Members of the Mahad Juba Al-Elmi Alumni Association visited Al Sabah Children’s Hospital in Juba on Saturday, delivering food and offering support to mothers and children spending the Christmas holiday there.
The visit was part of a Christmas outreach program aimed at helping families unable to leave the hospital during the festive season.
Catherine Manas, head of the nursing department at the hospital, welcomed the group. She said many families struggle to meet basic needs while caring for hospitalized children.
“Some people don’t go home to celebrate Christmas because they are here with their children,” Manas said. “The hospital does not provide food, except milk through the malnutrition department. Sometimes mothers share food among themselves.”
She said even small acts of charity can have a positive impact. “This small thing is very good,” Manas said. “It makes the mothers feel that someone is thinking about them.”
Gismalah Abdallah Rihan, a finance officer for the alumni association, said the group focused on providing moral and emotional support.
“The children here are suffering from different diseases, and we wanted to observe their situation and stand with their families during this Christmas period,” Rihan said.
He said the group distributed items including water and sweets.
“Our visit coincides with the Christmas holidays, so we provided some food items to bring a sense of joy to the children and their mothers,” he said.
Rihan said this was the association’s first holiday outreach to a hospital and that similar monthly or bimonthly visits are planned.
Mariam Alhaj Baballa, spokesperson for the association, said Al Sabah Hospital was chosen because it specializes in pediatric care.
“It is very painful to celebrate Christmas in a hospital,” Baballa said. “We brought a simple holiday meal to bring joy to the mothers and children.”
She said the visit was the association’s first humanitarian activity since its formation in July 2025.
Baballa called on humanitarian organizations, businesses and the government to increase support to hospitals, citing shortages of food, medicine and resources.
“When children suffer from malnutrition, it shows that we have a food problem in South Sudan,” she said.
The hospital treats children for various illnesses and malnutrition, with many families relying on shared resources during their stay.