. It plans to establish a borehole well for year-round clean water, and a larger trip in 2014 with the goal of establishing a school building.

For more information or to see the project, visit www.klcsouthsudan.blogspot.com.

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PHOTO BELOW: Robert Bonaci, a Kent business owner and a member of the Kent Sunrise Rotary Club, waves with the children of Malwal. COURTESY, Jane Prestbye