15 Institutions Receive Food Items From Great South Sudan Run Money

Inmates offloading the food items at Juba Central Prison. [Photo by Jale Richard]

By Jale Richard

JUBA, 24 September 2017 [Gurtong]-The Great South Sudan Run was initiated by Ayesheshim Teka, the owner of Dembesh hotel in Juba after famine was declared in some parts of South Sudan earlier this year.

The run attracted athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia most notable was Haile Gebrselassie, a retired Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete.

It raised over 11 million SSP and United States dollars 3,921.19 (three thousand nine hundred twenty one dollars and nineteen cents) that was used to import food that was distributed to vulnerable communities in Juba.

The institutions that received the food items are: Juba Central Prison, Al-Sabbah Children’s Hospital, Juba Teaching Hospital, Juba Military Hospital, and Juba Central Orphanage Centre. All received 200 bags of maize flour (20 kilograms) each and 200 bags of beans (10 kilograms) each.

While Conflict Children out of Conflict, Living Water Girls House of Hope, Judah for Homeless Children, Straight Link, Atek Kiluak for Children Protection, Friendship for Children Protection, Stone International Church, Khalwa Shiek Dafaallah, Luri Orphanage, and Luri Widows all received (100) bags of maize flour of 20 kilograms each and 100 bags of beans of 10 kilograms each.

Dr. Martin Elia Lomoro, Minister of Cabinet Affairs while launching the distribution process they are targeting those South Sudanese who have become victims of an internal conflict.

He said the event is also a foundation to deal with poverty eradication.

Lomoro said the most important part of the run was that it brought together people in a symbol of peace. “Citizens, traders, army, partners from all embassies and NGOs came here and met not only as great people but also as people running and raising environment for peace, that is what we need,” he said.

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Nadia Arop Dudi said the organization has been registered as a government parastatal to organize the marathon annually so that local athletes would be trained to compete in international marathons as well as raise money to fight poverty and unite people.

Dr. Wani Sule, Jubek State Minister of Education, Gender and Social Welfare said the run has achieved many things especially by sending a message that South Sudan has a great potential for athletics.

He said it also means that when a country is in conflict and economic crises, people need to come together to solve the problems.

“This is a local initiative to solve local problem,” he said. “This shows that people have the ability to come together to solve their own problems and this sends a message that we South Sudanese are capable of solving our own problems whether it is political or social or economic, we are capable of solving them,” said Sule.

He noted that it is good to start giving food to victims of the ongoing conflict such as orphans, women and children. Next year, he said, the organizers should include school children because they are also vulnerable.

Brigadier General Michael Malou the Director of Juba Cenral Prison said the donation will help 916 inmates who don’t have enough to feed on.

“I am thanking the government of South Sudan for knowing they have their people in the prison,” he said.

Deputy Matron of Juba Teaching Hospital Lucia Thomas Loro who received the donation said the food items will help the patients who don’t have food to eat.

“I am very happy for the relief because in our hospital we don’t have food because our situation is not favourable to give food to the patients,” she said. “Some of them (patients) are receiving medication without feeding and without feeding we are doing nothing,” Lucia said.

The acting Director of Al-Sabbah Children’s Hospital, Dr. Felix Ungura said the food items will support the hospital as they have no feeding program.