Mark It 1.11.11

Yesterday I tagged along with the older girls to go vote.  Watching them drop their ballots in the box felt momentous and I was filled with hope and joy for them and the rest of the people of South Sudan.  It was difficult to gauge if the girls shared the same sentiments, but I'm sure some day they'll have a greater awareness of how significant this day was in their lives.   After we got back to the orphanage I asked the girls who are also in my English class to write a journal entry about their morning; here are some of their words.

"Today I went to the referendum. It was sunny and it was very cold in the morning.  The referendum place was peaceful.  The people will tell you the two hands [on the ballot] is unity and one hand is separation.  And I chose the one with one hand."  - Anna Gaba

"Today it was a very nice day.  We went with Sister Mary to vote during the referendum. We walked three miles to the polling place.  There were policemen and one police woman.  The police told us to go to a line to a house where I can vote.  I was given a ballot and we were told to put our finger into the ink and put it onto the ballot.  I was told to take the paper and go to the booth so I went and I put my finger into the ink.  So I put, and I voted for separation."  - Nunas Mambu

"Today is a vote day for the people.  I am hoping that this referendum will be good and peace  [sic].  I am also hoping for good news to come after the vote.  I am praying that Sudan will become a independent country.  May the peace of the Lord be with us in Sudan." - Grace Tabu

Despite being warned that the government officials can be really sensitive about photographers at the polls I took my camera and fortunately the man in charge gave me permission to take pictures of the girls voting.  I also asked El Jefe if I could have a few ballots as souvenirs.  "I'll rip them in half so they won't be eligible!  I don't want to vote, I just want to put it on my wall as decoration!" I promised, but he could not be swayed:  "That's very unpossible," he said.  Sorry Sarah Drake, I tried.  (Also, "very unpossible" is my new favorite phrase.)

Scraps of a poster reminding people to bring their registration cards to the polls.

Sneak attack picture of the polling center. 

Charity, Leah, Nunas, Victoria, Anna, and Sylvia listen to instructions about marking their ballots.  

Hellen holds a ballot and her registration card.

Victoria and Nunas mark their ballots in secret.

Winny drops her ballot.  No turning back!

With Sylvia, Eva, Nunas and Hellen. 

My journal entry for 1.11.11

This morning I woke up at 6:00am shivering because of 50 degree temperatures - so much for summer along the equator.  I slipped on a pair of pants and a sweatshirt before I remembered some disturbing and annoying rumors.  Allegedly there have been a few recent cases of women being fined for wearing pants while in the market, and not wanting to risk a fine (or worse) I changed out of my pants into a long skirt - thank you, remnants of Sharia law.  

After breakfast I left with the girls for the polling station, which was three miles away from Harvesters.  They were in no hurry and I realized that they were just as excited to get away from the orphanage as they were to cast their votes in an historic referendum. They chatted and joked in Arabic while I took pictures and focused on not tripping over the trash or goat poop that cluttered the ditches along the road.

We arrived at the polling station (a big mud hut) an hour later.  In the front was a rag-tag bunch of people in uniforms with guns (probably AK-47s?) and while I wasn't surprised to see them it's always a bit startling to see assault rifles in public.  One guy wore a uniform of blue camouflage, another man's uniform was brown camo, and there were two women (also with guns) who were police officers in mall-cop attire.  And of course they were all in flip flips which gave them a comical air, so despite the guns I didn't have much confidence in their protection.  Fortunately we didn't need it at all because the morning was incredibly peaceful.  The girls waited in line while I weighed my options about taking pictures of said soldiers until I decided against it.  I watched as the girls slowly went to the cardboard booth and placed an ink fingerprint next to the ‘SEPARATION’ choice then dropped their ballots in the sealed box.

The past has not necessarily been easy or good to these girls, but on a cool January morning in 2011 they made a distinct, immutable mark for a future full of hope and opportunity that can overshadow the adversities of their pasts. 

The vast majority of the people in South Sudan are voting for separation, which has likely contributed to a relatively peaceful vote so far.  There have been several attacks along the border of North and South Sudan in the past few days but nothing of significance in other areas.  The last day of voting is Saturday, January 15 and the outcome will be announced February 14 if everything remains on schedule.  Until then we’re hoping and praying that peace will continue, that voter turn-out will remain high, and the decision will be respected by the North.  Amen and amen.