Orphaned children at the Presbyterian Evangelical Church Orphans Trauma and Healing Centre. [Gurtong/ Gabriel Mayom]
By Gabriel Mayom
JUBA, 21 May 2012 (Gurtong) – The South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church Orphans Trauma and Healing Centre which houses 170 orphan has been submerged, forcing the children to remain in their classes.
The centre caters for children whose parents were killed during clashes between the Lou Nuer and Murle ethnic communities at Pieri payam last August.
“We decided to round up all the orphans to keep them away from the conflict zone. The floods have confined the children to their classrooms as they cannot move within the compound”, said the centre’s manager Peter Yien.
He added that in spite of the flooding, the orphans were facing numerous challenges including inadequate food supplies and learning materials.
An orphan at the centre, Thap Chol, appealed to the government to supply school uniforms and shoes to the centre.