South Sudan Medical Relief provides medical care, education, and community development opportunities in the community of Old Fangak, which services a vast region of South Sudan. Bethel-based physician, Dr. Jill Seaman, has been a provider in South Sudan since 1989- first with Médecins Sans Frontières and later creating her own organization, South Sudan Medical Relief- all while working summer in Alaska at the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) and returning to South Sudan each fall. At the time, the YK Delta region and South Sudan had many similarities such as remoteness, poverty, and strong indigenous populations. However, as healthcare in the YK delta has improved through federal and state grants, South Sudan’s growth has been made difficult by decades of war, epidemics, and increasingly scarce resources. During her summers in Bethel, Dr. Seaman works to educate Bethel Residents about SSMR and raise funds for supplies and food to send back to South Sudan. Dr. Seaman has also invited volunteer medical providers, journalists, nurses, and others to help with capacity building efforts such as educating local residents about medical care and installing wells. The Foundation supports Dr. Seaman and SSMR by accepting and processing donations on its behalf, providing employee time to help with the annual South Sudan Gala fundraiser in Bethel, and working with YK Delta Women in Philanthropy, a group that distributes a portion of their grants to SSMR.
Seaman has earned international recognition for her groundbreaking work on the kala-azar epidemic and has been featured in Time Magazine’s special on Heroes of Medicine. She has also earned the Humanitarian Award from the University of Washington as a remarkable alumnus and was recognized in 2009 as a MacArthur Fellow.
Individuals, businesses and corporations are invited to make contributions to this important fund to support this organization. Contributions can be made in a number of ways:
1. ONLINE
2. IN-PERSON: Cash, check or credit card will be accepted at 1795 Chief Eddie Hoffman HWY
3. MAIL: Checks made out to Bethel Community Services Foundation with South Sudan Medical Relief in the memo can be sent to BCSF at PO Box 2189, Bethel, AK 99559
4. PHONE: Credit card contributions can be made by calling 907-543-1812
(Photos: Katie Basile Photography)
