January 2012

Standing Tall

 

A person of stature

Zoal Gatkuoth Puok is a tall man who must stoop to go through doors. But he is also tall in my eyes for other reasons. Let me tell you a story from South Sudan.

The problem

The principal cause of death for girls and women between the ages of 13 and 40 in South Sudan is pregnancy.   In the two States where Bill is working, less than a third of pregnant women have access to any kind of prenatal care and only 1 out of 10 women deliver in health facilities.  Most have their babies at home with traditional and untrained village workers without access to medicine, medical supplies, lights, or running water.  Women in need of a C-section have no place to go and even the most minor complications of labor and delivery can mean death to mother and baby.

The solution

In response to a request from the Upper Nile State Ministry of Health, IMA World Health solicited a grant from the United States government to set up advanced and emergency obstetrical services in five strategic counties so women with danger signs of pregnancy or problems while in labor could come for help.   Aside from building and equipping these centers, it is necessary to train health workers to run them.   It is rare to find a doctor in the interior and indeed none were found willing to work in these isolated yet needy areas. Nurses and midwives were thus recruited for advanced training in obstetrics and 13 of them were chosen to attend a 9-month program at a medical training college in Western Kenya.  That is where I come in.

The Great Lakes University in Kisumu, where the South Sudanese students are in training, is less than an hour’s flight from Nairobi.  I have started to visit them, helping them to get settled in to a new culture and surroundings, purchasing books and supplies, and even reviewing their curriculum.  It has been an exciting time for the students: 24-hour electricity, running water, classes with desks, labs with mannequins, and access to computers and the internet. For one student, however, the experience has been marred by tragedy.

The tragedy

Zoal Puok is a nurse who was sent by his village to be trained in advanced obstetrical care because of his commitment, his sharp intellect, and his passion to learn and bring relief to his community which has seen more than its share of women dying in labor.   He left his own wife, 6 months pregnant, behind. Zoal felt torn leaving his young wife, but was fueled by the desire to develop skills to help many others.    A week before my trip to visit Zoal and his colleagues, I received a note from Bill that Zoal’s wife had gone into labor the night before in the village. No one could provide the necessary care and both mother and baby died during delivery.   Word was sent to Zoal of the tragic news with the offer to fly him back home to be with his family and bury his wife.  The grieving Zoal responded, “My heart is with my family and I want desperately to be with them…..but my commitment is to the health of my people and I must stay and finish this program so others will not die.”

Standing tall in my eyes

I met with Zoal during his time of grief. He told me that he was thankful to have been able to be in communication with his mother and brother back in Upper Nile State. He admitted that it has been devastating to lose both wife and child, but he also told me that “all things work through the plan of God”.

After spending time talking, Zoal took his leave, ducking through the doorway to return to class. Yes, he is physically tall, but as he completes his training and returns to his village, giving of himself to save others from the tragedy he has endured, he will stand tall among his people tomorrow, as he stands tall in my eyes today. 

Revelation 7:16-17   They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.