All hands to the deck, as flood cuts off the road and threatens infrastructure.
October 16, 2021: South Sudan: All hands to the deck. Those who have returned from exile realized , if you are going to build a new community in a brand new country ( 193rd nation on earth) from nothing , you can't just get overwhelmed, sit in the mud, complain, cry, lament and blame some one else for not building the road way before the disaster strikes. Today, the only road, leading to Bethlehem-Borongole in Kerepi from the main Juba-Nimule highway was flooded and rendered impassable.
Obvious question for South Sudanese brethren is: Do you want a change? You are the change and make it happens. This is exactly what ONMI staff in South Sudan is doing. You have provided us with resources to deal with situation such this scenery here as crazy as it looks, This is our version of 4feet of snow on the ground. It has been raining daily and the flood sets in as the mud softens , the ground gives way. Nothing is moving.
The Crisis come from all sides and the battles are fought on many fronts: Gospel outreach, Family Protection, Food Security, Infrastructure, Healthcare, Education, Clean water, not to mention Elephants dangerously roaming wild destructive to human and crops etc.
Last year around this time, the rain came very heavily and broke the river bank and took out the only bridge connecting us to the Beth Israel Farmland. With your support, we came out strong. We fixed the bridge. So far it is holding up. This year, the rain down poured very heavily for days and took out the road connecting ONMI's Bethlehem mission and the surrounding community to the Main Juba- Nimule highway.
It has effectively blocked vehicles from bringing some construction materials into location. Thank God for your help. But this year we are more prepared thank to you for the backhoe, tractor, dump truck and all the available tools our disposal. Our staff galvanized their manpower, went out to fix the road. Yes, there are challenges but the opportunities are even greater and better.
ONMI staff at Bethlehem Borongole , EE State refused to surrender themselves to be cut off from the main road by the flood in history in Kerepi Sub District off Juba- Nimule highway.
They refused to wait for the UN agencies come and assess the road. All that they will do is to turn this into the fallacy of Climate change and do nothing, then blame the government of South Sudan for not doing enough with road condition. Our team rolled their sleeves and got to work. All hands to the deck. All available tools backhoes, tractors, dump trucks, hoes, shovels are brought to bear to fix the road.
This is the spirit every South Sudanese needs to embrace if we are going to develop this country from nothing. Thank you for pushing us forward with the vision of ONMI.
These are tough times for these returnees coming back home from exile. But these challenges must take their courses to build them up to do bigger things which God is preparing them for.
Future plan for Road construction equipment. So as we walk by faith, not by sight, we are praying for some road construction equipment between 2021- 2025 . Notably Road grader, Roller and rock crusher and a good dump truck.
Bethlehem Primary school Construction Phase two has kicked off and even the rain and the flood won't stop it. The rain has messed up the road for bringing other construction materials in to the site. But we have at least 80% of construction materials on location. However with the fixing of the road in progress, the engineers are ready to carry on with the work.
For months, since April ONMI's block production team have been producing these Interlocking Hydraform blocks on the other side of the property,. They have been waiting for the foundation to be finished. Last week, we finished the foundation now we have moved all the blocks to the construction.
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