1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: Hi, this is new due to the virus. I'm recording 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: from home, so you may notice a difference in audio quality. 3 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:12,879 Speaker 1: On this episode of News World, we're really going to 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:18,799 Speaker 1: talk about the daring adventures of Sister Tracy, who is 5 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: our guest and a great friend of both Callista and me, 6 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: and we admire so much what she's done to give 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: you a sense of how different her world is. As 8 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: I welcome sister Orla, who is actually brown cow with 9 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,599 Speaker 1: a white face, and she can tell you what my 10 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: name would be, Indinca, and then we're going to talk 11 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,319 Speaker 1: about why cows are so important and work our way 12 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: back to what she's doing at the school. Is wonderful 13 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: to have you with us, sister brown cow with a 14 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: white face. Hi, you bull with the white hair, ma 15 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: boor if that's okay, if I can call you that 16 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 1: news at this stage, it's lovely to be with you. 17 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: I live in South Sudan and I work among the 18 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,479 Speaker 1: Dinka community, and we love our cows and our bulls, 19 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: and we name ourselves after the cows and bulls. So 20 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,559 Speaker 1: given your beautiful white hair, if you come to Rumbek, 21 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:22,960 Speaker 1: we would probably call you Maboor. If you go further 22 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 1: afield in the Dinka land, you could do Mabior. So 23 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: you're also welcome abore to South Sudan. We'll greet you 24 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: from South Sudan. It's lovely to be with you as well. 25 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,759 Speaker 1: And you're in Rumbek, South Sudan. Right in the town 26 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: of Rumbek. We're right in the center of the country 27 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: of South Sudan. Nice town. We're living about eight kilometers 28 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: from the town, so we would consider ourselves villagers that 29 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: we're living in village life. There is a town beside 30 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: us of Rumbek, but we live in a nice community. 31 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: You've been there amazingly since two thousand and six. Heaven, 32 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: things changed significantly in that fourteen year parade. I don't 33 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: think salth No, it's true. As a congregation where Laretto 34 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 1: Sisters otherwise known as the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 35 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: and we had a very daring adventure in two thousand 36 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: and three two thousand and four. Our leadership called it 37 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: the Courage to Move, and they invited our sisters in 38 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: the different countries to reclaim our missionary spirit and to 39 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:29,920 Speaker 1: refound new missions in new countries. So sisters went to 40 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: different countries, and the Irish sisters accepted the invitation to 41 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 1: come to what was then known as Southern Sudan and 42 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: Southern Sudan. When we arrived, they had just ended the 43 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: Second and Yanya two, which was another twenty years of war, 44 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: and they had signed a peace agreement. It was none 45 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: of the comprehensive peace agreement, and we just came in 46 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,639 Speaker 1: at the beginning of that peace agreement. It was very 47 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:56,079 Speaker 1: exciting because part of the peace agreement was to look 48 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: at the possibility of independence. Would South Sudan look for 49 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: independence or now? I remember the President Salvikir coming to 50 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: visit us and run back in two thousand and seven 51 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: and saying, we're not rebuilding South Sudan, We're building it. 52 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 1: Sometimes when you see pictures of Syria and Afghanistan, you 53 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: see cities being rebuilt after war. We were never built. 54 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: So we were starting from the ground up and it 55 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: was full of hope. Two and eleven, it was fantastic. 56 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: Over ninety nine percent of the population voted for independence. 57 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: But sadly in twenty thirteen we went back into a 58 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: new civil war, which has created a different environment in 59 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: a different spirit for us. But people are still very 60 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: strong people are still very courageous and ambitious for wanting 61 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: a new spirit in a new land. And you've been 62 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: a part of that beauty. And the time you got there, 63 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: didn't you develop both of school and to some extent 64 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: a medical system. We live in a beautiful village here, mccarquay, 65 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: and we've a very persuasive chief and elders. They're really 66 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: wonderful people, but they like encouraging us to more. We're 67 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: also an ignation congregation, so that idea of magus and 68 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: more is profeably buys into it for us a little bit. 69 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: It was very clear when we came the bishop had 70 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: invited us in the diocese to begin a girl's boarding 71 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: secondary school. Now, in two thousand and six, there were 72 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: four girls in our state in secondary school. So when 73 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: we arrived, the people thought we were mad. They were 74 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:25,039 Speaker 1: wondering why we had come to educate girls when girls 75 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 1: weren't even going to primary school. But we had a 76 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: great foundress four hundred years ago, and she used to 77 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: say women in time will do great things. And she 78 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 1: also suffered a lot of her own injustices and challenges 79 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: in life, so we were not to be put off. 80 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: We started a boarding school for girls. Thirty five girls 81 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:44,840 Speaker 1: came in the beginning. Half of them were nearly gone 82 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: by the end of the first year. But we have 83 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: been very blessed. The school has prospered. And then as 84 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: the school was settling down, the chiefs knocked on the 85 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: door and said, now you have a secondary school, but 86 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 1: what about our own children in the village. They're not 87 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: even going to primary school. We started a simple primary 88 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 1: school under the tree with some of the locally teachers. 89 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: The primary school now is actually our bigger project. We 90 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: have one thousand, two hundred boys and girls, whereas the 91 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: secondary school is three hundred girls. And then, of course 92 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:14,600 Speaker 1: the chief not happy with it enough. He came back 93 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: for more and he said, what about a clinic? We 94 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 1: need healthcare, And it's true one of the challenges in 95 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: South Sudan, aside from education, is healthcare. So in twenty 96 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: sixteen we started a clinic for the local community and 97 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:27,480 Speaker 1: that's been a great outreach to the community as well. 98 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: He has come back looking for a university, so we've 99 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 1: told him to relax that we've mowefully done enough and 100 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:35,600 Speaker 1: hopefully the graduates will be who wants to do more 101 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: As time goes on. You know, we have that traditional 102 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: Catholic model of missionaries. We come start, educate and healthcare, 103 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: and I think that's been very important in South Sudan 104 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,479 Speaker 1: where our literacy, I think we're amongst some of the 105 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: worst in the world. And girl child education is also 106 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: a very sadly lacking as well. They would say statistically, 107 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 1: over fifty two percent of girls are married by the 108 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: age of eighteen, so it's very hard for a girl 109 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:01,840 Speaker 1: to go to school. It's extremely hard for a girl 110 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: to finish school. But thank god, our girls are prospered. 111 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 1: Many of them are going on to university and we're 112 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: seeing the fruits of it now because the first graduates 113 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: are back working with us. We have three of our 114 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: graduates and I'm working with us after finishing university, so 115 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:17,479 Speaker 1: that's been great to live through the whole process with 116 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: them as well. So you were really startling impact in 117 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,280 Speaker 1: terms of Dinka culture, weren't you. The Ato Dinka is 118 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:30,480 Speaker 1: the dominant tribe in your area. Yeah, and I consider 119 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: myself a Dinka as well. In all of this, strong, brave, courageous, 120 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: determined would be some of the words I would probably use. 121 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: But in the last years, even along with the noware tribe. 122 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: They've probably suffered the most of the tribes because of 123 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: the recent wars. So if I go around the village, 124 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,039 Speaker 1: I'm forty seven. If I go around the village, I 125 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: won't find an adult male or female educated within ten 126 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 1: or twenty years of me. It's the young generation now 127 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: that they're getting a chance to be educated. Because the 128 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: last war, it was the Nowhere Dinka let me say, 129 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:05,719 Speaker 1: war against the North, so a lot of the communities 130 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 1: would have suffered within those tribal areas, but the recovery 131 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: is there. They're very ambitious people. Our girls are really 132 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: strong and determined what might make us give up. It's 133 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: almost like an energy for the girls to keep going. 134 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: If they know that there is an obstacle, they will 135 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: want to face it and they will want to challenge it. 136 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: And that's probably one of the reasons why they have 137 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: done so well despite all of the trauma and the 138 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: challenges as well. So can you explain a little bit, 139 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 1: because I was fascinated the first time we had a 140 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: chance to have dinner and talk about this the central 141 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: importance of cows two dincers and of the girls to 142 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: the cow economy, and why that posed a unique challenge 143 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 1: for you in getting young girls to be able to 144 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: go to school. Can you just walk through that entire culture. Yeah, 145 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: we love cows. I think I have seen pictures of 146 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 1: American cows and ranches, but you have no idea. Even Irish, 147 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: we love our cows, but nothing like specifically. I'll talk 148 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: about the Dinka how we love our cows. Young men 149 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: will room their cows. They will name their children after 150 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: their favorite bulls. They will sing songs about their bulls. 151 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:34,119 Speaker 1: Their whole life revolves are and the care of their animals. 152 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,959 Speaker 1: They will sleep with them in what we call cattle 153 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 1: camps where pastoralists so we move with the cows where 154 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: there's water. The cow is the defining identity for the 155 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: young man. And when a young man comes to marry, 156 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: he must have cows. If he doesn't have cows, he 157 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: doesn't marry. That's the greatest insult you can call. A 158 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: man is a man without cows. That's the big curse 159 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: word for us. When a young man marries work electivist community, 160 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: so his uncles, his family is an extended family. All 161 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 1: the males will join together and contribute for the bride wealth, 162 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: and then they will approach the girl's family displaying the 163 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 1: cows and the bulls that they have to offer, and 164 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: the girl's family again. The male members of the family 165 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 1: will agree or disagree, depending on what they see and 166 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 1: how they talk with one another. Once the marriage is sealed, 167 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: the girl is brought into his family. She becomes the 168 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: property of his family and his extended family. So when 169 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: they give birth their daughter, particularly their firstborn daughter, she's 170 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: very precious because I suppose in Western terminology we would 171 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: say she's a return on the investment. Her bride price 172 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,839 Speaker 1: will now compensate the uncles for the money that they 173 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 1: had given years earlier. So very often we all welcome 174 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 1: a girl into our school, we'll often ask the girl 175 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: in which position are you born in your family? Are 176 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 1: you the firstborn girl or the second born girl, because 177 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 1: if she the first born girl, it will be very 178 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: hard for her to finish her education unless her father 179 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:12,079 Speaker 1: has independent means, because his uncles paid for his wedding. 180 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: Those uncles in turn want their cows back, So if 181 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: they say the girl is mature enough, they will insist 182 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:23,239 Speaker 1: that the girl be married, and if he can compensate 183 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: them with a few cows, they may be satisfied. But 184 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: if he can't, then he is really vulnerable to them. 185 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: So it's a big challenge in the culture. I know 186 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: our girls, as they get more educated, they get a 187 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:36,719 Speaker 1: little bit more challenged by this because one of their 188 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: common debates is we're not property, we're not objects to 189 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 1: be sold. But it's more than that, I think, you know, 190 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: if we understand in that way, we're limited. It's a 191 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: bigger vision of a collective as system that has worked 192 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: for generations and for centuries. So again, you been Mabire, 193 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: you would be called after the favorite bull of the family. 194 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: You were born maybe with white hair. Let me just 195 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: give you the example, and the family decided that this 196 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 1: is our favorite at the moment, and you're the latest baby, 197 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 1: so you get the name a bore. For me, I'm 198 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 1: called Yom. I'm seeing as a brown and a white 199 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: faced cow. So our whole social life, let me say, 200 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 1: revolves around our cows and our bulls. What would a 201 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: typical bride price be? I mean, how many cows would 202 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 1: be in a typical bride price. Now in Rumbek we're 203 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: probably more into this than other Dinka areas. So in Rumbek, 204 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 1: your average is probably fifty to one hundred exceptional case, 205 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: we've had a few students married for over two hundred 206 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: and fifty cows, and then we've had other cases where 207 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: girls were married for twenty or thirty cows. Interestingly, it's 208 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: a huge economy, but we don't translate into a cash economy. 209 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 1: It's very interesting. It's very hard for a brother to 210 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: sell a cow for his sister's education. It's very hard 211 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,959 Speaker 1: for someone to sell a cow for healthcare because this 212 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,319 Speaker 1: is more than their pension fund. This is like their 213 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 1: whole identity, and their social identity and their cultural identity 214 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: and generations of it mixed in together. So it's quite 215 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 1: a challenge for them. So when you first started the 216 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: high school, wasn't that almost a direct challenge to their culture. Oh? Yeah, 217 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: we got into a lot of trouble. I seem to 218 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 1: get into trouble all the time. I don't know how. 219 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: You know how I do it. Even when I try 220 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:16,079 Speaker 1: not to get into trouble. I get into trouble by 221 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 1: virtue of educating girls in a culture where girls are 222 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: not educated, it is already a challenge to the culture. 223 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: There were a few challenges in the beginning. First of all, 224 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: we were foreigners. We knew very little, even though we 225 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: had come and we had to spend two years trying 226 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 1: to learn the culture. I think that the longer you 227 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:34,560 Speaker 1: live in a culture, the more you realize you don't 228 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:36,960 Speaker 1: know about a culture, or you have to learn. So 229 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 1: the first challenge I had was we used to have 230 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 1: a visiting day in a Sunday, and you would expect 231 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 1: a nuclear family coming from the West. You'd expect maybe 232 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: two or three brothers, maybe maybe a sister or whatever. 233 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 1: But here, after six or seven weeks, I was discovering 234 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: students were having visits from different brothers every week, and 235 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 1: one girl in particular, I had a visit from twelve 236 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: different brothers. So I called her aside one day and 237 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,080 Speaker 1: I said her, think it's really your brothers are what 238 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: is it? And she said, you know, sister. There were 239 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:06,199 Speaker 1: two answers to the question. She said, in our culture, 240 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 1: everybody is my brother. If he's my cousin, my first cousin, 241 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 1: my second cousin, my third cousin, we call him brother. 242 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 1: But he said, you know, we're polygamusts in this culture. 243 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 1: So my father actually has fifty wives and I have 244 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:21,720 Speaker 1: one hundred and ninety two brothers and sisters. I thought 245 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: the Mother of God. That was the first eye opener 246 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:27,439 Speaker 1: that I got. Needless to say, we stopped visiting Sundays 247 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: and we reintroduced a different system to facilitate family visits. 248 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: But the other challenge was we realized that the father 249 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 1: could bring the girl to school. The father could say 250 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 1: he wanted the girl educated, but the uncles were the 251 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: ones to come to take her out of school, and 252 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: this became a big challenge to us. Initially, we didn't 253 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,160 Speaker 1: understand what was happening, so the girls used to go 254 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: home and then we two they were married. But after 255 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:58,200 Speaker 1: a few years we realized that actually this is the 256 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 1: first marriage. We talk about the marriage situation. It's the 257 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: uncles that are coming looking for the girl to be 258 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 1: taken out of school. Though the father has committed to 259 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: us that she can stay, the uncles want the cows, 260 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,839 Speaker 1: so it becomes a big family challenge. Now we've got 261 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 1: to the stage we have a legal document. When the 262 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: girl comes to the school, a male member of her 263 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: family has to sign a legal document and he's held 264 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: to it. We had a case last year where one 265 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: of the guys was arrested by his extended family because 266 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 1: he was the guaranteur for the girl, but the extended 267 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 1: family had not agreed for the girl to go to school, 268 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 1: so the family arrested him. But good enough, we had 269 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: the legal document. The case went to the governor's office, 270 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: the guy was released and the girl was allowed to 271 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 1: continue with their education. So things are changing. The girls 272 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: themselves are also challenging it, and they are wanting education, 273 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 1: and they are wanting a future because they believe that's 274 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 1: the only way they're going to help their families in 275 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 1: the long term. And from their standpoint, though, when you 276 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 1: talk about girls coming back from college, you have really 277 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: change dramatically the core nature of their experience, haven't you. 278 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 1: I wouldn't say that we would take the credit because 279 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: these are girls that are pretty determined that this is 280 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: what they want, that they want to be the change. 281 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: I think their argument is that the bride prices paid 282 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 1: their cows. Those cows get sick, they die, or they 283 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 1: are given away. Who is going to support the children, 284 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: Who is going to support the family long term? And 285 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 1: they're realizing that education is a long term investment and 286 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 1: that education generates an income for life. So a lot 287 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: of the girls are beginning to see this. They're seeing 288 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: the older graduates graduating, they're getting good jobs. I mean, 289 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: South Sudan is running on NGOs, so there are opportunities 290 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: for women the government at twenty five percent. There's talk 291 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,800 Speaker 1: of forty percent jobs for women. But we don't have 292 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: an educated class of women yet. So our girls are 293 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,160 Speaker 1: being snacked up when they get educations and the families 294 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 1: are beginning to realize this is another way, this is 295 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: another investment into the family and into the future. So 296 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: they're radical, they're cheeky, they're brazen as well, and wonderful 297 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: that they have the courage to do it, because really 298 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: it takes a lot of courage for a girl to 299 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: last that long in education. I guess I should mention. 300 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: In two and fifteen there was declared one of the 301 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: worst health emergencies in the world. In two seventeen there 302 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 1: was a genuine famine. How do you function with that? 303 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: Many different things going on and unfortunately continues in different ways. 304 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 1: I think the latest statistics were a country about the 305 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 1: size of Texas with eleven million people, but we have 306 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 1: seven million who are food dependent or in need of 307 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: food support, and we have four million that are displaced. 308 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 1: That's two million in the country and two million outside 309 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: the country. Those challenges continue. I kind of have a 310 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: cynical answer in one sense and say that the people 311 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: that we are working with have come through war, They've 312 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 1: been born through war. They each generation has experienced a 313 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: few years of peace. But they are real people of perseverance, 314 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: and they are real people that can cope under severe conditions. 315 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: You and I wouldn't cope because we haven't been born 316 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: into that, but they can. For us, our programs keep extending. 317 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 1: We have a lovely program now with interns. We have 318 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:15,919 Speaker 1: now thirty interns working with us. They're male and female 319 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:17,879 Speaker 1: who are finished secondary school and they come back to 320 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: work for a year or two before going to university. 321 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: We found during coronavirus this year, many of the ones 322 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: that we had sent off to university all came back 323 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,119 Speaker 1: and we sat down. The schools had been closed by 324 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: the government, and we sat down with the clinic team 325 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 1: and we asked the clinic team what do you want 326 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: to do, and they said, you know, coronavirus is only 327 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:41,640 Speaker 1: one challenge to us in this environment. Hunger, malnutrition, and 328 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:46,119 Speaker 1: malaria are there all the time. So they said, what 329 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: about we continue we support them. So the graduates came 330 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 1: back themselves and every day the clinic team with the 331 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: graduates used to go out to the village and talk 332 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,679 Speaker 1: to the people. We gave some food support. We got 333 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: a lot of support from our partners, American partners we 334 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 1: have Sudan Relief Fund CRS as well, and our own 335 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:06,639 Speaker 1: sisters in America as well. They partnered with us and 336 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 1: we were able to get food support the community. But 337 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 1: our fundamental point is it's not just about food, it's 338 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: about education. So the grants were going at teaching handwashing, 339 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 1: they were teaching about coronavirus, they were teaching about malaria, 340 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 1: and they were teaching about malnutrition and better nutrition. Because 341 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 1: for us, we believe that you can feed a person 342 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:29,440 Speaker 1: for the day, but next week they're going to keep 343 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: coming back for more, and you just create a dependency. 344 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:34,680 Speaker 1: So the idea for us is educated, let's find new 345 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:37,199 Speaker 1: ways and creative ways of helping the local community so 346 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 1: that they're not dependent, that they're not coming to us 347 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,280 Speaker 1: all the time. But it is challenging, and they are 348 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:44,640 Speaker 1: people who have suffered much in these years. That one 349 00:18:44,720 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 1: is very obvious to me. They're surrounded by courage. You 350 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:10,760 Speaker 1: were born and grew up in Ireland there anything, and 351 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:14,439 Speaker 1: that a super age prepared you for this. I have 352 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: four older brothers. I have four older brothers who prepared 353 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: to me plenty. We came from a very good home. 354 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:24,159 Speaker 1: My mother in particular, was very involved in social groups 355 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 1: and in welfare groups, and she would have been very 356 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:29,880 Speaker 1: aware of people who were in need. So I would 357 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: say from a young age that message was clear that 358 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:34,800 Speaker 1: if you have, you share, and that was a value 359 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,680 Speaker 1: that probably has continued with me, that if we have something, 360 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 1: we can share it with others who are close to us, 361 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,480 Speaker 1: and remember that it's not just about our own selves 362 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: but about others as well well. And if I remember, Craig, 363 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: when you talk about sharing and about having courage, weren't 364 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:52,359 Speaker 1: you at one point threatened while helping deliver a baby. 365 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 1: There were many times when we've been threatened. I don't 366 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 1: like to focus on myself when I talk about these things, 367 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 1: because I think what our students experiences more than what 368 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: we've ever experienced. When you do something against a culture, 369 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 1: or when people perceive that you're acting against a culture, 370 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,400 Speaker 1: there can be a threat to that. And the one 371 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:12,399 Speaker 1: thing I love about the INCA culture is that we 372 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 1: can be enemies today and tomorrow we will sit and 373 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: make peace and be friends. There was one story of 374 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: one of our students who just arrived into first year. 375 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 1: She was sixteen, and again our students can be a 376 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:26,719 Speaker 1: bit older because of the war. She was sixteen, she 377 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 1: went home for her first home visit, and when she 378 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,680 Speaker 1: went home, she was taken by her family to the 379 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:34,240 Speaker 1: village to be married. She knew she didn't want to 380 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 1: be married. At sixteen, she was the only female in 381 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 1: her extended family to be educated. She ran away and 382 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:44,720 Speaker 1: she tried to escape back into school. Now you can 383 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 1: imagine that in western world, where kids are escaping into school. 384 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:51,440 Speaker 1: She was on the road trying to get back into school, 385 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 1: and unfortunately a relative of hers was a policeman who 386 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:57,919 Speaker 1: was working the checkpoints and he found her. So she 387 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:00,200 Speaker 1: was taken back to the home and the family eat 388 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: her and tied her up, and again they threatened her, 389 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 1: but again she didn't give up. The next night, when 390 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: she could find a quiet moment, she got a sister 391 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:11,119 Speaker 1: to help her and she escaped again back to school, 392 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:13,920 Speaker 1: and this time she hid for a few days in 393 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 1: an unknown place. She has never revealed where she was 394 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 1: until she came back to school, and when she came 395 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 1: back to school, she said to me, I'm never going 396 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:24,199 Speaker 1: home again. I said her, how can you say that? 397 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:27,280 Speaker 1: And she said, because I see the suffering of my people. 398 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 1: She comes from a part of our area where there 399 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 1: is no secondary school and where it's difficult to find 400 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: educated men, let alone educated women. She said, the only 401 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 1: way I'm going to help my extended family is by education. 402 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 1: And she said, though I stay here for four years, 403 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,399 Speaker 1: she said, I don't mind. And she stayed and she 404 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:48,679 Speaker 1: continues to stay. Now. The tragic part of that story 405 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 1: is she made peace with her father. About three months ago. 406 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:54,159 Speaker 1: Her father eventually came to the school and we had 407 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:56,880 Speaker 1: a very good meeting with the father and he accepted 408 00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: that this was going to be her way. She's now eighteen. 409 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 1: He accepted that there was pressure on him. She is 410 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:06,880 Speaker 1: his firstborn daughter. He accepted there was pressure on him. 411 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:10,120 Speaker 1: But now he realizes that she is doing well in school, 412 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: she's looking well, she's talking well, and she can do 413 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:15,879 Speaker 1: something for the community according to the local culture. He 414 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 1: handled her over to us and we had a very 415 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 1: beautiful moment with him. That man sadly was killed in 416 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:25,360 Speaker 1: his home three weeks later, so the girl went back 417 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: into the whole spiral of why am I here and 418 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: what did I do? But after another few weeks she 419 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 1: has come back. Now she is the person to try 420 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,720 Speaker 1: and advise her mother and to advise her followers to 421 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:38,439 Speaker 1: live in peace, because one of the problems of our 422 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: culture is revenge. We tend to be people of revenge, 423 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:44,159 Speaker 1: and if someone is killed, we want to revenge for 424 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 1: that person. But she is saying to the family, what 425 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,120 Speaker 1: is the value in revenging? She said, if we revenge, 426 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 1: somebody else is going to revenge. So for me, people 427 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 1: like her are extraordinary examples of courage and adversity in 428 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 1: the face of whatever small things I might have experienced. 429 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: We have families coming with guns, We have families coming 430 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: to try and beat us, but you know, we have 431 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 1: staff who support us, so we're never really in the 432 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: firing line. But they are. The girls are. They're beaten 433 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,119 Speaker 1: at home, they're threatened, and they have to sneak away 434 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: to go to school. I love telling that story to 435 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:20,000 Speaker 1: students in western world who don't want to be in school. 436 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:23,160 Speaker 1: I have students who sneak into school so that they 437 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:26,399 Speaker 1: can learn. It is amazing, isn't it? And also shining 438 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:29,639 Speaker 1: something we've no longer able to get across to our 439 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:34,040 Speaker 1: own young people. They education is the future, absolutely extraority. 440 00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:37,479 Speaker 1: I mean, the latest statistics in South Sudan is I 441 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 1: think thirty seven percent of girls may go to primary school, 442 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:43,880 Speaker 1: but about seventeen percent may finish primary school. About four 443 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:46,639 Speaker 1: percent of girls may go to secondary school, but maybe 444 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: one to two percent may finish secondary school. So it's 445 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 1: a privilege. It's an absolute privilege for girls. I think 446 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 1: the UN had a statistic a few years ago, and 447 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:54,679 Speaker 1: I don't know if it's still true, but it was 448 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: certainly true about five years ago. A fifteen year old 449 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:00,200 Speaker 1: girls South Sudan is more likely to die in child 450 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,360 Speaker 1: than to finish secondary school. I mean, that's a very 451 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:06,200 Speaker 1: stark reality for the life that we're living here. But 452 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 1: I thank God for the girls that we work with 453 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:13,119 Speaker 1: because they're absolutely determined, headstrong that they are going to 454 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 1: be educated and that they are going to make a 455 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:18,720 Speaker 1: change for their country, for their families, for themselves, because 456 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,240 Speaker 1: they see that that's the only way to improve things 457 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:23,760 Speaker 1: into the future. You know, listening to you on the 458 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: courage that you give to your students, but you also 459 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 1: obviously live I remember in twenty nineteen, you've got the 460 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 1: State Department International Women of Courage Award sitting down there 461 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:38,280 Speaker 1: in round it. What was your first thought when you 462 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:40,639 Speaker 1: heard you were going to receive that award in Washington. 463 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:44,879 Speaker 1: I actually thought it was a joke. That was my 464 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:47,800 Speaker 1: first thought, and then I thought, no, it's right, but 465 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: it's not right for me to accept it. It's right 466 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 1: for the girls to accept it because when I see 467 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:55,920 Speaker 1: what they've enjoyed, hands up to them. I've experienced nothing 468 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 1: to what they have experienced. When you live in a 469 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:01,920 Speaker 1: culture that is set a particular way and you come 470 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,120 Speaker 1: along as a young person at fifteen and sixteen years 471 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:06,600 Speaker 1: of age and say I want to do something different 472 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 1: and I am ready to sacrifice everything for that. I 473 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:14,359 Speaker 1: mean that to me is absolute courage, the epitomey of courage, 474 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:16,840 Speaker 1: and they are ready to do absolutely anything for it. 475 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 1: As sisters. I suppose the joke of it all was 476 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:21,760 Speaker 1: our moving. Hugh was known as the courage to move. 477 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: And yes, in many ways people might say that we 478 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:29,359 Speaker 1: were courageous and brave and whatever, but you know I 479 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: was a young sister and I was adventurous, and I 480 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:33,199 Speaker 1: was only dying to get to South Sudan. I had 481 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: looked at the map and it was part of Sudan. 482 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: By then. I looked at all these countries Kenya, Uganda, Congo. 483 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:42,720 Speaker 1: I won't say about some of the other neighboring countries 484 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 1: like Eritrea and Libya, because they were more challenging at 485 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:47,439 Speaker 1: the time, but I was all excited. I thought, this 486 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:49,440 Speaker 1: is great, I'm going to see the world. I never 487 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:52,120 Speaker 1: thought of a personal cost to me, but I see 488 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:54,439 Speaker 1: that personal cost every day with our girls and the 489 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: challenges that they have within their own families and within 490 00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:59,680 Speaker 1: the culture that in order for them to be educated, 491 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,959 Speaker 1: they have to stand against their local culture. I know 492 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: that when closely both nominate you, and then when you 493 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 1: and she were in Washington the other she really thought 494 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:11,640 Speaker 1: it was an honor both to know you and through you, 495 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,760 Speaker 1: to know the girls and to realize what you are 496 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 1: trying to accomplish. And it's really been a remarkable commitment 497 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 1: on your part. Do you have any regrets about having 498 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:26,160 Speaker 1: spent this much of your life in South Sudan. Absolutely not. 499 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 1: My regret might have been that I didn't come when 500 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:30,840 Speaker 1: I was younger. I came when I was thirty four, 501 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:32,800 Speaker 1: but already. I think thirty four is hard to learn 502 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 1: new culture and new languages. No, never, there's never a 503 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:39,720 Speaker 1: day when I would regret. Absolutely not. I have loved it, 504 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:42,240 Speaker 1: and I pray God that I will continue for many 505 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:44,719 Speaker 1: more years here because for me it's a great mission. 506 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 1: But more than a great mission, I have just loved it. 507 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 1: Every day I have loved it. That said, you see 508 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: the worst of yourself and the best of yourself in 509 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 1: a mission like this. It is very humbling to work 510 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:56,920 Speaker 1: with the people that I work with every day, very 511 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: very humbling, and I realize often how selfish I am 512 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 1: or how self centered I am. But then you're out 513 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 1: to work with young people and you see these young 514 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:08,360 Speaker 1: women of vision and courage and ambition, and it's just wonderful. 515 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:11,919 Speaker 1: Every day I can listeners help you with your mission 516 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: in life. I always say to people, there are a 517 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: number of ways you can help. The first way I 518 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: would say to people is learn about South Sudan. Don't 519 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 1: forget about South Sudan. And I don't mean just learn 520 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,000 Speaker 1: about the bad things of Suzudan. Learn about the good 521 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 1: things of South Sudan. I think many of us in 522 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 1: Western world we consider Africa and we lump it into 523 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:32,360 Speaker 1: one ball. South Sudan is so rich. It has sixty 524 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 1: four different ethnic groups and as I said, it's the 525 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:38,879 Speaker 1: size of Texas, so it's a hugely rich environment. And 526 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,720 Speaker 1: I would encourage people to learn more about these countries. 527 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:44,879 Speaker 1: The second thing I would say is pray we do 528 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:47,439 Speaker 1: have challenges still in the country, and pray for our 529 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,200 Speaker 1: young people in particular because really they need a lot 530 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:53,000 Speaker 1: of support. And the third way always I love saying, 531 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:56,160 Speaker 1: is we need your money. Please dig deep and give 532 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:58,800 Speaker 1: your money. Am I allowed to say that? Maybe your yes, 533 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:02,440 Speaker 1: I'd like you to tell them, Okay. We have a website. 534 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:07,160 Speaker 1: It's www dot Loretto Rumbeck. That's l O or et 535 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:13,080 Speaker 1: o or umbek dot ie. It's an Irish server, Loretta Rumbeck. 536 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:15,119 Speaker 1: If you google it you'll find the website and on 537 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,359 Speaker 1: it we have a link to donations and we have 538 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 1: a link to emails as well, so you can contact 539 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:23,600 Speaker 1: directly as well. We would be very great for any support, Joan, 540 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 1: and we will put that on our show page so 541 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:27,639 Speaker 1: people can find it and can get in touch with 542 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 1: you directly. Now, will you be celebrating Christmas? Yes, so 543 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 1: we put the Christmas tree up here only the other day, 544 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 1: two days ago. Definitely celebrating Christmas. We do it differently. 545 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 1: Goat is our festive meat. So we have actually twenty 546 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 1: five students with us for Christmas. These are girls that 547 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:49,160 Speaker 1: live far or because of the threat of marriage, they 548 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 1: are not able to go home. So we have twenty 549 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:54,040 Speaker 1: five girls for Christmas, and we hope to kill a 550 00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:58,840 Speaker 1: fatted goat and to celebrate nicely with that. That's great 551 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 1: in mind, stand very to you, but we just love 552 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:04,520 Speaker 1: the thought of us. Oh, I think that's terrific. Now, 553 00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: I think it's wonderful. So all I can say, Brown 554 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 1: Cow with a white face, is that you have a 555 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,960 Speaker 1: remarkable mission. You are doing amazing work. Every time I 556 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: talk with you, I'm humbled by your courage and by 557 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:22,560 Speaker 1: your generosity and focusing on others, not being focused on 558 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:26,000 Speaker 1: your own ego, but rather on helping the people that 559 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 1: you serve and that you work with. And I hope 560 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: that our listeners will take seriously the opportunity to make 561 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:35,840 Speaker 1: this a slightly better Christmas by providing help. I can 562 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 1: assure them, having known you and talk with you many 563 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:42,120 Speaker 1: times now, that you will use the resources wisely and 564 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:45,440 Speaker 1: that people's lives will be better because of their generosity. 565 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 1: So thank you very very much for sharing with us 566 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:51,160 Speaker 1: new Thanks to you, I should call him a bore 567 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:53,360 Speaker 1: now that you have your new Jinka name. And also 568 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: greetings to our ambassador Enrich and to all of you 569 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:00,520 Speaker 1: wherever you are. We wish you all a very Christmas 570 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:02,640 Speaker 1: from all of us in Sudan. Thank you so much. 571 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,720 Speaker 1: News World is produced by Gingwich three sixty and iHeartMedia. 572 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Debbie Myers, our producer is Garnsey Sloan, 573 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 1: and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the 574 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 1: show was created by Steve Kendley. Special thanks to the 575 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 1: team at Gingwich three sixty. If you've been enjoying news World, 576 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 1: I hope you'll go to Apple Podcasts and both rate 577 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:32,520 Speaker 1: us with five stars and give us a review so 578 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,680 Speaker 1: others can learn what it's all about. I'm new Gangwich. 579 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: This is newts World.