The Turkish Embassy on Thursday donated food items and sweets to children at the Divine Mercy Action Home- an orphanage that currently hosts over 100 children in South Sudan’s capital, Juba.
Speaking at the occasion, the Turkish Ambassador to South Sudan, Erdem Mutaf, said the supplies would improve the lives of the children.
According to Ambassador Erdem Mutaf, according to Turkish tradition, you do not visit a friend or friend with empty hands.
“Every time we visit the children’s home, we try to bring food, sometimes educational materials, and mattresses. Divine Mercy Action is one of our partners. More than five times, we have paid a courtesy visit to the children’s home, and we shall continue to render our support, “he stated.
Amb. Erdem further said the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) are soon going to donate materials in accordance with the needs of the children’s home.
“We are in the holy month of Ramadan and this is a month of solidarity,” he said.
The Co-founder of Divine Mercy Action Home, Fr. Paulino Tipo Deng, said the number of children at the home is about 100.
“The children at the centre hail from different parts of South Sudan. We have seven children whose parents were sentenced to death in prison, those who were born in prison, we bring them to the children’s home and take care of them, including those living on the street, “he said.
Fr. Paulino said they encounter challenges in providing for the needs of the children, such as food, shelter, and medical care.
‘‘We do not have well-constructed rooms. Some of them are still living in tents because we do not have enough financial support in order to construct decent places for them to stay,’’ he said.
Fr. Paulino said when it comes to medical care, “it is too expensive, and we request help from well-wishers, including the need for school fees.’’
“The cost of paying school fees in South Sudan is too high. The last time we took some of the children to the boarding schools, the school fees was about SSP160, 000.
‘‘Now imagine if you have 100 children, and you want to pay fees for them all; the school fees are too high,” he stressed.
The cleric applauded the Turkish Embassy for their continuous support to the children at the orphanage. He called on South Sudanese and humanitarian actors to support children in the country.
“The issue of looking after the needs of children is vital. A child does not choose to be born from a poor family background. Let us all cooperate to support children for a brighter South Sudan,” said Fr. Paulino.