It is a great joy to see the Buckeye Clinic in Piol, South Sudan. Bol and my dream to bring health services has been served and achieved. The new era of life changing and hope for the future regarding sustainable development is at the dawn in Piol, South Sudan. Since the inhabitants settled this land, building the maternity ward for expectant mothers and new born babies was an unimaginable dream. God works in mysterious ways and hence there is a nice Buckeye Clinic building in Patiou where villagers feel extremely happy and truly appreciate the help received from the United States of America. The Buckeye Clinic in South Sudan land is a symbol of American’s diligence and compassion for the devastated people of the South Sudan.
My sincere and heartfelt gratitude to the Johnson family in Austin, TX, Upper Arlington High School Freshman House D and all schools that have contributed to the clinic building. I would also like to thank all United Methodist Church members, people of The Ohio State University, members of the Steering Committee, friends and our Quarterback, Steve Walker. All of you are heroes in our hearts and minds and without your firm support we would have never reached our goal. At the inception of the project Bol and I were very optimistic that our new nation would rally behind and support us thorough our endeavor to bring health service to South Sudan. Thank you so much for joining our “Journey of Hope”. The clinic is the hope and symbol of health which will motivate people to stay in the area. People in Piol are relieved and will never worry about their health problems. They will always think that Americans thought about their suffering and reached out to help. Expectant mothers will be delivered in a nice and modern equipped maternity ward instead of their traditional hut. They will be attended and monitored by the trained nurse, who will use clean scissors to cut umbilical cord instead of rusty razorblades that cause tetanus infection. Mothers and infant mortality death rate will be reduced because of the prenatal and postnatal care which the clinic will provide.
The Buckeye Clinic will also bring people who left to the cities due to lack of health services back to the area in order to come and lead their normal life of keeping cattle and farming. In addition, it creates from one generation who were born in traditional hut a new generation who will be born in the clinic. When it opens we will have more babies being name AKim- meaning hospital/clinic. Akim is a name given to those who were born in hospital/clinic. Some will name their babies Buckeye because of the clinic name.
Once again, I thank you profoundly for your firm support and I truly appreciate all contributions to the Buckeye Clinic in Piol, South Sudan. Your time, commitment, faith, trust, passion to help and compassionate donations were all factors that made the Buckeye Clinic and health services available in South Sudan. May God bless and reward you for kind-heartedness and openhandedness.
Jok Dau