Sudan
Why are we working here?
Civil wars, tribal struggles and ongoing conflicts over natural resources have left parts of Sudan desperately poor and underdeveloped. War, drought, famine and floods have all plagued Southern Sudan in recent decades and millions of its people live in poverty as a result.
In terms of education, approximately only 20% of Southern Sudan’s children attend school overall. It is also estimated that only 500 girls attend secondary school throughout the entire region, which has a population of over 8 million. There is also a significant lack of facilities. Less than 10% of Southern Sudan’s teachers are formally trained. Most teachers receive no pay, including principals. As a result, Literacy rates in Southern Sudan stand at a paltry 24%. Literacy rates for male and females in Northern Sudan stand at 71% and 52% respectively while it stands at 37% and 12% in Southern Sudan.
What we do
Vocational Training
African Revival continues to sponsor students at Yei Vocational Training Centre (YVTC). The YVTC are responding to the huge need for builders, carpenters, mechanics and drivers to help rebuild the south of the country. There are plenty of people that are in need of learning the skills necessary for these professions, as returning refugees and demobilised soldiers urgently look for ways to earn a living and provide for their families. African Revival has sponsored a number of students through their training over the past two years. The Mechanics and Driving course is particularly popular. With African Revival’s support, the YVTC hopes to continue to expand and take in higher numbers of students with each year. We also support a small crafts industry for the women of the area, by requesting them to make thank you cards and Christmas cards which we then sell on. This provides these women with a small income for themselves.
Martha Health Clinic
African Revival started to fund the Martha Health Clinic in 2007 through our partners John & Poppy Spens. The clinic is a primary care centre managed by the Episcopal Church of Sudan. Our funding means that the clinic now offers ante natal courses and child immunisation schemes which should help to reduce the mortality rates and improve the overall development of the area.
African Revival continues to support the Martha Health Clinic. Thanks to funding from African Revival, a part-time public health manager and full-time public health assistant have recently been appointed. Necessary equipment and medicines have also been purchased. The number of patients the clinic is able to treat and deal with efficiently has increased rapidly in recent months as a result.
The clinic is now able to treat over 2500 patients a month. The staff are coping brilliantly and are very capably treating and caring for these patients. African Revival is funding the improvement of effective testing facilities, treatment and prevention programmes of malaria and other diseases. In addition, our support has enabled the clinic to employ a Health Educator, who is now busy teaching patients about important health issues, such as encouraging use of clean water and sanitation, rubbish disposal, diet etc..
A programme of vaccination continues to thrive thanks to the provision of a vaccine fridge, along with radio advertisements and the help of visiting UK practice nurses. African Revival also provided much of the funding for the clinic’s new waiting room which has been recently completed, as well as furnishing and redecorating the clinic. This has greatly improved conditions at the clinic in order to provide the most proficient treatment environment for the patients.
Additional Projects
We have also sent out medical equipment in containers to go to Yei hospital as well as the Kadugli hospital. This will help to refurbish and replenish the supplies of children’s orthopaedic and respiratory equipment as well as day to day medical supplies.