Finding Creative Solutions

Water tankers are ubiquitous in Juba. They are operated mostly by migrant workers from Eritrea. One can find water tankers lined up along the Nile River, not far from where we live, siphoning water from the vast, moving flow of water from the highlands of Rwanda and Uganda, finding its destination in the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile River supports more than three hundred million people from cities and villages along this four-thousand-mile waterway. In Juba alone, water tankers ply the main roads and backstreet allies, supplying water to buildings and homes large and small.

Since arriving in Juba four years ago, I have been inspired by the creative solutions found by Rev. Santino and the leadership of Nile Theological College where I serve as a faculty member. When forced to leave Malakal due to war, the college campus destroyed, Rev. Santino and Rev. Michael Aban renovated a bakery in Juba and started up the college again with only five students, the number quickly growing to more than seventy-five within a couple of years. When more space was needed for classes and the chapel, they quickly erected a rakuba* which provided the extra space needed. The most recent form of creative ingenuity can be found in the purchase of a water tanker. Recognizing the need to diversify the income stream of the college, Rev. Santino and the administration decided to collaborate with a few international partners to buy a water tanker. This water tanker will be used to provide water to the college, to the homes that house faculty and staff, and to clients thus generating extra income for the college.

A few weeks ago we held a special chapel service of dedication. We gave special time for prayer and invited members from the College Council to celebrate this creative initiative. It was a day of celebration and committing the newest member of our community, the water tanker, into the hands of the Lord. Living amidst limited resources and ongoing challenges, we are regularly inspired by friends and colleagues who think outside the box and find creative solutions.

Chapel Service, August 11th, 2021

    

Members of the College Council are able to join us

NTC Water Tanker

Food and Fellowship
(we slaughtered a sheep, and ate it with 
kisra and kudra, two local favorites!)

*A rakuba is a simple structure than can be built quickly using sturdy grasses and pieces of wood for walls, often having metal sheeting or grass thatches for the roof.