Past Projects

Covid-19 Health Education Campaign

After the outbreak of COVID-19, the Clinic supported a health education project in Az-Zawrat. The health workers – including the Clinic staff, medical students from the University of Dongola, and practitioners from the Sudanese Red Crescent Society – visited all households and taught how COVID-19 is transmitted, distancing and hygiene practices, and gave each household antiseptic soap and hand sanitizer. They provided the schools with hand sanitizer and soap.

Oxygen

Ms. Amna Osman of the Soraya Organization and Dr. Nada Fadul of SudanNextGen informed the Mother Maryam Foundation that the Dongola Covid-19 Isolation Center had run out of oxygen supplies, resulting in patient deaths. They spearheaded a successful fundraising campaign that enabled the purchase and distribution of 50 oxygen tanks to the Dongola Isolation Center and to 26 hospitals and clinics throughout the Northern Province.

Kolomiseed Clinic’s help to victims of 2020 flooding

During the flooding in the fall of 2020, the Clinic hosted a free health care caravan with the University of Dongola Faculty of Medicine, the Sudanese Red Cross and Red Crescent Society, local health authorities and the Omdurman National Bank. The Clinic staff and other team members provided food, medicine, health care, and environmental health services to villages ranging all the way from Wadi Halfa in the north to Meroe in the south.

At that time, the Clinic also hosted a mobile clinic sponsored by a German – Saudi – UAE charity. Twelve health care workers from the charity provided a mobile clinic and tents outside the Kolomiseed Health Center. They offered free testing, medication, and treatments to over 200 patients. The village community provided food, lodging, and hospitality to the health care workers.

Flood Aid

In August 2013, Mother Maryam Foundation assisted UK-based relief organization Shelterbox with in-country administrative support to deliver Shelterbox emergency housing units to flood-affected areas in Sudan. We also raised funds to assist flood victims in rebuilding their homes.

Cataract surgery

In 2010, Mother Maryam Foundation, Rotary International, Rotary Club of Austin, South Austin Rotary Club, District 5870 provided funding for cataract surgeries in Khartoum and Zawrat village.

Wheelchairs

In 2007, Mother Maryam Foundation and Rotary Wheelchair Foundation delivered 281 wheelchairs to disabled people in Sudan. Plano West Rotary Club, Lost Boys of Sudan, Austin and Westlake Rotary Clubs, Rotary Wheelchair Foundation, Cheshire Homes, Rotary Club of Khartoum, and individuals supported this project.

Seeds

Mother Maryam Foundation has provided seeds to farmers and women in Zawrat. Women were particularly interested in growing vegetables and flowers in their courtyards. Austin Rotarians, the Natural Gardener, Austin Sustainable Food Center, Moore Than Feed, and Botanical Interests contributed.

Baby blankets

Sandra Jones and Kathy Cartwright of Rotary Club of Austin organized knitters to make baby blankets. In 2005, we distributed them among families with new babies.

Support to schools

In 2004, Cassis Elementary School student Leah Goetzel spearheaded a drive to collect backpacks and supplies for Kolomiseed Elementary School. Those supplies were shipped by SAFE (Dr. Lee Burchill’s Sudan-American Foundation for Education). Leah was honored by KVUE television station in 2004 as one of KVUE’s “Five Kids Who Care.”

Support to Students

Candace, Perry, and Zoe Hutchens and Dawn, Leah, and Mara Goetzel collected jackets and clothing for schoolchildren. In 2007, we distributed jackets to 50 boys and girls. In 2014, we sent jackets donated by the Junior League of Austin, surplus from the Coats for Kids program.