“We are thankful for our two clinics still being able to stay open. In Abinajok our midwife Tabitha together with the Traditional Birth Attendants conduct deliveries also in the clinic now, and not only at home. So mothers are under better observation and can be transferred in case of complications. However, we do need more staff, also for consultation, which is currently done by only one nurse. It is hard to find a candidate willing to work outside town, where it is too dangerous to stay.”

“On Saturdays, we meet with the Health promotion volunteers from the two clinics for a workshop. It is exciting to see how biblical principles from Genesis show that our relationship with God, with each other, with creation and with ourselves determines our health. I am happy to see the WHO Charter for Health Promotion of Ottawa goes along those lines: ‘Health is a resource of everyday life, not the goal of living… it comprises of social, personal as well as physical aspects…’ Discussing the basis of Shalom, we learn about our role in the prevention of AIDS, malaria, diarrhoea, and vaccination as well as living in peace and security in our communities.”

“There are always rays of light, but [struggles] are growing… Conflicts are at all levels: the struggle for oil, cattle raiding, hasty marriage and elopement without consent and paid bride price, massive retaliation as well as power struggle… Many people are traumatised and don’t know an alternative to violence. All this adds to bad food security… Our health work goes on despite adverse security conditions. With some local people we built a small store with mud walls and a tin roof so that we can store food for our nutrition programme, as well as peanuts, which we also accept instead of money as a cost sharing contribution…”