Trials and Tribulations

The Nimule-Juba Road

Our efforts to deliver medicine and medical supplies to the people of South Sudan have encountered many obstacles and hazards over the years. Many of these problems have been related to harsh terrain. Sudan has some of the worst roads in the world, with only 25 miles of paved road to date in a region the size of Texas. Most the the country has only rocky, unpaved roads. As you can see from these pictures, even within the cities of Juba and Nimule, all the roads are dirt.

Aerial view of Juba, Sudan

The few bridges that exist are extremely unstable, sometimes collapsing beneath our trucks, nor are the trucks themselves free from disaster. We have never had a supply vehicle that did not suffer flat tires, broken axles, failed brakes, blown transmissions, roll-overs or get bogged down in mud. Sudan's unforgiving climate – suffocating heat, dust storms, torrential rains and rivers of mud - also presents an extreme challenge to the timely delivery of any goods, let alone a shipping container of medical supplies.

One of our trucks attempting to cross a sabotaged bridge

Other obstructions have been human in origin – bureaucratic inefficiency, corruption and greed. We have had vehicles confiscated, impounded and held for exorbitant “fees” (ransom), and chased by guerillas. Many times we have been rendered powerless, in human terms, and driven to our knees in prayer.

Despite all these seemingly insurmountable challenges, we have never had a vehicle fail to reach the people in remote areas who need it most. I believe that a sovereign God intervened each time to accomplish His purpose.

This past week, I was informed by our Sudanese partners on the ground that the Bill of Lading for the sea rail container of medicine that is ocean bound had the wrong port of delivery. The container had been intended to go to Port Mombassa, Kenya. From there, it was to go overland to Nimule, South Sudan. The Bill of Lading stated, instead, that it was headed for Port Sudan, near Khartoum. If the container had gone to Khartoum, it would have been confiscated. Dr. Mindra Godwin exclaimed that his ministry would have "a one-hundred percent chance of never getting the valuable medicine." Emails flew back and forth, and everyone agreed that "all we have is prayer." Once a Bill of Lading is secured, it is basically a done deal. Signed, sealed, delivered. Virtually irrevocable. I was discouraged – this had the potential for being a real "deal breaker." But, like everyone else, I prayed (after calling a number of friends I know to be real Prayer Warriors). 48 hours later, I received an email from our donor organization which simply stated, "Great news and praise GOD!...Our shipper has been able to change the Bill of Lading to Port Mombassa!"

We may still be short of the funds necessary to transport the medicine all the way to South Sudan, but I am utterly convinced that it is in God’s sovereign will that it gets there. Again, we are powerless, apart from prayer. Thanks to the grace of God, the container will arrive in Kenya in a matter of days. Your donation today will help us bring that container to the people in Sudan who so desperately need it. You can make a difference. Even $10 will move the container another mile towards its destination. Tell your friends and family about this cause and this blog. Please pray with us and join hands to see it accomplished!

Children Are in the Greatest Danger

Child Survival Bleak in Southern Sudan

A recent report from UNICEF officials* in Southern Sudan indicates that the container of medicines we are currently shipping could not come at a better time. On December 15th, UNICEF reported that "child survival in Southern Sudan is one of the lowest in the world, with one out of every seven children dying before reaching their fifth birthday".
The report continued "Hunger, malnutrition and malaria are some of the biggest child killers, and "there is an urgent need to scale up relief and development assistance to help the region cope with the challenges it faces."


The report went on to say that

the risk for children begins in the womb, because the maternal mortality rates in Southern Sudan are the highest in the world - with more than 2,000 women for every 100,000 children born dying during pregnancy or following child birth. It also means that the mothers' mortality has an effect on the survival of the new born baby because access to health services which protect a child in the very first months of life is so limited.

UNICEF says it is stocking up relief supplies in Southern Sudan to provide assistance to children, women and displaced persons should the outcome of the referendum to be held in January 2011 lead to a resumption of conflict. We know that whether or not conflict resumes, the medical need is already great, and the return of displaced South Sudanese as well as the potential for conflict is only increasing that burden. Our partners on the ground have determined that the greatest need for this medicine is in Nimule, Sudan, almost 900 miles over land from the port at which our shipment will arrive.
Please "Join Hands with the New Sudan", by donating to the transportation costs so that the container of medicine can reach these most vulnerable children and their mothers. Even a donation as small as $10 can move the container a whole mile. We can make a difference in the lives of these Sudanese brothers and sisters.

In the Grip of God's Love,

Robert Kirkman

*The opinions reflected in the above are mine, and do not necessarily reflect those of UNICEF.