Waging Peace Campaign ____________________________

Waging Peace Campaign

Dear Valued Donors

John Dau Foundation (JDF) built the Duk Lost Boys Clinic in Duk Payuel, South Sudan in late 2006. By May 2007, the clinic had opened its doors with the objective to provide life-saving healthcare, free of charge, to a population where no other option for primary medical services exists. Now after 7 years of pursuing this mission as of the December 31st 2013, JDF have provided life-saving medical services to over 119,313 patients!
Of these 119,313 patients, the Duk Lost Boys Clinic has delivered thousands of babies, identified and treated hundreds of patients with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, leprosy, and other diseases, provided 690 individuals suffering from malnutrition with therapeutic feeding programs and treatment; cared for thousands suffering from malaria; and vaccinated over 8,000 children. In addition, the Duk Lost Boys Clinic has also hosted countless trainings and educational courses focused on preventing the spread of disease, and the safe delivery of newborns. Our “Miracle doctors” restored the eye sights for about 600 blind patients in the last two years.
These achievements were made possible in part by the growing importance and prominence of the Duk Lost Boys Clinic over the past year. Last year alone, the clinic provided medical services to 34,745 patients, making 2013 our busiest year ever. The clinic has grown to the most comprehensive well-equipped medical facility in the region. It was such an essential part of the community that it is difficult to fathom where population of this region would be without the essential services of the clinic.
As you have heard, or have been reading from the media outlets, the country of my birth, the Republic of South Sudan, has been in turmoil for the last three months. As a result, many lives have been lost and countless numbers of properties destroyed.

The latest victims of this vicious circle of violence are the people of Duk County, along with the Clinic I just talked about it above and which you have been supporting. The rebels have looted the Clinic to the bone, leaving no single items behind! Three generators that have been providing power and pumping water into the clinic were dismantled and parts taken. Two 40-foot containers that were used as storage for supplies were looted and set ablaze. The TB Ward was burned to ashes. All of the tents that were used by our staff as living accommodations were cut and taken as sleeping mates, and they shredded what was left into pieces. The windows and doors of the buildings of the Clinic were all broken and left dangling. Our well-built solar system that included: solar panels, solar batteries and refrigerators for vaccines were burglarized. Chairs, patients and staff beds, linens, tables, medicines, utensils, food for both malnourished children and staff, fuel, ambulance parts, medical equipment – all that could be carried away was pillaged.

The rebels (Gawaar unit) went as far as digging up dead bodies in the cemetery thinking that there might be something of value hidden there to loot.

I know your heart aches with pain hearing about such destruction. You may question why human beings unleash such a scale of destruction to a medical facility that has in the last seven years since its inception, demonstrated with clear record of serving everyone (Nuer, Dinka, Murle and Anyuak) regardless of one’s’ tribal affiliation, which includes rebels’ family members, relatives and friends. This Clinic has nothing to do with the current conflict. It baffles everyone as to why they have done such atrocious acts.

I remain HOPEFUL that I can get help from you to rebuild and restock what has been lost. However, I can understand if you choose not to help us rebuild this medical clinic at this time due to either getting tired or have fear of destruction. That is to be expected. I, however, question myself what is the meaning of being a humanitarian? Is it not having a concern and feeling to help improving the welfare of fellow human beings who are struggling to stay alive or pertaining to the saving of human life or to the alleviation of suffering? Is a humanitarian a person who professes to live by ethical principles that guide him/her to come to the rescue of human beings that need help even at some occasions where that sort of assistance offered might be in jeopardy?

These are questions that I often ask myself when I’m about to give up on this humanitarian work. I always challenge myself and I hope that you will likewise relate to your place in life, that current place of life that I am in, starts from point A to point B (born and get old and move on). What then, am I doing as a contribution to those who need assistance between these points? Am I helping those who need help and particularly to those who are in need and who cannot help me back, or am I just one of those who choose to avoid this responsibility? This is not me and I strongly believe it’s not you as well.

I would like to appeal to your conscience, moral obligation of caring, decency and responsibility which is ingrained into the American tradition, and of all genuine human beings’ culture to come to the rescue of someone in trouble. South Sudanese, and in particular, people of Duk County and its neighbors are struggling to survive right now. The clinic was something they held hope on and now it is partially gone. We need you more than ever. Please help the John Dau Foundation to rebuild what has been lost. The looting and prowling of the Clinic is a deplorable blow to these communities. Please help rebuild this clinic starting with providing emergency services as best we can in these trying circumstances.

These rebels are some renegades who acted without orders from their leaders. I have informed their Leaders via Open Letter and through some connection and they have assured me that they will make sure destruction such as this will not happen again. One of the high-ranking rebel leaders said: “destruction of this clinic must be condemned in the strong term. That clinic is truly ours. I call it ours because the first patient (I woman if I could remember) was from Gawaar”

We will continue with our policy of welcoming all the tribe members to receive medical services, including those who have destroyed this clinic. Our ultimate goal is not to help one community but all the tribes in South Sudan. Revenge should be left to God and we are now more dedicated than ever to show the true love of Christ to our brothers and sisters in the Nuer community.

They have looted, destroyed and wasted over hundreds of thousands dollars of our project, but they have not destroyed the vision of bringing all the tribes together through sharing, forgiveness, fairness, equality, and as well as bringing peace through development. Please, we are inviting you and hope you will consider joining us in waging Peace in South Sudan.

Thank you,

Yours truly,

John Dau

President: John Dau Foundation
And South Sudan Institute