In Renk, South Sudan, the hot sun shines over the dustbowl, and makeshift structures glint in the distance. The roads test all who travel them. Mobile networks are congested, and safety is a fluid situation. And yet, we continue with quiet resolve to move ahead and take our stand. 

Humanitarian work at large is in global crisis. The funding cuts are so deep that some lifesaving programs have come to a halt, donors are shifting their priorities, and the future is uncertain for millions of displaced people. In many cases, it led to organizations cutting back or abstaining from continuing their work altogether. 

However, for Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), we decided that it is not the time to walk away. This is the time to lean in. For at the core of our mission is a promise to Accompany, Serve and Advocate on behalf of the forcibly displaced. This is the promise that keeps our staff showing up every day even as the world turns its gaze to something else. 

In Renk, one of the two toughest operations in South Sudan, both geographically and climatically, Felix Omollo, our Project Director, starts his day early in the morning. The urgent calls leave his phone brimming with emergency requests and new problems.

“It is fulfilling as a link in helping displaced populations in vulnerable conditions to get services and to witness joy in their eyes when their lives change for the better. Despite working in tough conditions in Maban and Renk, often characterized by constant insecurity and perennial floods, making a positive difference in people’s lives is always rewarding and keeps me going.’’ 

The roads wash out during the rainy season, security can change from safe to unsafe overnight, and Felix never counts the obstacles. His day is marked by the satisfaction that he gets from seeing support for schoolgoing children, families getting a hot meal and women acquiring skills to better themselves, enabling them to provide for their families.

He has become a pillar in a place where pillars are rare. Works without fanfare, without complaint, and without ever placing himself above the people he serves. His resilience is not loud, it is steady, the kind of quiet strength that endures when circumstances scream “stop”. 

And then there’s Steve Oten, the Deputy Project Director for JRS in Maban. When the funding froze and a stop work order was issued by the US Government, . Steve was among the staff who found themselves out of a job, since the project was fully supported  through the US Government funding. Steve was back home after being a part of the community for years. For three months, he waited. He would have simply looked for another job, embraced the comfort of a paycheck and moved on with life. However, when he got the call to resume lifesaving programs, he quietly packed his bags and returned to Maban. 

His story is one of deep loyalty, not just to JRS, but to the people who have become his neighbours, his friends, his extended family. For Steve, service is not a job description. It is a calling. 

“Being part of the humanitarian community provides an inspiring opportunity for us to utilize our skills and experiences to alleviate suffering and poverty in the world. This has been the most fulfilling experience of my life” 

The resilience of JRS does not stop in South Sudan. Across the Eastern and Southern Africa Region, a lean team continues to push beyond limits. With minimal resources, they offer technical expertise, guidance and support in education, psychosocial support, peace building and reconciliation, and advocacy for forcibly displaced people often covering vast geographic areas. 

 In Malawi, they stand alongside displaced families navigating complex processes. In Mozambique, they work in communities recovering from both conflict and climate disasters, ensuring that the forcibly displaced are not left behind in national recovery plans. In South Africa, they walk with asylum seekers in urban settings, offering  support, skills training, and the encouragement needed to start anew in a place that can feel overwhelming. 

They bear down to build, motivated by the promise of faith that even the smallest acts (a literacy workshop, a hot meal) can alter an individual destiny. This resolve in the face of such adversity shows that resilience is not defined by numbers, but by action. 

 On this World Humanitarian Day 2025, we mark a date on the calendar, and we tell the world that: despite the storm, we are still grounded in our Mission. Felix staying in South Sudan, Steve going back again, the team in South Sudan, and other countries, together with the relentless work of our Eastern and Southern Africa  Regional team in, they are what make JRS live. 

We celebrate every staff member,the workers toiling in the field, the hidden ones behind computers monitoring and coordinating what seems like it could not possibly be done. We salute their resolve to continue the fight in an uncertain world, to bear any burden, and to shoulder any sacrifice for the sake of all people. 

Irrespective of how the world evolves, our commitment to forced displacements remain unaltered. We will Accompany. We will Serve. We will Advocate. Always.