Omilling is about 62 kilometers from Torit’s state capital. Accessing either is virtually impossible for villagers because there are no paved roads or public transportation to get there.
A volunteer worked 50 hours in the past two weeks to ensure that a donated Land Rover is prepared for its new role in south Sudan.
The Land Rover is cleaned, passed EU traffic test, and painted Green. It has left the Sweden port of Wallham on November 19 by EUKOR Car Carriers Inc, and is expected to arrive Mombasa, on December 25th, 2011.
The numbers of people calling to volunteer are enormous, but they have always asked if Hope Ofiriha provides a car for field work. We always replied “no”, but the phone lines haven’t kept quiet ever since we appealed for more volunteers to help build Mairo primary school. Their demand is a dream came true, and the car is only driven 35000 kilometers.
The car is capable of transporting 2 tons, or carries 10 people including a driver. It will be able to reach communities in remote, difficult-to-access rural areas as it will be able to travel off-road. This is a good match for extremely bad brush roads in Magwi county.
Reaching rural communities have been a major challenge not only for Hope Ofiriha, but also for other humanitarian agencies working in south Sudan. The size of the land Rover and its capabilities will go some way towards meeting that challenge.
The car is expected to be on road early January when it gets a new registration number plate in Juba. The car will also be put at the disposal of Onura Maternity Survival project.
