For the people we leave behind

Hello everyone. I have been spending much time talking about our endeavours in JTH. It is true to say that the work of the St Mary’s Juba Link has had a huge impact in JTH. However, none of this work would be possible were it not for the kind efforts of our friends back in the UK. So for the friends and family members we leave behind, this blog post is for you.

The St Mary’s Core Team have been working hard on the Isle to set up the St Mary’s Juba Link Bikeathon. The event took place last week and below is a glorious photo of the UK’s only Southern Sudanese Consultant on his bike:

Dr Hakim, Consultant and Medical Adviser to the St Mary's Juba Link

Continuing the biking theme in London, one of my good friends Richard (Edward Wilson Kattan has decided to “grab life by the bars” by growing his very own handlebar moustache for the entire month of November (aka Movember). This is Richard with his clean shaven baby face on November 1st:

Clean-shaven Richard

And this is Richard 3 weeks into his glorious facial hair growing extravanganza:

Richard "Hell's Angel" Kattan

Our blog will continue to update you of Richard's facial hair growing antics. Curently he has raised over £300 for the St Mary's Juba Link by ritualistically humiliating himself for one month. So if you feel like donating some money to this man for our benefit then please visit:

http://www.justgiving.com/richardkattansmovembermission

Dan (left) and Tom (right) taking a rest before cycling up another rancidly steep slope

Back in September some other good friends of mine, Sophie Quarterman, Dan Westlake and Tom Kenyan, decided to cycle the South Downs Way. for the St Mary's Juba Link They cycled solidly for two days covering 75 miles on the lumbering slopes. "Doing this was the hardest thing I have ever done for charity," Sophie said. "There were 20 miles of slopes that were too steep to cycle up and too steep to cycle down."

Sophie and Tom relaxing after the South Down's Way

A special mention should also go to Dan “The Man” Westlake who managed to do this herculean distance on a BMX!

Some of the beaut views on the South Downs Way. Dan's BMX is in the foreground

We would also like to thank everyone for their countless emails of encouragement and words of advice and support. In the days when smiling is difficult, a small email can make a huge difference.

So to my friends who have been supporting our efforts, I extend my thanks. Access to healthcare is the most basic of human rights and in a land recovering from 40 years of civil war, in a land where only 25% of the population have access to healthcare, the need to train healthcare professionals has never been more immediate and dire. Your kind words and novel approaches to fund-raising make us smile, keep us motivated, and will ultimately transform the healthcare given at JTH.

See you all soon,

David