6th June 2010 (posted 8th June)
Well it has been less than a year since my last adventure in South Sudan. Many things have happened. The web site for OLSH has been set up http://www.olshoverseasaid.org and approximately A$25,000 has been raised in less than a year by many good people who gave their time and energy to achieve this. And it's a remarkable achievement. Money has been sent from far and wide. From the UK alone 2685 GBP has been raised.
The money has been put towards a huge range of good and needed things:
A new latrine block of which I will send a photo when I arrive.
Two nurses have been able to be sent to Juba to do further training. We hope they will become medical officers (step up from a nurse), then they will return to the hospital to work alongside the Dr and run the outpatient clinics etc.
One young girl has been sent for heart surgery to Khartoum and has returned looking extremely well I am told.
Equipment has been purchased, which I know is all in use. Some of the towels may have gone walkabout but that is OK - I can soon help to replace those.
Pauline’s emergency bottom drawer is ‘afloat’ again for when the very urgent, desperate situations arise and funds have to be found.
The money from the UK has purchased 100 GBP worth of nurses scissors and stethoscopes, and over A$2500 worth of medical books and DVDs for teaching purposes from a company called TALC (Teaching Aids at Low Cost). One box has arrived safely still awaiting the other two to come through, I have every confidence(you have to...)
So thank you to everyone who has supported this project, with time, funds and lots of energy; I am sure you all realise it has all gone to a very needy hospital in South Sudan. Who would have thought just a short trip by me to South Sudan would have generated so much interest, its great. Even Dick Smith (Aussie philanthropist) got on board with a donation.
This year my bag is packed again with the full 20kg allowance for the last leg of my trip - and the rest. Most of it for the hospital. A few pairs of knickers for me!!
Not quite sure how I will go writing the blog, as I saw everything for the first time last year and was just so blown away by how people barely survive and live under such difficult conditions. I wanted to share it all with you to help you visualise these conditions. This year I know it will be different but Ian tells me I have to try and keep you all enlightened!!!
I have had a hectic two weeks getting everything ready. I was thrown somewhat when I had an urgent request to see if I could bring any phenobarbitone over with me, as the malaria season had started early and many of the children with malaria were having convulsions, and the drug that the hospital has was not helping them. Unfortunately, it could not be purchased in Kenya or Italy, so they were desperate. Perhaps Ian may have told you all this.
For those of you who don’t know, this drug is a schedule 4 drug so is not available over the counter and a Dr would only be able to write a script for it if it was for your own use. So somewhat of a dilemma. Anyway, to cut a very long story short, I managed to get a small quantity. With lots of help from the Department of Health for an export licence, a very generous drug company and a very helpful pharmacist and hospital who let it all happen.
The next problem was, I can get it out of Australia, but what will happen when I go in and out of South Africa and Kenya. I warned my girls they may hear of a 63 year old grandmother being thrown in to jail for drug running. They said ‘well last year it was smuggling a skeleton into the country’, so they'll be expecting something odd from you! If you remember I look a small skeleton over for the student nurses' anatomy classes. It was made of plastic but the soldiers at Nairobi airport took a lot of convincing.
Well my journey has begun and I am once again in Nairobi awaiting my flight into Rumbek, Sudan, tomorrow.
The flight was packed from Sydney to Johannesburg, full of soccer fans heading for the World Cup. There was great excitement as everyone seemed to be discussing what tickets they had and which the best teams were. All a bit worried about the Ghana vs Australia match ‘will be a tough game’. That's what they said.. what would I know? More concerned about carrying the pheno! The arrival hall decorated with posters and a giant soccer ball was hanging from the ceiling.
The roads to and from the airport are lined with flags from every nation, everywhere is clear of the rubbish we saw last year, the roads are all marked well. A new rail line has been put in to move fans around. There is even a park and ride service with new buses. A first for JB as there has been no public transport to talk of before!!
They seem to be ready for the games - it all had a good feel to it, many people have been given work, not for long but at least they will earn a little. I even was driven past the stadium where the opening game will be played, very impressive.
The best thing, I got through with the drugs no problem, they were more interested to see if I had any food in my bags not drugs.
JB to Nairobi was fine, again no issue with the drugs so I only have to leave Kenya for Sudan now. There is something about going through customs - I always feel guilty even when I am not carrying anything I shouldn’t (which is almost all the time!).
The diocesan driver was also there to meet me this time at Jomo Kenyatta Airport in NBI, so all going well so far.
Well it has been less than a year since my last adventure in South Sudan. Many things have happened. The web site for OLSH has been set up http://www.olshoverseasaid.org and approximately A$25,000 has been raised in less than a year by many good people who gave their time and energy to achieve this. And it's a remarkable achievement. Money has been sent from far and wide. From the UK alone 2685 GBP has been raised.
The money has been put towards a huge range of good and needed things:
A new latrine block of which I will send a photo when I arrive.
Two nurses have been able to be sent to Juba to do further training. We hope they will become medical officers (step up from a nurse), then they will return to the hospital to work alongside the Dr and run the outpatient clinics etc.
One young girl has been sent for heart surgery to Khartoum and has returned looking extremely well I am told.
Equipment has been purchased, which I know is all in use. Some of the towels may have gone walkabout but that is OK - I can soon help to replace those.
Pauline’s emergency bottom drawer is ‘afloat’ again for when the very urgent, desperate situations arise and funds have to be found.
The money from the UK has purchased 100 GBP worth of nurses scissors and stethoscopes, and over A$2500 worth of medical books and DVDs for teaching purposes from a company called TALC (Teaching Aids at Low Cost). One box has arrived safely still awaiting the other two to come through, I have every confidence(you have to...)
So thank you to everyone who has supported this project, with time, funds and lots of energy; I am sure you all realise it has all gone to a very needy hospital in South Sudan. Who would have thought just a short trip by me to South Sudan would have generated so much interest, its great. Even Dick Smith (Aussie philanthropist) got on board with a donation.
This year my bag is packed again with the full 20kg allowance for the last leg of my trip - and the rest. Most of it for the hospital. A few pairs of knickers for me!!
Not quite sure how I will go writing the blog, as I saw everything for the first time last year and was just so blown away by how people barely survive and live under such difficult conditions. I wanted to share it all with you to help you visualise these conditions. This year I know it will be different but Ian tells me I have to try and keep you all enlightened!!!
I have had a hectic two weeks getting everything ready. I was thrown somewhat when I had an urgent request to see if I could bring any phenobarbitone over with me, as the malaria season had started early and many of the children with malaria were having convulsions, and the drug that the hospital has was not helping them. Unfortunately, it could not be purchased in Kenya or Italy, so they were desperate. Perhaps Ian may have told you all this.
For those of you who don’t know, this drug is a schedule 4 drug so is not available over the counter and a Dr would only be able to write a script for it if it was for your own use. So somewhat of a dilemma. Anyway, to cut a very long story short, I managed to get a small quantity. With lots of help from the Department of Health for an export licence, a very generous drug company and a very helpful pharmacist and hospital who let it all happen.
The next problem was, I can get it out of Australia, but what will happen when I go in and out of South Africa and Kenya. I warned my girls they may hear of a 63 year old grandmother being thrown in to jail for drug running. They said ‘well last year it was smuggling a skeleton into the country’, so they'll be expecting something odd from you! If you remember I look a small skeleton over for the student nurses' anatomy classes. It was made of plastic but the soldiers at Nairobi airport took a lot of convincing.
Well my journey has begun and I am once again in Nairobi awaiting my flight into Rumbek, Sudan, tomorrow.
The flight was packed from Sydney to Johannesburg, full of soccer fans heading for the World Cup. There was great excitement as everyone seemed to be discussing what tickets they had and which the best teams were. All a bit worried about the Ghana vs Australia match ‘will be a tough game’. That's what they said.. what would I know? More concerned about carrying the pheno! The arrival hall decorated with posters and a giant soccer ball was hanging from the ceiling.
The roads to and from the airport are lined with flags from every nation, everywhere is clear of the rubbish we saw last year, the roads are all marked well. A new rail line has been put in to move fans around. There is even a park and ride service with new buses. A first for JB as there has been no public transport to talk of before!!
They seem to be ready for the games - it all had a good feel to it, many people have been given work, not for long but at least they will earn a little. I even was driven past the stadium where the opening game will be played, very impressive.
The best thing, I got through with the drugs no problem, they were more interested to see if I had any food in my bags not drugs.
JB to Nairobi was fine, again no issue with the drugs so I only have to leave Kenya for Sudan now. There is something about going through customs - I always feel guilty even when I am not carrying anything I shouldn’t (which is almost all the time!).
The diocesan driver was also there to meet me this time at Jomo Kenyatta Airport in NBI, so all going well so far.
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