Southern Sudan, the world’s youngest country, is a very troubled country. The new government is at odds with each other, and the toll on the people of the country is great.
Bishop Peter Joh Mayom of the Anglican Church in Malek, Southern Sudan, made a trip to Syracuse a few years back, and met with the Southern Sudan Health Project Team. He shared of the struggles of the country, and that more than half of the people from Malek are in refugee camps such as those in Uganda.
Lack of food, diseases, and political unrest has created economic and health problems that are considered one of the worst in the world.
It is in this situation that our eight Home Health Promoters work to make their villages better. Every day they work against the odds to offer health care to their communities. With medicines harder to come by because of the political and economic situation, they do what they can.
Southern Sudan Health Project offers encouragement and monthly wages. the challenges to get their pay to them is expensive, and, can be irregular. As funds are received by SSHP, they are sent as soon as possible to the workers.
The workers remain committed to the project, and have claimed that their work has saved thousands of
lives.
Our dreams for the future is to expand this project. Further, we wish to create United Methodist congregations in that area. We await the time when the country settles down, and these dreams can be made reality.
We invite you to be part of this important United Methodist mission project created by congregations in the Upper New York Conference.
-Rev. Bradford Hunt
11/30/2023 Newest Pictures
Spring 2024 Update
South Sudan remains a country that is in great need. IMA World Health estimated that as of July 2023, two million people remain displaced. However, the situation in Sudan appears to worsen as fighting and political instability continues. It was estimated from an internal watch group in March 2024 that nearly 1400 refugees and asylum seekers cross the border into South Sudan every day.
Many of these people have traveled under dangerous circumstances to the Malek area where the Southern Sudan Health Project operates. This has added an extra burden upon our 8 Home Health Promoters.
Further, medicines are more difficult to come by for people. Our support for the project now includes funds for the HHP’s to purchase much needed medicines.
When this project started, we hoped to do two things: First, to expand the project. The second idea was to let the project become independent as it grew in importance to the communities. The instability of the country, and the limited funds available have prevented this from happening.