To all those involved in running of the Liwolo Clinic

Central Equatoria, South Sudan

As you may be aware I have just returned from spending a week with Joseph, Golda and Emmanuel in Uganda. I was there with Adrian Burholt and we were working hard with them on matters such as job descriptions, reporting back, targets and future plans. We also got updates on where each project is as well as receiving all the receipts for monies sent over .

The clinic – this is where we are as of February 2015

The clinic is built – Joseph has ordered the furniture to be made – there are enough funds for this. The beds still need to be funded – I am speaking at Godolphin School next week and hoping to give them the challenge of the borehole ( £5000 )!! – We have someone who is organizing a clay shoot fund raiser when I hope the solar will be funded
The community are digging and providing the latrine and will provide security
They plan to open on April 1st as an outpatients clinic – the staffing situation is as follows:

• Charles the Medical Officer left because he was not being paid enough – I am going to try and talk with Salisbury Medical link and see if they could help fund the shortfall which is around £1200 a year – all 4 staff posts may take time to fill as there are just no or extremely few qualified South Sudanese personnel in the country
• Qualified Nurse – we have a good number of sponsors for this and plan to employ one as soon as one can be found –they are advertising – we need about 4 more sponsors at £20 per month. They are advertising for the post
• Midwife – thanks to Sarah Sedwick there is enough funds to employ one – again they are advertising
• Midwife training – this is available too and it is suggested Jaqueline goes for this – she has been working at the clinic for about three years on virtually no salary at all – she would like to do this but Joseph says we cannot release her as she is the only one at the clinic at the moment !!
• Lab Technician – we are going to try to find some sponsors for this post at the next GBK event in London March 10th as Joseph says this post is essential
• Medicines – There is going to be a much greater demand for these as they are expecting to be overwhelmed when they open as it is the only medical centre in a 40 mile radius and people will walk from Uganda – and from all directions – Pauline Cullis always does a sale in May and it raises around £1000 so we will put all this money towards medicines – we will also ask Salisbury Medical Link for support
Longer Term
• Medical is not the main focus of CRESS only a side one ! so I would hope that we could work in partnership with other agencies out there. Emmanuel Murye is going to look into this – I would hope that they would match staffing and provide medicines – it may help when we register cress in south sudan – this will be done in September God willing !
• I would also in the longer term like to hand over the oversight of this clinic to someone else in the UK – but that is further down the line – then I can concentrate on the agriculture
• We are there in September and Maggie Metcalfe and hopefully a doctor will stay in Liwolo and spend three days at the clinic – teaching and checking stock
BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT – we are expecting a huge celebration in September for the official opening – best dresses – ties – speeches – good food – dignitaries coming and lot of singing and dancing and unveiling the lovely plaque made by Richard Trahair – they were so pleased when I gave it to them they asked if they could do a dance !!!