Hannah Korok never had the chance to see her mother's face. Her mother died while giving birth to her — a loss that is still far too common in South Sudan, where maternal mortality remains among the highest in the world.

Today, at 25 years old, Hannah is turning that loss into a mission.

Hannah comes from Vertate Payam, Gumuruk County, in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area — a region where trained midwives are desperately scarce. "In my community there are very few midwives to help mothers," she says. "Most mothers die during delivery. My mother died while giving birth to me, and I never had the opportunity to see her."

In February 2023, Hannah joined the Presbyterian Health Science Institute (PHSI), a programme of the Presbyterian Relief and Development Agency (PRDA), to pursue a Diploma in Midwifery. Her goal is clear: to gain the knowledge and skills to keep mothers and their babies safe and healthy through pregnancy, labour, delivery, and the postnatal period.

From Classroom to Clinic

Since joining PHSI, Hannah's progress has been remarkable. She can now administer injections, take vital signs, conduct pregnancy checks, and attend to expectant mothers. She has learned to conduct deliveries and to recognize when a mother needs referral for more specialized care — skills that save lives in communities where the nearest hospital may be far away.

Her training has taken her from the lecture hall to the wards. In November 2025, Hannah was on placement at the antenatal clinic of Juba Teaching Hospital, caring for pregnant mothers under the mentorship of experienced clinicians.

The Challenges

Hannah's journey has not been without obstacles. Clinical placement sites are limited and often congested, shared by students from several training institutions, which reduces hands-on practice opportunities in safe delivery. Insecurity in parts of the country and Juba's extreme heat — which has at times forced schools to close — have added to the difficulty.

Yet Hannah remains undeterred.

Looking Home

Hannah's plan is to graduate this year and return to the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, where the need for skilled midwives is urgent. Every trained midwife who returns home means safer deliveries, fewer preventable deaths, and more children who grow up knowing their mothers.

"I am very grateful to the people who are committed to supporting me through this program," she says.

Why It Matters

Hannah's story is exactly why PHSI exists. Through its Diploma programmes in Midwifery and Nursing, PHSI — supported by PRDA, the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCOSS), and partners such as Mission 21 — is training a new generation of South Sudanese health professionals who return to serve the communities that need them most, reducing maternal and child mortality one safe delivery at a time.

You can be part of stories like Hannah's. Support the training of nurses and midwives at PHSI by donating today / partnering with PRDA — https://prda-ss.org/donate

Hannah Korok has kindly given her consent for her story and photograph to be published and shared.