"A lot of good work is ongoing here, despite the continued closure of all institutes of learning, which of course impacts us significantly. We have been forced to consider how we can embrace technology in more creative and enabling ways in service to our mission. We are rising to that challenge", says South Sudan Country Director, Noelle Fitzpatrick, who sent us this update about the evolving situation in the country.

Ethiopia hosts the second-largest number of refugees in Africa, after Uganda. IJM and Misean Cara are funding a Covid-19 emergency response by the Jesuit Refugee Service(JRS) in Ethiopia, which currently has more than 730,000 registered refugees from surrounding countries.

In Uganda, the Covid-19 lockdown has had devastating effects on the lives of the population, leaving people without a way to make an income and children without access to school.  "The number of hungry people is very high, children are malnourished, and especially sick people and pregnant women have huge problems" says Fr Frido Pfleuger SJ, Director of JRS Uganda, who updated us about the latest developments in the country and the lengths that the organisation is going to, to help communities get through this difficult period.

Cura personalis or ‘care for the whole person’ is a hallmark of Ignatian Spirituality and therefore is a key principle of the Jesuit ethos. It is a holistic approach to health – physical, psychological, and spiritual – which informs our response to the needs of vulnerable communities who are dealing with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.