For South Sudan mothers, COVID-19 began to shatter an already fragile foundation. Suffering from one a high maternal mortality rate (an estimated 10,000 women die every year giving birth) and widespread hunger–especially among children–the pandemic has only exacerbated the healthcare issues in South Sudan.
With little infrastructure and few trained health personnel, building South Sudan’s healthcare system has been a daunting task. However, three Sisters, who manage the Catholic Health Training Institute (CHTI) in Wau, South Sudan, are working to make a significant difference by providing programs to train registered nurses and midwives.
In 2010, when the CHTI was opened, only 83 registered nurses and 19 registered midwives were in the country. Since the first graduation in 2013, CHTI has graduated 154 registered nurses and 71 registered midwives. As of 2019, this institute graduated 22% of ALL healthcare professionals in South Sudan. And, more than 50% of the student body is female–a miracle since many women never go to school beyond the fourth grade.
With funds donated through Sisters Rising Worldwide, CHTI can now accept more women into their three-year programs and create a bridging program to assist students in becoming proficient in English, a requirement needed to obtain a Secondary Certificate.
The $26,000 raised goes a long way towards training a sufficient number of healthcare professionals to meet the needs of South Sudan, a country in desperate need of transformation in its healthcare system. Specifically, the funds will help lower the maternal mortality rate by providing quality healthcare to women throughout the country. In addition, the training offers women the opportunity for a good education–one of the keys to preventing human trafficking and early marriage.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers for programs such as this. The Sisters can always make great use of donated dollars–using even the smallest amounts to create big, sustainable change in the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people.
Click here to see another program that is still in need of funding to transform healthcare to serve impoverished people with disabilities better.
Our latest Impact Report highlights a season filled with significant achievements and unwavering dedication to addressing the root causes of injustice worldwide.
Sr Chinweze of the Sisters Immaculate Heart of Mary in Nigeria shares the following thank you video from her students in the Youth Training and Empowerment Program on Soap Making in Nigeria. Thanks to our generous donors, Sisters Rising Worldwide sponsored workshops to teach 100 young men and women how to make different kinds of […]
