South Sudan: “I believe that God’s time is best”
“It is so encouraging seeing very sick children recovering and able to walk home,” says Charles Agele (pictured below), one of the incredible members of the team at the Martha Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC) in South Sudan.
Charles spent several years as the manager of the centre, but he retrained as a nurse, and we recently caught up with him after his first year working in the children’s ward.
Tragically, one in ten children will die before the age of five in South Sudan. An estimated 75% of childhood deaths here are from preventable diseases, such as malaria and pneumonia. This is why the work of the Martha PHCC and people like Charles is so vital. “I am here to save lives,” Charles says.
He tells the story of a young boy he treated recently, Kennedy. Kennedy was admitted to the Martha children’s ward with a very high temperature and having convulsions. He also had a swollen area around his eye.
After Charles ruled out various possible causes, Kennedy’s eye was shown to the ophthalmic clinical officer at the Martha eye clinic and he found that Kennedy had orbital cellulitis, and possibly sepsis. He was given paracetamol, intravenous antibiotics and IV fluids. After five days, Kennedy was able to go home.
Suzan, Kennedy’s mother, said, “I did not know what to do as I was so anxious when he had a fit. Honestly, we want to say thank you to the Martha clinic for saving him. There is nothing we can give you to thank you, apart from asking God to bless you all.”
With support from people like you, MAI contributes towards the running costs of the Martha PHCC, helping the vital work of people like Charles to continue, despite insecurity in the region and high inflation over the last few years.
Charles says, “Thank you to those who are supporting Martha. The truth is that without external support, Martha would not survive. We really want to express our gratitude for this great support.”
He asks for our continuing prayers. “We kindly request our friends to pray for peace in South Sudan.”
When he looks to the future, Charles is hopeful. “One day South Sudan will be a place for every person in the world to visit. When God is done with his plan, South Sudan will be a place of comfort. I believe that God’s time is the best.”
Thank you once again for supporting amazing health care workers like Charles, who are bringing health and hope to some of the world’s poorest communities.
This update was included in our latest annual review. You can read our annual review online here, and find more inspiring stories of how our partners are bringing health and hope to those facing their hardest times.
