World Humanitarian Day, August 19, is an opportunity to share more about the real-life heroes we’re privileged to partner with overseas in the work of transforming lives HOPE donors support. People like Jessica Laguerre in Haiti, Shahid Yusef in Pakistan and Nate Nickerson in Haiti, are joined by many others, including Bishop Wilson Kamani, Bishop of the Diocese of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan.
Bishop Wilson epitomizes the humility, grace under pressure, ingenuity, unwavering commitment, compassion and love for people that are hallmarks of the colleagues we partner with in Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Surrounded by suffering caused by extreme poverty, the aftermath of armed conflict and the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bishop Wilson works in the harshest of conditions. Yet his perennial optimism and belief that every person matters drive him forward each day as he works to ensure people in Ibba, including an ever growing population of people who’ve been displaced from their home communities by armed conflict and have fled to Ibba, have access to clean water, health education, proper sanitation and agricultural training. Hundreds of children are in school and receiving the social support they so desperately need because of Bishop Wilson’s efforts. He is also working with various ethnic groups in the region to help them overcome their differences and move forward together.
A tireless advocate for people experiencing extreme poverty, Bishop Wilson pursues his life’s work with passion and at great personal cost as he is often away from his family who live a multi-day drive away from Ibba.
Helping the people of Ibba cope with COVID-19 is an area of increasing focus for Bishop Wilson in addition to all of the other initiatives he continues to move forward.
“Our attempt as a Diocese is to sensitize our communities of the dangers of COVID-19 and teach them how they can stay healthy and safe from this virus. We are doing everything we can while maintaining basic safety measures such as physical distancing ourselves to generate maximum awareness. In the case of corona virus, the more people know about it, the more effectively they can protect themselves,” says Bishop Wilson Kamani.
We celebrate, with gratitude, the tireless efforts of the colleagues we partner with in the work HOPE donors support on World Humanitarian Day. To watch conversations with Jessica, Shahid and Nate, please visit hope-international.com.
