Congratulations to Dr. Garang and Dr. Joseph on completing the 18-month Vital Surgery Training Program! We’re proud to celebrate their achievements and invite you to learn more about their journeys by reading their stories below.
Dr. Garang Garang Nuoi Aguer
Early Life and Displacement
Dr. Garang’s journey began in Bahr el Ghazal, where he spent his early childhood before moving to Khartoum with his family at the age of seven. This challenging journey was completed on foot and took over 10 days. The move marked the beginning of a challenging new chapter in his life, as he had to adapt to a different environment and educational system. The relocation was driven by the search for better opportunities, but it also meant facing significant challenges in a new city.
Education Amidst Adversity
Dr. Garang started his primary education in Khartoum at the age of ten. Despite starting late, he was determined to succeed. The journey was anything but easy. One of the major challenges he faced was the language barrier, as he transitioned from learning in Arabic to English. “Everything I learned was in Arabic,” Dr. Garang explains, emphasizing the difficulty of adjusting to a new language when he eventually reached university. He earned his Sudanese certificate in 2001 and was admitted to the University of Juba, although the institution was based in Khartoum at that time due to the conflict. Dr. Garang’s struggles with language were a constant challenge. He shares,
“My English was not well… I faced a lot of problems dealing with it because I learned everything in Arabic.”
Medical Training and Opportunity
Despite these obstacles, Dr. Garang persisted, driven by a strong desire to achieve his goals and make a difference in his community. After his graduation in 2011, Dr. Garang began his medical career with an internship in Wau. Following his internship, he secured a position in Warrap State, where he worked for three years, gaining valuable clinical experience before his next significant opportunity arose.
The MSF-UBC Vital Surgery Training Program Experience
Dr. Garang’s path to professional growth led him to join the innovative MSF training program in Aweil, a comprehensive 18-month certificate program designed to equip medical doctors with essential surgical skills. “I want to be part of it because I need to improve my condition,” Dr. Garang explains. “The essential training actually is a very brilliant training that can promote me to progress my technical approach for the surgical fields in the future.”
Throughout the program, Dr. Garang worked alongside highly skilled surgeons, including Dr. Joos and Dr. Joharifard, who provided expert guidance and mentorship. This hands-on training allowed him to participate in a wide variety of surgical cases, developing skills that are in critical need in the region. The program’s comprehensive approach exposed Dr. Garang to both routine and complex procedures, building his confidence and technical abilities. It provided an opportunity to address what he describes as an inherent motivation: “Everyone has a dream to upgrade himself, to go further.”
One of the most valuable aspects of the training was the opportunity to gain practical experience in a supportive learning environment. “Now I gain like a lot of experience. For sure that can benefit my community and surround other community like other state,” he shares with enthusiasm. The program transformed his capabilities, giving him the confidence to handle cases independently when necessary: “If there is no expat, I have enough confidence I can take over those what I can do in a confident way.”
The training was particularly impactful because it focused on building practical skills that address the specific healthcare needs of South Sudanese communities. The program’s structure, which combined theoretical learning with extensive hands-on practice, provided an ideal environment for developing these essential skills.
Professional Growth and Current Practice
After successfully completing the MSF training program, Dr. Garang made the dedicated choice to remain in Aweil to serve his community as a medical doctor with surgical skills. His decision reflected both his personal commitment to his community and his desire to apply his newly acquired expertise where it was most needed.
“Why I decided to go in for the training because I wanted to save my community. That’s a strong point,” he emphasizes.
Today, Dr. Garang continues to practice in Aweil, applying the valuable skills he gained during his training to improve healthcare outcomes in his community. He particularly values the ability to handle various surgical cases. His training has positioned him as an important healthcare resource in a region where surgical care was previously limited.
Personal Life
Despite the many challenges Dr. Garang has faced, he remains grounded and focused on his family, who are the center of his life. He has five children: his eldest child is 18, and his youngest is just a few weeks old. Through all his struggles, Dr. Garang maintains a positive outlook on the future for himself and his children. As the only member of his family who received an education, he feels a strong sense of responsibility to support them.
Looking Forward
Today, Dr. Garang continues to work in healthcare as a medical doctor with surgical skills, driven by a deep commitment to his community and a desire to create better opportunities for future generations. His journey from a young boy in Khartoum to a dedicated medical professional in South Sudan is a testament to his resilience and determination. As he looks to the future, Dr. Garang remains hopeful:
“I want my children to have better opportunities than I had. That’s why I keep going”
Dr. Joseph Kuei Akech Aguer
Early Life and Displacement
Dr. Joseph was born in Kuajok, the capital city of Warrap State, South Sudan. Growing up in a rural setting, Dr. Joseph was surrounded by large herds of cattle, a symbol of wealth and pride in his community, nature, and family. As the eldest son, he stood to inherit a significant share of his father’s 300 cows, a fortune that made him reluctant to consider education as a viable path. He had plans to frequent cattle camps, be married by 18 and to grow old in Kuajok surrounded by family and friends. However, in 1998, when Dr. Joseph was about 15, the trajectory of his life was forever changed, when Arab militias, known as the Marahil, raided his village. They took everything—cows, homes, and lives. The event marked the end of Dr. Joseph’s childhood as he knew it and forced him and his family to seek refuge in Wau, where they began a new life. Reflecting on this time, Dr. Joseph recalls,
“The Marahil came and took away everything. They came with guns. They killed a lot of people. That’s when we ran.”
Education Against the Odds
In Wau, Dr. Joseph started school late, at the age of 16, enrolling in what was known as the Saint Joseph Emergency School. Despite the challenges of starting his education at an age when most of his peers were finishing theirs, Dr. Joseph quickly excelled. The school quickly recognized his unique situation and intellect, promoting Dr. Joseph every six months, allowing him to complete his primary school in just five years. He continued his education in Sudan, being challenged once again by a shifting curriculum from Arabic in secondary school to English in university. Despite these hurdles, Dr. Joseph persevered, eventually attending the University of Bahr El-Ghazal in Wau after South Sudan’s independence disrupted his studies in Khartoum. Reflecting on this period, he said,
“It was not easy. I had to adapt to a new language and a new system. But I knew education was the key to a better future.”
Professional Journey
After graduating, Dr. Joseph began his medical career with an internship at Wau City Hospital. He quickly rose to the position of Medical Director before moving on to work at Twic Hospital in Warrap State. However, the overly structured and religious environment of the hospital led him to resign after just two weeks. Dr. Joseph then joined CCM, an Italian NGO, working at the main hospital in Aweil, where he spent over a year, particularly focusing on maternity care. His commitment to broadening his medical expertise led him to join MSF in 2021, where he began working in the surgical ward.
The MSF-UBC Vital Surgery Training Program Experience
Dr. Joseph’s decision to join MSF was influenced by conversations with colleagues who were already participating in the training program. “I inquired from them and then they told me the setting of the program and the content and the way it is delivered is very amazing,” he recalls. This enthusiasm from his peers sparked his interest and motivated him to pursue the opportunity to enhance his surgical capabilities.
Dr. Joseph’s experience in the MSF training program was transformative. The comprehensive 18-month certificate program provided him with in-depth knowledge and practical skills under the guidance of experienced surgeons. Dr. Joseph particularly valued how the program enriched his understanding of surgical theory while building his practical abilities. “I have benefited a lot that I gained more experience deeply in a theoretical part in the theory of the surgery and the practical. That now I am able to at least do some major cases confidently,” he explains with pride.
One of the most significant achievements was gaining confidence in performing emergency cesarean sections, which are critical interventions in remote areas with limited access to specialized care. “It gave me a confidence even in surgery to open the abdomen,” he notes, highlighting the practical impact of the training. He also developed crucial diagnostic skills, learning not only how to perform procedures but also how to identify cases that required referral to higher levels of care. “I can also be able with my knowledge to detect things that are beyond my capacity and I will not delay,” he explains, emphasizing the importance of knowing when to seek additional support.
His training has positioned him as what he describes as a “middle cutter” – a medical doctor with surgical skills who can bridge the gap between surgeons and general medical practitioners. This unique position allows him to provide life-saving interventions and be someone who brings “change in the community.”
Personal Life and Reflections
Dr. Joseph’s personal life has been as eventful as his professional one. He married two years ago, and his wife recently gave birth to a premature baby girl named Agir. Born at just 30 weeks and weighing only 1.3 kg, Agir’s early days were fraught with challenges, but she has since grown stronger, much like her father has throughout his challenging life. Dr. Joseph reflects on his journey with a sense of pride and resilience, drawing strength from the hardships he has overcome—from the loss of his childhood home and wealth to the struggles of navigating an educational system in flux. Dr. Joseph shares how he has grown from these challenges,
“…seeing my daughter fight to survive, it reminded me of my own struggles. It gave me strength to keep going.”
Looking Forward
Today, Dr. Joseph is a medical doctor with surgical skills, a role he takes immense pride in, and he continues to work towards the recognition of his skills by the Ministry of Health in South Sudan. He remains committed to rural healthcare delivery, focusing on areas where his skills can make the most significant difference. “I will be having a change in the community… I can make an impact,” he reflects. His journey from a cattle-herding boy to a dedicated medical professional embodies the resilience and adaptability of South Sudan’s people. Despite the adversity he has faced, Dr. Joseph remains committed to his work and to improving the healthcare system in his homeland, ensuring that his daughter and future generations will have better opportunities than he had.
“I want my daughter to grow up in a South Sudan where she can achieve anything. That’s why I do what I do. That’s why I keep going.”
Want to learn more? Explore Global Surgery Lab and Vital Surgery Training Program.
