August 18, 2008
Pair seek to build medical clinic in Sudan
Ernst Lamothe Jr.
Staff writer
Garang Amet and his friend Angelo Kiir have traveled throughout New York, making stops in such places as Rochester and Syracuse, on a mission to build a medical clinic in southern Sudan.
Having faced warfare and economic strife, many Sudanese struggle to find running water or electricity, let alone adequate medical care. The two men are planning to build a medical clinic in Northern Bahr El Ehazal, a village in southern Sudan.
The $130,000 clinic will be named after St. Josephine Bakhita — the only Sudanese Catholic saint. Even though organizers said the project is still $10,000 short, crews plan to begin construction in December with many of the building's bricks already made. With 15 to 20 overnight beds, the facility would serve a growing need.
"People are struggling to get basic medical attention," said Amet, 26, a former "Lost Boy," the moniker given to orphans who wandered for years through Sudan and neighboring countries to escape unsafe conditions created by civil war. "There are still people suffering from war-related illnesses and people are dying from simple medical problems because they have no place to go. Some have to walk 46 miles to get to the hospital."
The only hospital in the area where Amet was born serves about 1.5 million people and was built 46 years ago. Amet hopes the clinic provides further education to young women and men on how to prevent HIV/AIDS, reduce the level of disease in the area and encourage people to care more about their health.
In the past year, since the duo began coming to Rochester to talk about their cause, about 25 men have helped make more than 174,000 bricks for the clinic's construction. Organizers chose December as the groundbreaking because the country is now dealing with flooding.
Amet said the project could not be successful if not for the generosity of New Yorkers, including $15,000 he raised from the Rochester area in 2007.
"People should know that their money is going to a worthwhile place," he said.
ELAMOTHE@DemocratandChronicle.com
