Once a shepherd boy, this South Sudanese humanitarian now delivers food assistance ... and hope

By Peter Yai Machar, Tonj North Interim Commodity Officer

I lived all my life in Gogrial West County while growing up. I have never visited the other states of South Sudan. My father was a farmer and we also raised livestock. Life was good before the war. We have cows, herds of sheep and goats. Our big farm produced enough food for two families since my father had two wives. He had two daughters with the second wife. Life was good.

Then the unexpected happened. The war broke out and our house was burned to the ground. We lost everything and became displaced. Many of our livestock were stolen. My parents tried their best to feed us but the situation just got worse. I cannot remember the year exactly, but when I was around three years old, my father Machar Ngong died.

My mother Awein Duwar did her best to raise all four of us. She would find wild fruits or anything edible for us to eat. I have not heard of any humanitarian work near us during those days. Encouraged by the peace negotiation at that time, the people had started settling back slowly to their homes.  In 1999 a school was opened under the trees near our village in Thur-Akoon, a part of Gogrial West County in Warrap.

My mother gathered us to decide who will go to school. We can only afford to send one. Finally it was agreed that my second eldest brother would study while our eldest will help my mother in the farm. I was assigned as the shepherd boy to take care of the remaining cows and goats left by thieves when they confiscated our livestock.

My brother managed until class three and dropped out of school. When he left for northern Sudan, my mother told me that it was my turn to go to school. Completing my primary education, I pursued and finished my three years of high school certificate until June 2014.

Throughout this journey, my mother worked hard to pay for my education, except on 2012 when I found a part-time job with the Norwegian Refugee Council as vocational skills trainer. As soon as I graduated from my secondary school, I moved to Dorcas Aid International.

On May 2015, I joined World Vision. I wanted to pursue university studies after being admitted at Dr. John Garang Memorial University in Bor, Jonglei State to study a degree in Agronomy but without a job, I cannot do it. By then, my mother was too old to work. Everyone was dependent on me so I made the difficult decision to work to be able to support my family.

No matter how tired, Peter finds fulfillment in being able to deliver what the children direly needs.

While in World Vision, I listened to colleague Angelo Mathuch’s inspiring sharing during a staff activity. He said that ‘’Working in World Vision is not by a chance but a call from God to serve his vulnerable people’’. But he added that serving others should start by serving one’s self, too. He challenged all of us to save for further studies or prepare for married life.

I got married on 2016 and I now have a 9-month old daughter we named Ariech Peter Yai. On this year, I enrolled in a distance-learning program and completed a 2-year diploma in Public Health. On 2018, I pursued a bachelor’s degree in Public Health in Kampala University’s distance-learning program. My dream is to attain a master’s degree in the same discipline.

I was World Vision’s field coordinator for its food assistance program in Gogrial West County up to April 2017. Two months later, I was transferred to Tonj North County until April 2018. It was a difficult assignment because I have to be away from my family.

On numerous occasions I slept on the road when our vehicle got stuck in the mud or when the roads were impassable. But all of the hardship disappear when I arrive at a school where we deliver food for the school meals and get welcomed by children joyfully shouting, “Balila, balila, balila! (Food, food, food!)”

Delivering food assistance in very hard-to-reach areas in Gogrial West and Tonj North counties often got us stuck in the middle of nowhere but we always get by with a strong team spirit and the kindness of community people who would always help us.

They say, ‘’Dreams are one of those things that keep you going and happy’’. I encourage myself to keep learning so continue to be the light and the salt in Machar Ngong’s family. I am the only person who can read and write in the family. My dream to have a masteral degree is also the dream of many South Sudanese who did not have chance to go to school because of the conflict.

We are still full of hope that with the recent peace deal, we can develop our country together. South Sudan needs us all and it is also big enough for all of us. I wish all the hate that divide us will stop.