First few days in South Sudan

All Saints Cathedral in Nzara, South Sudan

The plane that flew me from Juba to Yambio

Me with Yambio's county commissioner and Bishop Peni's wife

A look up at one of several mango trees on the diocese's compound

The community welcomed me upon my arrival!

The Bishop's wife and other women in town have kept me well-fed 

My tukul here on the church's compound

Thursday, May 28

Today, I arrived in Juba, where I met Bishop Peni's brother at the airport. He escorted me to the Episcopal Church Guest House, where I stayed the next two nights-- one of which, several furry creatures visited and munched on the bananas given to me.

Friday, May 29

I met with Reverend John, who had purchased a ticket for me to fly to Yambio, and I later rode into town to buy a cell phone.

Saturday, May 30

A two-hour flight took me from Juba to Yambio, where one of the diocese's reverends met me at the airport. On the drive to Nzara, we stopped for some tea, met with Yambio's county commissioner, and replaced a blown-out tire with a spare. Upon arrival in Nzara, the community prayed for my stay.

Sunday, May 31

I attended the church's 9:30am English service. Afterward, I met with the diocese leaders to discuss the projects that I could potentially help with, including the church's micro-credit project.

Monday, June 1

I attended a school assembly, where the teachers announced the results for the past semester (how many students passed, who performed best). As a guest, they asked me to introduce myself and to say a few words of encouragement, so I spoke about my work this summer and even quoted my countryman John F. Kennedy ("Ask not what your country can do for you...").

Afterward, one of the reverends introduced me to children at the church's two primary schools and then showed me the diocese's clinic for the community.

Tuesday, June 2

I met with the microfinance chairperson, who described the program in detail.

Since 2011, the diocese has exclusively loaned funds to indigent women, in an effort to empower them in the marketplace and society. Forty-two women now get loans from the church, which received the initial funds from a foreign donor. Before receiving the money, the women must first attend an education course, which focuses on the importance of returning the money on time and how the money should go to their entrepreneurial ventures. The church groups the women into four or five, then distributes the money to a single group which must pay half the money back after a month then pay the final half in two months. High-performing women who have paid back the allotted monies on time for several years (i.e., have built up credit) now receive a larger amount for their small businesses.

Wednesday, June 3

After some digging and some emailing, and after reading a number of articles on the wider policy surrounding microfinance, I found a helpful publication for practitioners through the UN's website: The New Handbook on Microfinance: A Financial Markets Perspective, edited by Joanna Ledgerwood.

Thursday, June 4

In the evening, I caught up with Reverend Ranjit over the phone!