The UN is calling it the worst and longest outbreak of cholera in the history of South Sudan. MAF is active and present, supporting long-standing partner Medair to deliver cholera prevention, vaccination and treatment to the people of Torit.
“This sickness in my stomach, it came with watery diarrhoea, and I felt pain inside,” said Esther*(not real name), a mother of six in the community of Torit.
“It kept hurting and hurting me and the diarrhoea kept coming out, out, out…”
Esther ’s symptoms developed over the coming hours until the pain became unbearable. She set out to walk to the hospital in search of help.
“I live on the other side of the airstrip,” she said. “When I came, it took time to reach the hospital. I stopped many times on the way. Nobody helped me so I came on my own, slowly, slowly.”
Esther made it to the cholera treatment centre run by Medair and quickly began to improve.
“I was admitted yesterday around 9 or 11 o’clock,” she said. “I was unwell and had been sick already for one or two days, and I came here, and these people helped me a lot.
“When I entered the gate, they registered me and gave me medicine. I was given three drips of the medicine. The pain I had is now getting better. These people of Medair have really been helping a lot.”
Mission Aviation Fellowship has made more than a dozen Medair flights to Torit in recent months, carrying passengers and freight that has included gloves, cannulas and water and sanitation equipment.
Medair staff member Lea, who flew to Torit with MAF, has been involved in outreach activities to support the response.
“We came to Torit for the cholera response,” Lea said. “We repaired boreholes, we distributed water, sanitation and hygiene items to 11 villages, and we also did hygiene promotion with hygiene promoters in the 11 cholera hotspot areas.
“The needs we see are safe water, and for the community to practice good hygiene in order to prevent themselves from getting cholera,” she said.
Lea has seen a sharp reduction in cases of cholera since the outreach began three months ago.
“It's great for us to be here on ground because when we came, the situation was not good,” she said.
“We started with our interventions. Now the cholera cases in some villages have gone down. Only a few hotspot areas are left. Medair is making a difference – and it's great to be part of this response.
“MAF is our flight. We used to fly with MAF and then we are happy. When we hear that we are booked to go to the field with MAF, we are excited about that one. And because MAF goes everywhere in all the countries,” Lea added.
If not for Medair and MAF, many people would be suffering. We give thanks to both MAF and Medair for the help you are giving to us. May God help you more. Thank you!
Thanks to Medair prevention and awareness activities, thousands of people in Torit and nearby villages were able to stay healthy and avoid hospital visits.
Rose* (not real name) received help when Medair’s Emergency Response Team distributed items to her family to stop the spread of cholera through contaminated water.
“I have received two buckets, soap, chlorine tablets, and one water filter,” she said. “These items help us a lot in the family and they assist in preventing many diseases like cholera and diarrhoea.”
In Torit, access to clean water is a challenge, highlighting the importance of the filters and purification tablets as an essential line of defence for Rose’s family.
“We are really suffering to get clean water,” she added. “We were drinking water direct from its source, and now we have really benefited from these items. They are helping us and our children.
Rose expressed her appreciation for the partnership between MAF and Medair, that allows isolated communities to have access to these lifesaving items.
“If not for Medair and MAF, many people would be suffering,” she said. “We give thanks to both MAF and Medair for the help you are giving to us. May God help you more. Thank you!”
MAF is our flight. When we hear that we are booked to go to the field with MAF, we are excited... because MAF goes everywhere.