Fundraising for Don Bosco Mission Office in Sudan

Dear friends and members of DBAA-BC:

This year we are a bit late in launching our fundraising drive for the Salesians of Don Bosco Mission Office working in Sudan but we know we can count on your support to make our fundraising drive a success.

Most of our Members are probably already familiar with the work of the Salesians in Sudan from the various material we have presented in our fundraising drive last year. If you like to refresh your memory on this, please check our last year's webpage using this link:

http://www.donboscobc.com/2009/9129-Sudan/index.htm

Sudan is a war torn country. It suffered two long drawn out civil wars since 1955. The first one last 17 years i.e. 1955-1972, and then another one broke out in 1983 and it last a good 22 years i.e 1983-2005. The Salesians have been working in Sudan since 1983. While their work has been affected by the civil war, their effort to help the needy and poor there never stopped. In the past, their work was mainly in the northern part i.e. near Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. In recent years, they have extended to south Sudan i.e. cities such as Juba & Gumbo.

There's very little news coverage of Sudan in Canadian media but for those of you who have been following the news on international media, you may notice Sudan is heating up again politically in recent weeks. A referendum is scheduled to be held in January 2011 when the people living in southern part of Sudan will decide on whether they would break away from Sudan to become a new country. Obviously, the present government in Khartoum – the present capital of Sudan – would not like to see that happen but it seems most of the people living in southern Sudan would vote in favour of break away. Let's pray the conflict would not end up in more political instability for a country which has suffered enough civil wars already in the past 50 years.

(Update on Sudan per Vancouver Sun of January 6, 2011)

In the meantime, you can count on the Salesians of Don Bosco Mission Office will continue their work in Sudan and South Sudan in spite of all the hardship.