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THE WORLD CUP IN SUDAN: AFRICA HAS WON!

by father Danele Moschetti

For the people of Mapuordit (South Sudan) the World Football Cup 2010 that took place in South Africa, has been characterized by various events and African personalities that have given a new and interesting taste to the global and “glocal” competition.

Manut Bol: A man, a giant, a champion!

He surely was the most widely known Sudanese after the two Sudan Presidents. Omar El Bashir, with a warrant of arrest for war crimes and genocide, and John Garang, unforgettable leader of the South, tragically and mysteriously deceased in a flying accident during the year of the peace agreements, in July 2005.

Perhaps even most of you do not know Manut Bol, a sportsman for the South Sudan Basket that had a career in USA in the NBA, the top series of the world basket. This was during the war period in Sudan that lasted 21 years.

Very few took notice of his sudden death that took place during the period of the World Cup n South Africa. Manut Bol died at age 47 in a hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, killed by the rare disease known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome. He became sick here in Sudan, his native country, during one of his many humanitarian trips, a cause to which he dedicated all his life and his fortune. In the NBA he played for 10 years, a champion thanks to his 231 cm height and his lean body. Even his life became a legend. People said that when he was a boy he killed a lion with his bare hands; others said with a spear while the animal was sleeping.

Ciao Robi, it was nice to hear that you arrived well back to your family.

Hereby I appreciate the love and the moments we had together with the group from ITALY (LA GOCCIA). It was a good moment with them because they shared their experience with me and with also the boys of Tone La Maji in Ongata Rongai.

I do appreciate the president of La Goccia (Ernesto) for his love and kindness in sending us a great group from Italy. I personally learnt many things from  the group and also it was a good chance for me to make friendship with the group because the group was  ready to listen to the experience of different places where I was going with them like KIBERA, KOROGOCHO and KAHAWA. These are the slums in Nairobi where we  were walking around and SHARING experience together. I was very happy with the group because after the tour in Korogocho everybody was willing to come back to Koch to share difficulties with the people of Koch. I do give my thanks to the leader of the group ROBERTO RADICE for his hospitality  and for taking care of the group though it is not common for some people, but for him it was possible. I really pray, with my heart, the president of La Goccia to send more people so that we might understand each other.  Thank you very much ROBERTO FOR EVERYTHING WE HAVE DONE TOGETHER. KARIBU THEN AT KOCH.

Kevin Omondi

A new dawn finally visits Kenya after twenty years of struggles, frustrations and dilly dallying by the political elites in love with the sweet trappings of the status quo. The promulgation of the new constitution which was endorsed by more than 6 million Kenyans during the August 4^th referendum makes Kenyan one of the few countries in recent history to promulgate a constitution which is a product of a highly participatory and consultative process involving different classes of Kenyans..

The 27^th Day of August 2010 shall always remain a major day in the lifestyles of many Kenyans. For many of them, the day started earlier than usual. It was history repeating itself as thousands of Kenyans and hundreds of foreigners thronged the historic Uhuru Park as early as 3.00 am to attend and witness the promulgation of the county’s new constitution. The last time Kenyans were at Uhuru Park for a similar function, it was 47 years ago on 12 June 1963 as the British Colonial regime handed over instruments of power to the then first prime minister Jomo Kenyatta who later became Kenya’s first president. Uhuru Park actually got its name from this festivity. (Uhuru is Swahili version for ‘freedom’).

I left home a few minutes to 6.00am, a cold chilly morning breeze not brave enough to dampen my resolve to be part of history. Television footages showing that Uhuru Park was already full to capacity by 6.00am caused a brief panic in my stomach but I soldiered on. I arrived at Uhuru Park at 7.00 am only to be met by long snakes of impatient ‘history- makers- to- be’ who had been blocked from entering the park without security check. A claim that the park was already too full to allow more people in was the salvation that helped confirm that thousands of us will finally be part of history. Amid protests from a section of Kenyans that the 8.15am deadline to be seated at Uhuru Park was far from over, the tight human security wall was invaded and the police seemed to have surrendered the security touch and allowed the lot of us to pour into the direction of the park.