Bringing medicine, bringing hope
It only takes about $50 worth of medicine to save a life from malaria, but once it runs out, there is no other option to save a life in South Sudan.
That is what sticks with Debby Bowers when she returns home to Greystone.
When she first arrived in South Sudan in 2010, her team brought a traveling medical clinic to villages, setting up shop in an area where the only man-made structures visible for miles were grass huts. Kids peered through the walls to watch their work as if it were a movie.
There they saw people suffering from malaria, asthma triggered by cooking over fire, gastrointestinal problems caused by drinking dirt-infused water, as well as ear infections, sinus infections and other common ailments seen among children back in the States.
There, people only see a doctor when the doctor comes to them.
In a country with the highest maternal mortality rate in the world (2,054 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to International Medical Corps), and where one quarter of babies die before their fifth birthday, Bowers’ organization, MedHope, couldn’t afford to spend money on a building over medication itself. That’s why they chose a mobile clinic model, where they provide medical, dental and vision care for up to 250 patients daily, as opposed to the 10 they saw in the hospital where the system is overwhelmed.
Families in rural villages there have to walk two days to get to a hospital, they knew, and that means leaving behind other children and farmland to be ravaged by monkeys without their watch. Once they arrive, there is no guarantee they will see a doctor, and no guarantee the medicine they need will be available.
However, with the mobile clinic model, the MedHope is still able to spend all its money on medicine and people directly, and officials in the country have taken note. MedHope has been asked to speak to other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the area and provide guidance for the state department of health to adopt the model.
Bowers was first drawn to Sudan when she met their current field partner back in 2006 in Birmingham. She heard him talk about his people and the 50 years of war his country suffered from.
“I just know I am going to work with them,” she told her husband, Don, who replied simply that Sudan wasn’t safe.
Jeffries came back in 2009 and had dinner with friends at her house. That night her husband said he knew they were supposed to help him. And in 2010 they entered the country
“I fell in love with Sudan,” she said. “Don went and said he thought this was where we were supposed to serve for the rest of our lives.”
The Bowers worked with mobile clinics through several organizations starting with a team of 12 in 2010, and last year launched their own organization, MedHope, to focus on serving people specifically in South Sudan.
“South Sudan is so needy, it can be all consuming,” Bowers said. “Anything you can contribute is valuable.”
More than resources, though, they want to invest in people by training health care works and supporting clean water initiatives.
MedHope teams also share their Christian faith in their clinics with those who are interested. Because most people they work with have never seen anything outside their villages, they have created picture books with local photos to communicate messages from the Bible.
In all they do, though, the focus remains on providing medical care to the people.
“You can’t fix Africa, but we felt a desire to go in and do what we could do,” Debby said.
MedHope plans to take trips to South Sudan in March, May and October 2015 and is currently looking to partner with more churches in Birmingham. Volunteers can also help the organization in Birmingham by preparing medications for travel, and team members who travel do not have to have a medical background. To learn more, visit medhopeafrica.org.