In a new book from National Geographic called My Favorite Place on Earth (www.myfavoriteplacenatgeo.com), John Dau talks about his boyhood, uprooting, and later visits to Duk County, Sudan.

For the book, award-winning writer Jerry Camarillo Dunn rounded up 75 remarkable people – ranging from the Dalai Lama to Morgan Freeman to Jane Goodall – and asked them a simple question: What place do you love most in the world?

Their answers range from a lost city in Sri Lanka to the Pasadena Rose Parade to the Amazon, from an island surfing paradise in Fiji to the Left Bank in Paris.

John Dau is joined by such fascinating people as singer James Taylor, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, mind-body medicine pioneer Deepak Chopra, actor Natalie Portman, ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau, comic Jerry Seinfeld, sitar master Ravi Shankar, chef Alice Waters, newsman Tom Brokaw, “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening, writer Ray Bradbury, filmmaker George Lucas, and many others. For the complete list and more information, go to www.myfavoriteplacenatgeo.com.

In the U.S., Malaria is easily prevented and treated. But because of a lack of resources and financial disparities, it is considered a serious and life-threatening disease in developing countries like Sudan. In 2007, there were 4,339,487 cases of Malaria reported in South Sudan alone. Over 130,000 of those cases were fatal. Numbers like these are unacceptable, which is something JDSF recognizes.

A recent medical mission’s trip to the Duk Lost Boys Clinic began distributing over 1,000 treated-mosquito nets. Under the direction of JDSF Board of Directors Dr. Barb Connor and Dr. Dave Reed, their goal was to provide at least one net to every hut in Duk Payuel. It may seem like a simple measure, but the number of Malaria cases drop drastically when treated-mosquito nets are available.

To view photos of the distribution and other photos from the team’s March trip, click here.

The cold chain system is up and running at the Duk Lost Boys Clinic in South Sudan. Two refrigerators have been installed and are being maintained at constant temperature via solar power and a wind turbine.

“I am delighted and proud to announce that the establishment of the Cold Chain is completely successful,” said John Dau Sudan Foundation Board of Director Barb Connor, M.D. “It is wonderful to check the refrigerators at least twice a day as I have been, and noting the constant temperature of 4.8 C.”

The first 50 Tetanus vaccines that will be given to pregnant women and children in Duk County were hand carried by Connor, an emergency room physician at Auburn Memorial Hospital, from the United States to the Clinic on a recent medical mission’s trip.

Duk Lost Boys Clinic staff member Juma Malual administers the Clinic's first ever immunization shot.

During the trip, the medical team treated a 15-year-old boy who came into the Duk Lost Boys Clinic with a two-week-old leg wound that had been infected, and was at high risk for contracting tetanus. He received the clinic’s first ever immunization shot.  

Vaccines are powerful public health tools that save an estimated three million lives per year. A cold chain system is a clinic’s capability to protect these vaccines from the rugged conditions they face in the developing world. The Duk Lost Boys Clinic’s new cold chain system is an essential component of JDSF’s effort to accelerate improvements in South Sudanese health- particularly for a population disproportionately affected by preventable disease.

"This is the first vaccine to ever be administered in the village since God created the earth," said John Dau. "This is truly a miraculous accomplishment."

On February 20, 2009, John Dau spoke at the renowned Forum Club of Southwest Florida, Inc. to an audience of over 200 current and retired business executives. John spoke on the current political state of Africa and his four theories on the prevalence of war in Africa and how these challenges can be overcome.

Located in Naples, Florida, the Forum Club was founded in the summer of 1984 to present prominent and well informed speakers to the business community. Over the past 21 years, the Club has attracted many outstanding guests, including three Supreme Court Justices: Harry Blackmun, Byron White and Clarence Thomas.

Click here to listen to John's speech at The Forum Club.

Acute respiratory infections cause more than 2 million deaths per year in children less than 5 years old primarily in developing countries like South Sudan where people are not immunized. These deaths are a consequence of oxygen deficiency, but oxygen therapy is lifesaving for many children with these acute respiratory infections. Newborns, which are prone to oxygen deficiency, often need supplemental oxygen after birth. While oxygen is one of the most essential and widely used treatments in the U.S., it is rarely available as a therapy in developing countries.

SeQual Technologies donated a brand-new Eclipse 2 Personal Ambulatory Oxygen System that will provide the Clinic with oxygen capability for many years to come. The Eclipse is the only oxygen concentrator on the market that provides both continuous flow and pulse dose options in a 24/7 package. This portable oxygen concentrator runs on batteries, which can be charged by solar panels. The Eclipse is an ideal solution for the conditions at the Duk Lost Boys Clinic. The survival rates of children and babies seen at the Clinic will now be much improved thanks to this generous donation.

Today, thanks to the generosity of a donor in Minnesota and SeQual Technologies, a state-of-the-art oxygen concentrator is coming to the Duk Lost Boys Clinic at the beginning of March.

“We are pleased to support such a worthy cause and wish you the best in your work with the patients in Sudan,” said Ron Richard, CEO of SeQual Technologies Inc.

An oxygen concentrator is an electric machine which increases the concentration of normal room air from 20 percent up to 95 percent oxygen. A single oxygen concentrator can be shared by several children simultaneously. Oxygen concentrators are an alternative to compressed oxygen tanks which need to be refilled and are expensive to transport. They are much more cost-effective while providing equal therapeutic benefits.

JDSF Board of Directors Dr. David Reed and Dr. Barbara Connor will carry the oxygen concentrator with them on the plane when they leave for a 10-day medical missions trip at the Duk Lost Boys Clinic on Saturday, February 28.

"This is a clinic with no electricity except for a generator," said Reed, who is a professor and practicing physician at the State University of New York Upstate Medical School. "They are so frustrated and without hope. I talked to respiratory folks and came up with the idea of an oxygen concentrator."

Once at the Clinic where the oxygen concentrator will be kept permanently, the visiting doctors will train the Clinic staff on how to use the machine.

“We are hopeful that we can keep it in service in the Sudan environment with close care and attention,” Reed said.

John with Pharmacist Nelson inside the Duk Lost Boys Clinic.

John Dau recently returned from his winter trip to Sudan from December 7 to January 15. While in Sudan, he furthered Foundation relations with the Sudanese government and other non-profits in the region. John visited the Duk Lost Boys Clinic to personally monitor the improvements that need to be made in order to serve as many patients as possible.

Click here to read John's full recount of his trip.

Students at the Louis M. Klein Middle School in Harrison, NY, raised $5,000 for JDSF. Lost Boy of Sudan and genocide survivor John Dau personally received the funds from the students and shared his story on Wednesday, November 19^th at the school.

“I learned that giving is better than getting. How could I possibly ask for a gift when there are people who don't even have food?” said Jason Burger, a student at the middle school, as he reflected on Dau’s presentation. “John Bul Dau really put this into perspective for me. I think I might want to donate some of my old toys to charity because I have more than enough while they have none… I think John Bul Dau really helped me appreciate and understand the privileges we have in America.”

Students in grades six through twelve were inspired to fundraise and raise awareness for JDSF after learning about the organization through Kay Kobbe, founder of Kids for World Health in Mamaronec, N.Y. To learn about the plight of the Lost Boys of Sudan, the students watched the documentary, God Grew Tired of Us, which features John Dau’s  

contribution on Friday, October 24^th at the 2008 Executive Conference in Hartford, Conneticut.

“It was something that I was never expecting. It reaffirms that the United States of America is a place where people help others,” said John Dau, President of JDSF. “I didn’t know what to say when President Chênevert announced that UTC was giving the Foundation $100,000. I was so surprised and happy.”

Over 500 top executives from UTC’s seven businesses attended the 2008 Executive Conference. Dau spoke to conference attendees on leadership and corporate responsibility. Other conference speakers included Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Group, Joseph F. Campbell, Jr. of Barclay’s Capital and Steven F. Udvar-Hazy of International Lease Finance Corp.

“The money donated by UTC will be used to maintain and expand the medical services at the Duk Lost Boys Clinic in my home village in South Sudan,” said Dau. “UTC is one of the leading companies of corporate giving, and JDSF is thankful and honored to receive its support.”

UTC is a diversified $55 billion global company made up of world-leading businesses with histories of technological pioneering. UTC products include Carrier heating and air conditioning, Hamilton Sundstrand aerospace and industrial systems, Otis elevators and escalators, Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines, Sikorsky helicopters, UTC Fire & Security systems and UTC Power fuel cells and alternative energy solutions.

Last spring JDSF Board of Advisor John Covell sent over a variety of vegetable seeds to South Sudan for the Duk Lost Boys Clinic staff to plant to augment their own food supply and to provide fresh greens to the local villagers. The seeds were recently planted and as the rainy season has started too ease up the plants are doing very well. The Clinic staff is doing a fine job tending the crop and except for some pests the plants are healthy and the garden looks like it is going to be a success!

Photos from the garden.

How often can you get and give at the same time?

Through a new book released by Doubleday Publishing, readers can get inspiration for their own lives and give inspiration to others.  

A percentage of each copy of The Unlikely Lavender Queen: A Memoir of Unexpected Blossoming sold through author Jeannie Ralston's website will be donated to the John Dau Sudan Foundation during the month of October.

Ralston has implemented what she calls The Seed Campaign on her website through the Amazon Affiliate program. For every book sold Amazon will return 4 to 8 percent (percentage increases with sales volume) to The Seed Campaign fund. Ralston hopes to raise $60,000 for various causes in the coming year. 

"My book is about making the most of the twist and turns life takes," says Ralston. "When I realized that the Amazon account was collecting money, I saw it was a great opportunity to reinforce the message of the book—by actually helping other people make the most of their lives."

Lopez Lomong, the Sudanese-born track and field athlete who carried the U.S. flag in the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, announced his support for the John Dau Sudan Foundation (JDSF) and its initiative of transforming healthcare in Southern Sudan.

"Lopez is in a tremendous position to bring attention to resources for the cause," said Chris Royce, member of the JDSF Board of Directors. "They would be a very good match because it wouldn't be feasible for Lopez to start his own foundation right now, considering he's getting paid by night to travel the world."

Lomong's story goes beyond the concept of the "American dream" - something he feels he's fulfilled. As one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, his connection with more than 27,000 others who were displaced like him or orphaned, prompted the 23-year-old track and field athlete to team up with JDSF.

Royce added that Lomong is just the starting point for a number of the JDSF projects that are in the works, including a major national recording artist potentially going on tour to raise money for the foundation.

Now an Olympic athlete, Lomong said he feels it's his responsibility to spread awareness about the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2003) because an estimated 1.9 million civilians were killed. Now that the war has ended, he and Dau said they believe the most important part of Sudan that needs to be revitalized is the area of basic healthcare.

"So many other athletes that were well-renown, but he was chosen," Dau said, alluding to Lomong leading the U.S. Olympic team at the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games. "A guy from Sudan, with the name 'Lost Boy,' it's a big thing."

This week, the John Dau Sudan Foundation launched its first strategic campaign to take the next step in transforming healthcare in Southern Sudan.

Through the 1,000 Koiye Miooc Campaign, JDSF will partner with

1,000 koiye miooc (koi-yee mewch) to ensure the Duk Lost Boys Clinic’s continued operation and ability to provide healthcare services long into the future. Based on its first year’s experience, JDSF knows that it needs to generate $300,000 a year to fund basic clinic service. The campaign seeks 1,000 charter koiye miooc who pledge $25 a month ($300 a year) to do this.

“The 1,000 Koiye Miooc Campaign is essential to establishing a consistent flow of funds to maintain the Duk Lost Boys Clinic,” said Bill Coplin, Chairman of the Board. “Donors can commit to $25 a month to make sure we continue to serve as many as 150 citizens of Duk County, Southern Sudan a day.”

The name “koiye miooc” means “generous persons” in Dinka. “Americans are so generous, even with people they will never meet,” said John Dau, JDSF President. “They have very big hearts.”

For more information about the 1,000 Koiye Miooc Campaign and how you can become a charter koiye miooc today, please visit www.johndaufoundation.org/kmcampaign.

Bill Coplin, Chairman of the JDSF Board, had a new idea! What if current medical clinics in South Sudan were sustained and expanded to where the Sudanese themselves could play a major role in delivering the services? This could revolutionize healthcare not only in Sudan, but around the world in all rural areas! By training the local population to take over as much of the healthcare work as possible and providing them with the resources needed, essential and adequate healthcare in South Sudan will become sustainable over the long run.

Coplin’s idea has an opportunity to receive funding from American Express through its 2008 Members Project. Help it win by nominating the project “Transform Healthcare in South Sudan” today!

Between now and Aug. 31, 2008, we need you to do two things:

1. Nominate the project (“Transform Healthcare in South Sudan”) to reach the Top 25.
2. Campaign for this project by promoting it on the Members Project Discussion Boards and telling all of your friends and family members about it (via email, Facebook, your web site, etc.).

Go to http://www.membersproject.com/project/view/Q1ZFFD to nominate the project today!

* You do not need to be an American Express card member to vote.

It’s with overwhelming joy and enormous pride that I heard the news today that my dear friend and fellow Sudanese refugee Lopez Lomong was selected by his fellow American athletes to represent them and carry the U.S. flag as they march together into the Olympic Stadium at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.

Lopez is an incredible athlete (1,500-meter runner) and a talented young man who has spent many years in training to compete at the highest elite level. I am proud to call him a friend and am encouraged by what this means for all Lost Boys and Girls and the people of Sudan.

During his incredible life journey from the endless miles walked in his childhood to his athletic success today, he has not only persevered but has risen to such a level of accomplishment, becoming a model for so many worldwide. Through the grace of God and kindness of Americans, Lopez has become a symbol of unity, hope and what the future of the world can offer.

Janece Moment decided to chase the American Dream along with her husband and three-year old daughter by opening her own business, which for most Americans means no access to medical or dental insurance. And like so many Americans, when a broken tooth grew into a medical emergency, she had only a limited amount of cash to get the necessary treatment; cash that valued less than the cost of diagnosis, much less than the treatment.

Calling dentist after dentist, she finally found one who was willing to take a look at her without an upfront deposit. The tooth was badly infected and needed to be removed immediately, and the dentist was also willing to do that for the cash she had brought to pay for the diagnosis.

After hearing about the work the Duk Lost Boys Clinic is doing, Laura Ponticello of Laura’s List: Books for Women was inspired to help JDSF sow seeds of change, plant dreams and grow hope in Southern Sudan. Laura designed eco-friendly totes that are multifunctional and perfectly suited for the farmer’s market, grocery shopping and as a gardening tote. They are royal blue with Laura’s List gal imprint, made of recycled fibers and are large enough to handle quite a bit of stuff! A portion of each sale will support the Duk Lost Boys Clinic.

Bags can be purchased for $9.50 at Creekside Books and Coffeehouse, 35 Fennell Street in Skaneateles or send a check for $12 including shipping and handling to Laura Ponticello c/o PO Box 206, Skaneateles, NY  13152.

If you have creative ideas for raising funds for the Duk Lost Boys Clinic, please contact info@johndaufoundation.org.

Gordon and Mary Hayward were so moved after watching the award-winning documentary God Grew Tired of Us that they knew they had to help the war-torn region of Southern Sudan. The next day, they phoned John Dau, one of the Lost Boys featured in the film. What especially struck Gordon and Mary was that after walking 1,000 miles from Southern Sudan to eventual safety in Kenya, losing family and friends, living in crowded refugee conditions for years and then being uprooted to America, the Lost Boys of Sudan remain optimistic, hopeful, hardworking and a credit to any community they live within.

To help those left behind, John established the John Dau Sudan Foundation to transform healthcare in Southern Sudan. Gordon and Mary’s immediate mission is to raise funds to support John’s work through a two day series of events on July 26 and 27 in Brattleboro, Vermont and in their gardens. Their broader mission is to build awareness, particularly among local young people, of the plight of thousands of young Sudanese people who feel God has grown tired of them.

On Tuesday, July 15 John Dau will appear at the NAACP Annual Convention as part of the Author Pavilion’s “Super Tuesday” in Cincinnati, Ohio. He will participate in meet and greets, presentations, book signings and interviews as part of the heart of the NAACP Author Pavilion experience which is designed to bring readers together with their favorite writers and poets. John will discuss his experience as one of the storied “Lost Boys of Sudan” and the writing of his 2007 autobiography, God Grew Tired of Us: A Memoir. His memoir will be available for purchase at the Pavilion where it can be personally signed by John.

This year’s NAACP Annual Convention is being held July 12-17 in Cincinnati’s Duke Energy Center with the theme “Power, Justice, Freedom, Vote.” Notable convention speakers include Republican Presidential Candidate, John McCain, and Democratic Presidential Candidate, Barack Obama. Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization.

For more information on John's appearance at the NAACP Author Pavilion, please visit the Pavilion’s web site.

JDSF’s own Dr. David Reed and Dr. Barbara Connor were featured on SUNY Upstate Medical University’s HealthLink on Air on Sunday, June 29. They recounted their experience providing medical care at the Duk Lost Boys Clinic in John Dau's home village in Southern Sudan and explained how little it can sometimes take to save a life. They also shared the importance of nurturing the skills of the local Sudanese medical workers and revealed their future plans for returning to Duk County.

Both Dr. Reed, a University Hospital emergency medicine physician, and Dr. Connor, a physician at Auburn Hospital, serve on the JDSF’s Board of Directors. They play vital roles advising the Foundation on best clinic medical practices and oversee the medical operations of the Duk Lost Boys Clinic.

Click the links below to listen to Dr. Reed and Dr. Connor’s segment on HealthLink on Air:

Read an article about the sabbatical

Dr. David Reed took to address gross

inequities in global healthcare.