their idea: bring healthcare to rural villagers in
Duk, South Sudan
$32 Provides malaria medication for 400 in-patients
$45 Treats 100 children with pneumonia
$85 Pays the costs for five individuals to visit the clinic
$500 Covers the salary of a clinic nurse for one month
$2,000 Provides 1 month's worth of clinic medicines and supplies
the power of their idea
Project Details
The John Dau Foundation (JDF) opened the Duk Payuel Primary Health Care Clinic (the "Duk Lost Boys Clinic") in May 2007 in Duk Payuel, Duk County, Jonglei State, South Sudan. In 2008, Groundwork Opportunities partnered with The John Dau Foundation to further aid all populations in the region, especially children and women benefiting from improved maternity care and nutritional support.
The needs of Duk County are great as the area was nearly abandoned after the 21-year civil war. Upon the birth of South Sudan as an independent nation , people have slowly been returning over the past five years, many settling in Duk because of the health services offered there by the Duk Lost Boys Clinic (DLBC). Duk County has the highest number of displaced people in 2009 of any county in Jonglei State, despite it being one of the smallest counties. It was also predicted for 2011 as "Very Food Insecure" by the World Food Program. In August 2010, severe flooding hit the region and displaced thousands of people who are in urgent need at the moment.
Today, the Duk Lost Boys Clinic is the most comprehensive health facility in the area with a clinical staff that includes two Clinical Officers, one Community Midwife, three nurses, Nutrition & HIV program staff, as well as pharmacy and laboratory facilities staffed by qualified personnel. The Clinic also runs a full spectrum of outreach programs, including mass de-worming, Vitamin A campaigns, trainings for Traditional
Birth Attendants, a youth drama club which promotes HIV/AIDS awareness to more than 1,000 people in Duk County every year, and staff of Primary Health Care Units (PHCU's). The clinic has had a Tuberculosis (TB/DOTS) program since January 2009 (a 92% cure rate) and is now offering voluntary counseling & testing and emergency blood transfusions for mothers with postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), severe anemia, or trauma. The clinic is the lead recipient of vaccines for Duk County from the Jonglei State Ministry of Health, and has a cold chain system powered by solar energy.
- More than 52,000 patients have received life-saving medical care at the clinic since it opened in May 2007
- The clinic is currently seeing between 75-150 patients per day with a record of 204 in one day. Some walk more than 30 miles to the clinic in order to receive health services
- Over 1,000 expectant mothers have visited the clinic to receive pre-natal care. In a country where the maternal and child mortality rates are the highest in the world, this care has saved countless lives of both mothers and babies
- More than 100 Sudanese have been trained by clinic staff, including traditional birth attendants, community health workers, and the Duk County Drama Club
- 18 international doctors have visited and worked at the clinic from one to four weeks at a time
the impact of our support
Peter's Story
Peter Lim is a nutritionist at the Clinic and one of the most genuinely jolly people we have ever met. His favorite memory? At only 11 years of age, he was captured by rebels from the North. "They made me a child soldier. You cannot imagine the things I had to do. But I escaped in the night like a snake. I ran. And I lived. And that is so happy to think about." And if he could have one super power? He answers without question: "I would eliminate all evil and bring everyone peace. And anyone who is wanting, I would give them what they need."
Imagine. A refugee, a child soldier, a man who has seen more suffering in this world than anyone we have ever met, believing in peace and love and hope. The suffering has not defined him. What defines him is his love and his happiness. What defines him now is his job as a nutritionist helping the malnourished children of Duk Payal.