Compassionate Humanity Organization Continues to Support the Disabled Amid Financial Dificulties
“When you walk on the road, when you go to church, or the market and you see yourself strong and able to do the kinds of things you are doing, know that there is somebody somewhere, lying down and cannot walk, cannot feed himself or herself, cannot get any support. When you feel so strong and have most of the things you need, know that there is someone somewhere who is very weak. As human beings, we must always be conscious that the privileges we have, others can only dream about. Let us learn to think about those people whom we might not see yet they are in dire need of our help,” Bishop Hiiboro.
By Joseph Ernesto Chakaya
On Saturday, August 15, over thirty elderly and disabled people from Yambio in Western Equatoria State benefited from cooked food which was delivered to their doorsteps by Compassionate Humanity Organization (CHO) of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio. This comes weeks after the same organization distributed soaps and handwashing buckets to the elderly, disabled, and orphans in Yambio.
Speaking to Anisa Radio the chairperson of the organization Ms. Christine Gba Azande said that they are doing all they can to support the elderly, the disabled, and orphans as coronavirus pandemic continues to pose many challenges across the globe.
She indicated that most of their activities have been halted due to lack of funds as Covid19 continues to affect many including their benefactors.
“Lack of funds is the greatest challenge to our organization currently. Many of the disabled people we are supporting live in houses that are in deplorable states and are in dire need of renovations. We are thus calling upon well-wishers to chip in to help with whatever help possible,” Ms. Christine said.
Moved by the realization of the challenges facing the vulnerable people in the diocese, Rt. Rev. Barani Edwardo Hiiboro, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio commissioned the formation of Compassionate Humanity Organization on 17th-August-2017, to take care of the vulnerable people in the diocese especially the old and disabled.
Compassionate Humanity Organization is made of ordinary people who voluntarily have chosen to share their human and
material resources with the needy in their society. Among their other activities include supporting orphans materially and also pay school fees to them. Last year, for instance, they had 20 orphans in kindergarten, 18 in primary school, and 15 in secondary school. These include both boys and girls. They are also currently sponsoring four young women in nursing school. In addition, they do visit hospitals and care for the sick admitted. At the same time, they are supporting some priests in the diocese by providing for their daily needs.
How was the organization formed?
According to Bishop Hiiboro, the reason for forming the group was a motivation from Christ in the Gospel of Matthew and Mark where Christ saw people like sheep without a shepherd and had compassion on them.
“After I visited several homes I discovered that we have so many orphans and the disabled in our societies who are not in positions to fend for themselves and they were suffering a great deal. This made me sad because these vulnerable people are surrounded by Christians who see their struggles every day. This compelled me to do something, having realized that the preaching we do during our services is not enough,” Bishop Hiiboro explained.
When he asked his Christians whether they were aware of the existence of such vulnerable and needy people among them. They said they do but unfortunately, they don’t have money to support them. The Bishop, therefore, challenged his Christians to not wait till they have more in order to share with the vulnerable in society. He asked them to share whatever little they had and the concept for the formation of the organization became voluntary.
As such, the diocese initiated a project where every month, the members of the organization who are around 22 individuals prepare and take hot food to the vulnerable people in their residence. They also clean up for them during the visit.
Resources for the organization mostly come from charity given to the bishop as well as donations from committed Catholics who are touched by activities of the organization. Otherwise, the volunteer members often have monthly contributions towards their pool.
Even though the organization currently do have any donor supports, their tremendous efforts have been acknowledged by many who continue to support them. For instance, Red Cross International has supported them with wheelchairs and artificial limbs for the disabled.
The organization members connect their activities to a life of prayer where they do pray together twice a week together. They also have dawn prayers every morning at five and to help them do so, the Bishop ensured that all the members have cell phones where they can set an alarm clock every day at five o’clock to get up and pray. From time to time the Bishop does join them whenever he can.
Compassion Humanity Organization was later fully registered at the national level in 2019. In May this year, it was registered as a member of the Network for Civil Society Organization as well as Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPOs).
The organization has an office within the diocese curia which doubles as a store for keeping donated items before distributing them. It also has a motorbike which members use as means of transport whenever needed to go around the villages. This motorbike sometimes doubles as an ambulance and ferry the sick to the hospitals.
The main challenge currently is lack of enough resources as the needs which range from clothing to food and medicine as well as other essentials items continue to rise.
