Blog
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Important Meetings Held in Juba
March 5, 2010
At the time when the John Dau Foundation constructed the Duk Lost Boys Clinic in May 2007, South Sudan was deserted—there were few non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating, the Ministries and government infrastructure was extremely limited, and the country was just starting to rebuild itself. Juba, the capital of South Sudan, is not what many would consider a capital city in today’s world. Only its main roads are paved, most houses are “tukuls” or shacks fashioned with iron sheets, electricity is very sparce, and there is no central water or sewage system. However, work is continuing, and John Dau Foundation staff and the DLBC’s Clinic Manager spent several weeks in Juba last month. They spent their time there networking and coordinating resources with other NGOs, meeting with Ministry officials, and picking up the Clinic’s first vehicle. The vehicle was recently purchased in Nairobi with funds generously provided by our supporters.
The meetings included talks with the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide testing supplies for diseases such as Kala Azar, meningitis, and cholera, all of which are potentially endemic diseases that the Clinic works hard to monitor. There have been dozens of cases of meningitis throughout South Sudan in recent weeks, including one in Duk County. The Clinic staff reported the details of the case to the WHO, and in that same week, the Clinic’s outreach team was in the area where the case occured conducting immunizations. JDF also participated in the monthly South Sudan Health Forum, a meeting of health NGOs in South Sudan.
Also during the trip, staff worked out procurement for yearly supplies of fuel, construction materials, and other items, all of which will be delivered to the Clinic by truck, a journey that can take up to three days. This procurement is especially important now, as the Clinic works to pre-position supplies ahead of the rainy season, which runs from May until October. It is also in preparation for the January 2011 elections in Sudan, where services and supply lines could be interrupted or delayed. During those times, the only supplies that can reach the area must come by charter plane to the dirt airstrip next to the Clinic.
Slowly, South Sudan is rebuilding after the 21-year civil war that ravaged the country and forced out much of the population. Thanks to the efforts of JDF and other groups, the people of Sudan are slowly rebuilding their lives. It’s a process that no doubt takes time, but as proof of all the great things happening at the Clinic, in the words of John Dau, “Hope is never lost.”
