Anne & Pauline with compound cook & family

Recycled bucket

Hospital Security

28th September 2011

The students will be sitting the First Aid exam this afternoon. This will be a test of my teaching skills, and I do hope they all pass. If not, it has been known for students not to look kindly on the teacher!!!! Get my drift? In my first year here, a local teacher was badly beaten by a student whom he had failed!

The rain seems to be easing a little, not every day now, but when it does it comes down in buckets. A river runs between here and the hospital. I worked all day yesterday in P’s wellie boots, does terrible things to my bunions!

Found a dead scorpion in my room last week that had not been there in the morning….they get washed out of their nests by the rain and seek dry ground. So, I hope that whatever killed it will remain for any future invaders…...

Helped P on Sunday to deliver a very healthy looking baby boy; a difficult birth, but as usual those expert hands were amazing. With the addition of the extension on the maternity unit there is now running water all the time (in the past, it was hit and miss, and only if you could access a usable tap). As you can imagine, having water at the birth is very useful!

Now also, the mother can stand in a bowl in a small enclosure and wash herself, also the floor has been tiled for easy mopping...it’s called “all mod cons”!!

The babies continue to suffer, mostly with malaria and anaemia, Hb’s of 3-4, just so low. Two little ones died yesterday afternoon and a girl of about 4yr this am early. As I think I have said before, they arrive so late due to no roads, lack of transport and lack of knowledge.

In 2009, there was a fantastic malaria program running, mozzie nets given out to all the families and isolated villages, education programs given in their own language.
One person in each small community was trained to give out first-line treatment and advice.

In the middle of last year, the funding was removed (World Health Organisation), “kalas” (Dinka for finish). It has been devastating for the people. The biggest killer in Africa, and no funding.

It is now up to the South Sudanese government to do it. The new government has not yet been able to form any polices on malaria management, and I am sure it will remain that way for a long time. Meanwhile the death rate is increasing, there are no nets to be bought in the market, and many people are still sleeping outside in the open, since their houses were burnt out in March –April.
A sad, sad state of affairs.

We have just heard that the two roads from Juba are flooded and impassable so there are no supplies coming through. It has been like this for one week but just heard. That will account for the shortage of food like sugar, tea, coffee (not grown in this area) in the market. There is nothing there to buy and supplies of everything in the food line are very low. Can’t wait for a cup of tea, we have run out, and coffee is very low. Stick a loo roll in your bag, even these are going down fast. No lorries are coming through.

The poor local people - if there is anything in the market, the price is very high.

Yesterday the roof of the dining room in the Volunteers’ Compound collapsed - water everywhere! There was so much rain. P is frantically trying to find a new place for us all to eat.

There was only one place in Rumbek you could get petrol and he only had enough for 2 more days, that is up to today, then nothing.

I just hope the Brothers have a little in a tank to get Ian here and both of us out!!! Help!