Dear Friend,

                                                 

August is the middle of the rainy season and the time of the most acute food shortages. This time of year we have what’s called a ‘hunger gap’ which is the time from when last year’s food has run out and people have yet to harvest this year’s crop. The hunger gap is normally from the end of June through August. The problem is that this year’s hunger gap started in March and has gotten progressively worse over the past few months. The women from the villages have lined up at the hospital gate every morning since March offering to work for a small amount of grain. The grain meant for general distribution has been getting depleted as more and more women come seeking work in exchange for food. It’s very difficult to send a hungry person away especially when they are willing to work for their food. Our staff have no food at home and come to us asking for help. We are a hospital and we struggle to take care of the huge number of patients that come to us every day. However, as one of the few functioning institutions in a region wracked by civil war and poverty, we have to take on the role of humanitarian food relief as well because the large international organizations that normally perform this role are barred from entering the Nuba Mountains by order of the Sudan government.  Despite these challenges, we are hopeful that the Nuba people will make it through this trying period with their characteristic resilience and toughness.

Last month, we experienced a major flood at the hospital as the normally dry river beds filled with water and overflowed its banks after a torrential downpour. The hospital building was under water as the river flowed swiftly through the hospital grounds. I went to the operating room to find our equipment floating around on a foot and a half of water. Our staff reacted quickly to the crisis by getting the critically ill patients evacuated to higher ground and continuing on with their treatment. It took us two days to get to get the place cleaned up but we managed to continue with all of our usual services with no major disruptions. Because of the grace of God, there was no major damage or loss of life although our main 25 kW generator has been damaged and rendered unusable. The river bed has now changed course and leaves us vulnerable to repeated floods so we are trying to find ways now to divert the river’s course and protect the river banks from further erosion.

In the midst of these difficulties we place our trust in the Lord that He will see us through. With every challenge, there is a sign of hope to buoy our spirits and keep us moving ahead. A newborn baby recently came to us with a rare condition called a sacral myelomeningocele. This is a condition where the baby has a congenital defect in the spinal canal and develops a large sac at the base of the lower back full of spinal fluid and nerve tissue. The anesthesia was expertly done by two of our local nurses who received their anesthesia training at Kijabe Mission Hospital in Kenya supported by African Mission Healthcare Foundation. The operation was a success and the baby can expect a normal life.

As a mission hospital in remote rebel held territory, we are almost completely dependent on donors to allow us to continue the work in taking care of the Nuba people. I want to offer my heartfelt gratitude to all of our donors for their generous contributions. 

God bless you,