ONMI daunting task of creating sustainability in South Sudan
Shalom to you and family. I hope and pray that by the grace of God this missive finds you well in the Lord. As co-laborers in the Great Commission, I am writing to you with excitement to give you the general summary and the overview on the development of challenges and the blessing that have been taking shape here on the ground since the departure of the Country Director of ONMI.
I have been in South Sudan for the past one month on ONMI mission trip on administrative scope. A lot has been going on here. Please pray for ONMI and for the success of our work for the Lord out here. On top of the scope of my trip here are sets of highlights: 1- ONMI administrative and leadership realignment. 2- Maintaining the Robust and consistent ONMI vision to ensure Sustainable initiative taking root here in South Sudan. 3- Opening of The Polytechnic and the Bethlehem Nursery and Primary School. 4- Gospel radio broadcasting initiative to spread the Gospel news and Food security. 5- Medical Evangelism
Currently and in the past two weeks, my job has been setting up new Restructuring leadership team comprising of 12 members. With this team, in place, I am beginning to see some fruits. 1- ONMI goal is to make the year 2024 to be sustainable is working.
Looking at sustainability from education standpoint:
For the first time in 3 years since Bethlehem Nursery and Primary Academy opened, in the first term 2024, the school has managed to collect enough school fees from parents to feed the students, pay teachers, medicine, and manage its general staff without demanding ONMI mission office in the United States to pay expenses for a private academy school that is supposed to take care of itself by now after 3 years in existence.
Looking at the sustainability from financial management system.
I have set up transparent and responsible financial accountability leadership team comprising of 3 core members that manage financial transactions coming from the USA and fund raised from the ground deposit and managed through a bank and a South Sudanese base Mobile Money system. The system has check and balance where transactions are tracked and documented using Excel Spreadsheet shareable and editable file that can be shared between my office in the USA and the ground accountability team in the South Sudan. I have been conducting online training with Mgurush showing how mobile money transfer work. This was first of its kind. We were encouraged by the training itself in understanding how to account for money deposit in their system as mobile money to manage transaction.
3- Every Employee who has agreed to work with new ONMI's administration has to sign a contract with us to work in the new structure and rule of engagement governing ONMI vision of sustainability on probatory period of 3 months.
The employee needs to open a bank account with KCB from where they will get their incentive paid. After that we shall do re-evaluation of that employee for permanent position. Their support will come from the fruit of their labor here on the ground.
4-Farming and excavation equipment are in disrepair but we are fixing them thanks to your financial support. Under the watch of the previous ONMI administration, we are left with 7 vehicles in disrepair which include the backhoe, 3 tractors, a, tipper, an ambulance, land cruiser, a pickup and a Toyota HiAce.
I was able to put the backhoe back to work after spending in
repair cost. I spend some money to fix the tractor, the tractor is now operational. We are working on putting the two Land Cruisers back on the road.
5- The polytechnic institute has been opened and the students have begun their trainings. However, I need to fix the doors and windows, and bring in water and power into two buildings that are in good shape to house 18 students and some teachers who have joined the polytechnic training. They are also paying school fees for their training. The money collected from this effort will pay for their feeding, lodging, medicine and tuition.
My Outreach to the Military family in Loa- Iriya last Sunday. The Bible says, how will they hear unless someone brings Good news. I was accompanied by Sarah and Abraham to share the word of God with Commander David Jal.
6- The six staff of Nehemiah Trumpet Call 87.3FM Gospel radio is also on track to create sustainable living out of the establishment of the Radio Station. They can create income from the Radio by airing paid advertisements pay their staff support.
8- Food security and agricultural development through Drip Irrigation is also on track to improve food production throughout the season to make food available throughout the year and support. The two schools should be able to buy food from Beth Israel farmland to feed the students with food grown within the country.
Medical outreaches: With Pharmacy already set up, and medical examination equipment already here, some are portable and other are fixed, we are creating budget for medical evangelism beginning this month to bring out the Gospel and medical outreach to remote villages of this region. The medical evangelistic coordinator presented me with a budget for the next three months to do the outreach. Then we need to repair the ambulance and purchase a motorcycle to facilitate transportation between the villages.
