South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Turkiye Diyanet Foundation working in coordination with the Turkish Embassy in Juba and the South Sudan Islamic Council, has distributed 100,000 packages of meat to families across South Sudan.
The initiative aims to share the spirit of generosity and solidarity with communities in need during the sacred occasion.
Metin Ergin, the Turkish ambassador to South Sudan, said the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation is distributing meat for the festive activities of Eid al-Adha, during which many cattle have been slaughtered.
“This year, with the support of the Diyanet Foundation, we are slaughtering 2,250 cattle. In almost all of the states of South Sudan, there has been a distribution of meat. I believe we will distribute more than 100,000 meat packages to families,” said Ergin.
“This is a symbolic sharing of our joy at this feast. We will share it with all the citizens of South Sudan, regardless of creed. I would like to underline our full, solid friendship with the people of South Sudan and the strong bonds between our two peoples,” he added.
Venansio Amum Deng Ajak, the first deputy Secretary-General of the South Sudan Islamic Council, said the people of South Sudan celebrate Eid al-Adha with support from the Turkish Embassy and the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation.
“The Turkish Embassy offers us Eid al-Adha, which involves a cow being slaughtered and distributed to the poor in South Sudan. This is a great deed, one that brings the Turkish people closer to the people of South Sudan,” said Ajak.
“As a member of the Islamic Council of South Sudan, I am very grateful to the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation for providing this Eid al-Adha support. I am also thankful to the Turkish Embassy in South Sudan. God willing, we wish them success and prosperity in South Sudan,” he said.
Furkan Mustafa Akçakıl, the foreign education services specialist, said the Turkish charity has, over the past six years, conducted charity and social projects in South Sudan, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
“We have donated and distributed food packages, and currently, we are here to slaughter 2,250 cattle in six different regions, so we can distribute more than 100,000 packages to underprivileged families,” said Akçakıl.
“Meanwhile, while we are slaughtering cattle, they are preparing the packages, and we are distributing them immediately. I think so far, we have distributed to maybe 10,000 people, and lastly, we will never leave the South Sudan community.”
The donations offered by the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation are being undertaken in six different states in South Sudan, including Wau in Western Bahr el Ghazal, Malakal in Upper Nile State, Kuajok in Warrap State, and Torit in Eastern Equatoria State, among others.
