Hello,

Tomo is still recording and collecting the data about lepers in Nubba mountains. I am sending you some information.

December-January expedition to Nubba mountain in Sudan was very stressful for me, but it also brought me stronger will to stop the rotting of the people who didn’t just offer their hands to us, but everything they had. Prejudice disappeared, we ate together, cried and laughed together.

We discovered leprosy in the end of year 2017. When we were recording the victims of a mass hunger, we saw people with rotten eyes and arms without fingers, legs with no toes. This happened towards the end of our travel, that’s why we went back in December 2018, to get more data about the extent of disease and to document as many examples. With the help of our minister of health we notified the World health organization about the leprosy. Our ministry was willing to give 20.000 euros to help the cause. But the WHO was not convinced by 20.000 euros or by the fact that they should send the medicine in 48 hours’ time, since the disease is contagious. They gave us an answer that they cannot go to Nubba mountain or Blue Nile because it’s a war area and also they didn’t meet with us as promised.

In the end of December 2018 we were put in custody on the border between South Sudan and Sudan in the concentration camp Yida. They took our cameras, Dictaphones and passports, so that we couldn’t get any proof about anything. The reason is greed for money. Bribes are the reason for the last war which took if we look at the last data of UN over 400.00 lives in South Sudan and sent away over six millions of people.

We insisted and after twelve days of arguing and angry looks and with help of our many influent friends in Sudan and South Sudan we got everything back. We also got a direct experience that animals take care of their specie much better than the civilised man. We saw inhuman conditions of refugees and partly an answer, why there is so much trouble with the medications for lepers.

Meetings followed. In front of us there were people with rotten hands, legs, talking about deaf and insensitive limbs. And those who lost fingers, hands, feet. Many times also eyes can rot.  All of them spoke about severe pain in all parts of their body.

One of them had a piece of cloth over his right arm and plastic shoes on feet. When he showed us what the disease made to his body, when je removed the cloth and the shoes, there was no human but the remains of a human. A little was left of his feet. Smell on rotting meat was inviting flies but he couldn’t do much about it. New weapon is found to kill these people. People with only one sin. Being born on rich land. Not fear not death. But slow falling apart and rotting in front of all community.

But nothing stays in your memory more than humanity, kindness of Nubba people. Not even disease can put away their smile and hospitality. Not even an enemy should be hungry. 69 years old Rauda got leprosy forty years ago. She made fire and peeled peanuts to give them to us. We tried to convince her we are not hungry but she didn’t stop. She continued until the she filled the pot although you could notice she is in pain. The dignity, being a human, cannot be taken from them.

The disease can be cured with the therapy of two antibiotics (it takes half year) or with the therapy of three antibiotics (it takes one year), depending on the type of leprosy. Consuming only one dose of medication, the person is not contagious anymore.

But there is no medication in Nubba mountains. Also in South Sudan they have problem with receiving medications. Visiting Juba Teaching Hospital, we’ve been told that since November they didn’t receive no antibiotics, so they can’t treat 150 new lepers. Novartis, that produces the antibiotics, don’t know the reason why they don’t get them.

»Don’t give up! « would probably say Tomo’s father, judging by the title of his book Don’t give up, boy.

New negotiation about getting the medication through German hospital in Nubba mountain will happen in the end of February in Slovenia, in that time, Tomo will return too.

If negotiation will continue and if we don’t give us nothing convincing, we’ll start on our own – looking for sponsors, donators, candidates to join the doctors who already volunteered to share their knowledge with others to give medication and soothe side-effects of the antibiotics to the lepers who are a day or more days away from first hospital in Nubba mountain. Medication can be bought in Uganda and delivered to Nubba mountain and Blue Nile. This way we can make possible what is the right of every one – to be Human.

More information about leprosy treatment in Nuba mountain and Blue Nile on: www.tomokriznar.com.

And some more photos and shots from the last way you can find on the link:

https://www.delo.si/novice/svet/cloveska-socutnost-postala-smrtonosno-orozje-141007.html  

                                                                                                                                   Postojna, 5. 2. 2019