My name is Kenyi Friday Lodu. I am 25 years old. I was born in Kajo Keji County, south of South Sudan’s capital of Juba. Due to fighting in South Sudan, I grew up in neighboring Uganda until the age of 14 before returning to my home country in 2005. I lost my father in 2010 and my siblings and I have had to struggle to earn a living since.
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In 2013, I joined the Kajo Keji Health Training Institute for an International Medical Corps midwifery program. Throughout the program, I received training on basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care, clinical management for sexual assault survivors, and much more. After graduating with top grades in 2015, I applied for a midwife position with International Medical Corps.
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On a daily basis, I help provide: Antenatal and postnatal care; Safe delivery of babies; Management of eclampsia; Family planning services; Sexual and reproductive health services, including prevention of STDs and HIV/AIDS; Clinical management for rape survivors; Health education and awareness messages; Reproductive health training; Focus group discussion.
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One of my patients, Sharah, traveled to our medical center from the village of Pigir in Upper Nile State. She was 8 months pregnant with her fourth child when I performed her general exam and found her baby to be in the breech presentation. I advised her to deliver in our facility, rather than at home as she had with her previous three children.
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Her labor started around 1am, but did not progress far enough. One of our doctors performed a cesarean section to deliver Sharah’s healthy baby boy in the International Medical Corps operating theater. I then gave Sharah postnatal information, such as the importance of immunization and exclusive breastfeeding, and the benefits of family planning.
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It is for women like Sharah that I do this work –supporting them through pregnancy, delivery and beyond. Working with International Medical Corps has also helped me provide for my mother and siblings, and pay their school tuition. I enjoy my job and plan to keep studying and training so that I can become a gynecologist and help many more women like Sharah.