Former AAH-I Staff Awarded Civil Merit Medal
The Maridi State Government has honoured Redento Tombe, a former staff of Action Africa Help International (AAH-I) with an Order of Merit in recognition of his distinguished services and commitment to the people of South Sudan. The South Sudan Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Hon. Bashir Gbendi presented the medal to Redento on 1 September 2018.
“On behalf of the Maridi State, it gives me great pleasure to award this gold medal to Mr Redento. We thank you and AAH-I for your spirited, passionate dedication to communities in need regardless of the uncertain social and political climate.”
Redento (left) during the award ceremony
Redento worked for the South Sudan programme of AAH-I for more than 20 years, providing humanitarian assistance to refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities who suffered the consequences of political and social conflicts. The medal was awarded at the graduation ceremony of 37 students from the AAH-I-run Maridi School of Nursing and Midwifery. The Maridi State Governor Hon. Africano Mande, other state officials and two members of the AAH-I South Sudan Board attended the ceremony.
“I am very humbled to receive this medal, which I regard as a collective rather than an individual achievement. It represents years of laborious collective efforts between AAH-I, other humanitarian agencies and of course the government of South Sudan,” said Redento.
AAH-I South Sudan is the largest of AAH-I’s country programmes. The programme implements projects in health, food and income security, humanitarian assistance and capacity building for social cohesion and reintegration.