Nyanwur Majak, a 63 year old mother with eight children, sought care at Mary Immaculate Mapuordit Hospital in South Sudan. She was assisted by the Comboni Feeding Program and is on her way to recovery.
Preparing Kisra, the prefered food made from sorghum flour.
Preparing the “combo” broth served with kisra.
Sustenance from the Comboni Feeding Program aids in South Sudanese woman’s recovery
by: Comboni Bro. Dr. Rosario Iannetti
One day towards the end of August 2023, Nyanwur Majak, a 63 year old mother of 8 children, woke up feeling unwell. She had signs of malaria, a common disease in South Sudan, and was weak from fever.
Her son hired a “boda boda” i.e. a motorcycle, the only means of transport available from her home, to take her to the nearest government hospital. The two rode on the same motorcycle with the son supporting the mother. Along the way, the mother had a convulsion and unknown to the son, her foot slipped and touched the motorcycle exhaust pipe.
By the time they arrived in the hospital her foot was badly burnt. After a few days in the hospital, Nyanwur was discharged to go home, having recovered from malaria.
Unfortunately, her wound was not yet healed. In the second week of September 2023, her son decided to bring her to Mary Immaculate Mapuordit Hospital, 60 km away from their home. By this time the foot was already badly infected and necrotic and had to be partially amputated.
Nyanwar has been in the hospital since the operation getting daily care for he wound as well as antibiotics.
The NAP feeding enables her and her son to stay in the hospital until she is fully healed.
Feeding Program Overview
The North American Province of the Comboni Missionaries launched a feeding program in 2012, providing direct access to food in critically underserved areas. These feeding programs most often serve schools, orphanages, and hospitals.
Mary Immaculate Hospital in Mapuordit, South Sudan, is a beacon of hope in a region plagued by hunger, hardship, and limited access to healthcare. Founded by Brother Dr. Rosario Ianetti, a Comboni Missionary Brother and surgeon, this hospital has been a lifeline for the community, providing essential medical services and nutritional support.
The NAP Feeding Program has been transformative for this community. Its primary goal is to offer nutritional support to people facing severe food shortages or malnutrition. Good nutrition is recognized as a crucial element in the overall treatment plan for these groups: Patients that can’t eat don’t recover.
The funding allocated to the hospital for this program has allowed them to offer a cooked meal and three cups of nutritious porridge to patients admitted to the wards.
Every day, 40 to 50 patients are fed a hot midday meal, and three cups of nutritious porridge in the evening.
For just $1.80 per day, patients receive healthy food that will significantly aid in their treatment and recovery.
“Without NAP feeding program it would be difficult for them to remain in the hospital to follow their treatment,” Dr. Iannetti wrote.
