Medical Training!

One of the most effective ways to fight poverty and boost economic development is through job creation. Our ministry has invested in our own medical staff over the last 8 years so they can fill the primary roles needed in our clinic. Bridging the skills gap in South Sudan is critical if we are to see social and economic progress. Through partnership with African Mission Healthcare (AMH), we have trained five clinical officers, 3 nurses, one pharmacist, one lab technician and one medical administrator. As our clinic/hospital grows, our greatest need is for a medical doctor to serve as Medical Director over the IDAT Clinic.

Gabriel Gojoh, our first medical staff member to get a scholarship, has served with IDAT since 2010. He is a faithful brother in the Lord and started working in the IDAT Clinic at age 18 years as a Community Health Worker while he completed the last three years of his high school education. South Sudan was behind other African countries in education so getting him accepted into a university in 2013 in Kenya was challenging. Thankfully, the Presbyterian University of East Africa accepted him as a three-year student in Clinical Medicine, Surgery and Community Health, where he graduated top of his class out of 30 students. He returned to Tonj and the IDAT Clinic in 2016 and started a one-year internship as a Clinical Officer (Physician’s Assistant). Now he is part of our Senior Medical Team and committed to IDAT Clinic for long term service. Please join us in praying for Gabriel as we make plans for him to train as a Medical Doctor and becoming our future Medical Director. If you feel called to partner with this need please email us.

CHW Training!

Zac and Rebekah Soper are long-term missionaries that joined our team last year from New Zealand. Every January we have a new intake of Community Health Workers (CHW’s) that are used to assist the Senior Medical Staff in the clinic and the ward. These CHW’s come without any medical background or knowledge. It is a huge commitment of our time, every year to train them to serve safely and effectively. Zac developed a 10-week internship class covering everything from infection control and vital signs to anatomy and physiology.

He started a class in January with 21 CHW students who will graduate this month after completing intensive theory and practical work.

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12

CHE Training!

Over 400 of our Pastors and Community Health Evangelists (CHEs) from 12 of our 15 villages gathered together at CC Tonj for our first ever CHE Conference!

These CHEs volunteer themselves to travel around their neighbors each week and teach story-based health promotion and gospel lessons which our IDAT CHE trainers have taught them. They also help lead community development projects within their villages such as repairing bore holes, community gardens for widows and orphans, and establishing village schools.

People arrived from their villages singing & dancing with great excitement, ready to worship, hear testimonies, receive intense training and intercede for one another.