New Clinic at Iburu

Eight years ago, we had a dream.  The local Muslim village chief in Iburu donated a large parcel of land to the Anglican Diocese of Kaduna with the proviso that the diocese build and run a medical clinic on this land.  Why did he do this ?  Two reasons.  First, he had a very personal reason.  His own daughter had died on her way to a far away hospital because there was no medical care available for her in Iburu.  Second, he donated the land to the Anglican Diocese because he knew that the Anglicans could be trusted to deliver medical care.  For many years, the diocese had been conducting free rural mobile clinics to nearby villages. The chief knew that he could trust them to deliver quality medical care to needy people.

When the Anglican Bishop Josiah Fearon told the Rev. Tom Furrer about this offer of land, they decided to build a clinic here when funds became available.  Five years later, in 2013, the funds were raised to build the clinic and to fund a doctor and two nurses for three years.  After many challenges in construction and budgeting,  the clinic was completed in June of 2016.

On Sunday, July 30, we held a Dedication Service for the new clinic.  The Clinic is dedicated to Nancy Mason.  Nancy was a nurse who worked with children here whole life.  When she was young, she wanted to be a missionary. But she married early and her missionary dreams were not fulfilled.  While raising her children, she continued her career as a school nurse.  She died about 20 years from cancer.  In 2013, her husband, the Rev. Alan Mason donated $20,000 to build a new Clinic in her honor.  In a sense, her work of caring for children continues through this clinic and her desire to be a missionary is being fulfilled.

On Monday, August 1, we began our full time work at the new Iburu Clinic.  In the first three days, we offered free medical care to 801 people.  The last of these to be helped was the local Muslim village chief.  He insisted that he be the last – not the first – to be served.  He wanted his village members to be helped before him.   We have received funding of $60,000 from another donor (who wishes to remain anonymous) which will pay the salary of the doctor and two nurses for the next three years.

So we are overjoyed to finally have our new clinic up and running.  With God’s help, we will be able to help many thousands more people with medical care in the years to come.