(2009) It is hard to imagine but it was already fourteen months ago that former “Lost Boy” Fidele Diing Dhan guided me on my first journey to his homeland, the Village of Koiyom, in Southern Sudan. It seems like only yesterday that our hands were joined together with those of the Koiyom Village Chief, Gabriel Dut our Village Coordinator and others to scrape the ground that would usher in a new sign of hope for people in such a remote part of the world.
It is now a time of excitement as visitors from Koiyom Village bring back their stories and photos of just what we have been able to accomplish with relatively light effort. The first news we received was the joy that another source of water was found for the village at the clinic site. Because the beginning of the building project was to commence during the dry season, water on site was necessary to its construction. Fr. Angelo Agany Deng, Parish Priest of St. George Parish in Aweil Sudan made a visit and captured some photos of himself and the well that has been constructed. He brought with him exciting stories of how the people of the village are so grateful to have yet another source of clean water nearby. “Even the animals come and drink of the water that may spill from the well” he told us.
When St. Martin de Porres parishioner, Mr. Lual Dut was returning home, as well as another gentleman from the Buffalo area, we encouraged them to visit the village for us and help share with us how the construction is proceeding. The photos speak for themselves and give us great encouragement that our medical clinic project will soon have completed its first stage: the Brick and Mortar building.
