Bishop Francis of Rokon, Sudan, is appealing for two fishing boats to be built using local mahogany to tap into fish stocks on the Nile. Apparently, 1500 miles of the Nile have never been fished apart from using dugout canoes. It is hoped to train local people to build boats and also in fishing methods. Two letters from him follow. If you feel you could help in some way, please email him.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE SUDAN,
DIOCESE OF ROKON.
PROJECT TITLE: Fishing boats to Sudan
PROJECT HOLDERS: Diocese of Rokon
PROJECT LOCATION: Sudan, Rokon, Eastern equatoria.
Contact person:
Bishop Francis Loyo
P.O. BOX. 6464, 00100 GPO
Nairobi, Kenya,
East Africa.
Requested boats: Two.
PREPARED BY DIOCESE OF ROKON.
Date: 18.8.05
0. ACTIVITY SUMMARY:
Southern Sudan is one of the most isolated and least developed regions in Sudan and part of Africa. Ravaged and continually beset by drought and before that with the civil war. The population in the diocese of Rokon has not been given a chance to fully develop.
As a result of the war, the southern Sudan has had its social, economic and political structure severely disrupted. It has created a big generation gap in literacy and in many areas of economic developments considering the 21 years of civil war.
The diocese of Rokon is the 24th of the dioceses in the Sudan and has a population of 120,000 since many are expected to return home after the peace was signed recently.
These people of this diocese have suffered greatly due to the civil war, drought, famine and displacements. One key problem that affecting the community is how to help them especially when peace is already at hand. How do we empower them so that they can lead into sustainability?
The situation has caused devastating effects on the economic and sustainability, this project is aim here to reduce the increasing poverty among the returning people where there is no economic activities going on in the community.
This project is prepared to meet the needs of the community particularly women who are most deprived and marginalised in all sectors to be able to provide two fishing boats on the Nile. Since there is peace the church need to stand in the forefront to its mission to the poor and engaged in reconstruction of the society and of the nation leading to play an important role.
1. DIOCESAN CONTEXT
The mandate of the diocese is not only to reach-out the Gospel of Jesus Christ but also to un-reached. But, it is also the important tool in helping the community makes changes that improve quality of their life. The diocese works alongside the community on developmental activities. The project aim here is to reducing the ever lasting and ever increasing poverty that make people help themselves.
2. BRIEF SUMMARY
- To secure two fishing boats for the Sudan.
- To organise the management for the fishing project.
- To secure fishing nets different sizes suitable for the fishing.
- To mobilised and organise the women management committee.
- To target Juba market as nearly million people live in Juba.
3. MAIN INPUTS
- Two fishing boats
- Fishing nets
- Identify operators for the boats
- Marketing
4. SOURCE OF ACTIVITY PROPOSAL
The diocese has initiated this project as the local community based support. Since peace was signed and the returning men and women are being transported to their own areas they don’t expect anything soon from the government to help. To make them actively involved, the diocese thought it is better to involve them in a small-scale business. Where the diocese may target women in a sale and buying of the fish as it requires nothing where they can be able to help their families as in Africa women are bread basket for the family. The more we reinforce women the better the family enjoy a good living.
The River Nile is there at our doors full of 149 different species but we cannot get the fish because we don’t know how to fish using better methods where we get more. Or even be able to sell to support us economically. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has the potential in fishing where it can help in nutrition as well. No fishing activities were done in the Nile since the origin. If this project succeeds it will be the first of its kind in river Nile.
5. ACTIVITY SETTING
The peace, which was just signed, gave us the Sudanese a New Hope. Although there are still problems in Darfur yet we hope that the situation will come to normal, as we need to develop and at peaceful life. The civil war has disrupted our economy in southern Sudan and we need to start to create work for our community that can help build the local economy again.
The land in the south Sudan is rich and 60′ of rainfall p.a. with large potential. Most of our methods are primitive and earn a small for only local and family use not for economical purposes. And so most of the communities are very poor. The only project that can make them busy is the fishing business where buying and selling will engaged most of the women in the village to involve in such a project. These will help women not to go into other bad business as we have HIV/AIDS at the doors in the neighbouring countries like Uganda and Kenya, Congo.
Another good project that could help in addition is the small farming vegetables that will be helpful because the population in Juba is big and require food. All these are important towards nutrition, which is important.
6. MAJOR DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES
- To provide nearly one million people in Juba with fish.
- To assist a group of women in the diocese to do selling and buying.
- To generate income to be able to assist other projects in the diocese.
- To provide community with nutrition.
- To alleviate poverty.
7. BENEFICIARIES
The fishing boats for Sudan will be a pilot project. We will appeal for two boats in the first year but when the business is growing the diocese may need to increase and includes boats or ferry to transport people from nearby villages around Juba to the town and to the market place moving between 15-30 miles. This will help the people in transportation and to reach the market place where they can be able to sell their product in Juba market and go back to their villages. Nearly million of the people in Juba will benefit from this project and hundreds around Juba will also benefit.
8. SUSTAINABILITY OF DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
The diocese of Rokon works with communities. The need for economic plans support and development program has been clearly articulated as top for the diocese of Rokon inhabitants. Thus the community are keen and active participants in all aspect of the project. This is a prerequisite for sustainability of the project.
If these two boats are purchase or donated to the diocese of Rokon, the community will be able to get somebody with technical know how to help in the maintenance of these two boats. The committee will supervise the day to day running of the boats on the Nile as well as the overall management of the boats. The diocese may need external technical support for few months or a year to set up running of the project in addition.
In the present situation, inputs such as the timber in our areas are available in case some Christian friends or concern friends to help the poor may want to build the boats over there near the Nile will be welcome. Once the local economy and fishing has improved sufficiently to all the market, then it is clearly that the diocese project will become self sufficiently.
The diocese and the community will be able to support the labour component of maintaining the two boats by asking some volunteers to help maintain. Those women involved in selling and buying are mostly working for the church, as such require little incentives and support for their upkeep and as part of their contribution
9. ACTIVITY IMPLEMENTATION
The community of the diocese of Rokon expects the church to be at the forefront among the organisations that are able to keep up with changes and also propose future directions for development efforts. The teaching of the Christ on the Kingdom of God provides a universal framework to incorporate and guide all the efforts today in creating a vision economic plan under the church. This is in view of disastrous problems facing humanity today.
Our vision is to create enabling environment necessary for community or leaders in science, education, economic, religion and public life to work together on the development of the common ground of ethics and human values. The vision may include the improvements of the local standard of women. Enabling the women to participate in socio-economic activities; achieve mental, physical and spiritual development; and use skills, knowledge and consciences needed for improved quality life after a long period of war.