An opportunity to learn, grow and serve: the story of Jhon Deng, CHTI graduated

The Catholic Health Training Institute (CHTI) in Wau, trainining nurses and midwives in South Sudan, plays a key role in transforming the lives of many young people, and John’s story is a powerful example:

“I am John Deng Uyu. I am the eldest of nine children and my parents depend on agriculture.

I joined the Catholic Health Training Institute (CHTI) in Wau in January 2020 and graduated in June 2023 in nursing. I have very good memories of CHTI: we had excellent teaching and very caring, loving and dedicated tutors, including the staff at Solidarity. We had the opportunity to practice with patients in the hospital learning how best to care for them, guided by the clinical instructors.

I really enjoyed my stay at the school campus because we had the best accommodation with 24-hour availability of water and electricity. We also had the privilege of having a patient reception area and also a chaplain residing on campus, a chapel where we could spend our quiet time in prayer when we needed it and I enjoyed the liturgical celebrations, especially the Holy Mass.

Food was also a luxury for us and we were given very good food. Fruit was also served to us as part of our menu. We also had seasonal fruits on campus, such as mangoes and guavas, and we could eat them because they were freely available on campus.

Our campus life was coloured by the presence of members of different tribes and ethnicities. We lived tolerating and loving diversity. We respected each other and there were no conflicts. The campus was very peaceful despite our differences, even if it was not the same outside.

My training at CHTI helped me to learn the necessary skills to take care of patients. I enjoy serving patients and for me service comes before the financial reward. I also have the desire to upgrade myself with a degree course, get married and settle down in life. But at the moment I am the breadwinner in my family, as my father lost his sight a few years ago.

I thank Solidarity for educating me and lifting my social and financial status.”

Help changing hard lives in South Sudan.