The John Dau Foundation is fulfilling the dream of the former “Lost Boy” and genocide survivor John Dau to provide healthcare in the war-torn region of South Sudan by building and sustaining medical clinics and training community health workers.

The John Dau Foundation brings several unique strengths to transforming healthcare in South Sudan:

Powerful Fundraising: John Dau is an internationally recognized humanitarian and a powerful public speaker. He has been instrumental in raising over $1,000,000 since 2005 to build and sustain the Duk Lost Boys Clinic. With the concentrated efforts of the Foundation staff, the Clinic and the Foundation are able to reduce costs and overhead, allowing more of our funds to go directly towards medical services. 

Ensuring the Money is Well Spent: During his extended visits to South Sudan, John provides advice on the operations and management of the Duk Lost Boys Clinic, suggestions for new programs and options for establishing new healthcare initiatives and clinics in South Sudan. As someone from the region, he also provides crucial advice in developing culturally appropriate policies.

Transparency Policy: The Foundation receives an annual audit that is made public on our website. Additionally, the Foundation strives to report on all relevant news and activities happening at the Clinic, and is devoted to keeping administrative costs at or below the industry average. 

Containing Costs: The Foundation's policy is to spend no more than 20 percent of funds received on administrative and fundraising activities. Additionally, to further lower administrative costs, JDF has partnered with many local organizations to provide in-kind services:

  • A free answering service to provide constant telephone contact by Finger Lakes Business Services, Inc. (www.callflas.com).
  • Organized support from students at Syracuse University, who perform many of the Foundation's administrative tasks as volunteers or part-time workers. 
  • Faculty from the Maxwell School and the Newhouse School of Public Communications provide support through advising and coursework.


Transferring Support to the Government of South Sudan: John has strong ties to local governmental officials in South Sudan. His uncle, Philip Thon Leek, who was a governor of the State of Jongeli and is now a member of the legislative assembly of the Government of South Sudan, has been instrumental in providing contacts and support from local citizens, Tribal Chiefs and the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movements and its Health Ministry. The government is now providing medical supplies and other support consistent with its limited capacity. The Duk Lost Boys Clinic is now leading coordination of medical services within Duk County, and serves as a model for success for the entire region. The Clinic also provides regular reports on the medical activities, including disease outbreaks, to the Government , and frequently hosts public health campaigns sponsored by the Ministry of Health. 

Partnering with Other Efforts: The Foundation's mission is to raise funds to support new projects and monitor existing projects that it supports to ensure effectiveness and efficiency. Both John and JDF work closely with other organizations to maintain the Clinic in Duk County, South Sudan. The Foundation seeks similar partnerships so that it can continue to support the projects both financially and through technical advice and advancements.