**18 years after its destruction, a series of dialogues facilitated by WHO helped support the recently returned Abu Gaw community (North Darfur) to take an active role in rebuilding their health services.
**

A big day for the Abu Gaw residents in North Darfour, Sudan. A WHO-backed health center opened after an 18-year hiatus. On that very afternoon, patients were already visiting the doctor and midwives. The facility which was destroyed during the 2004 war provides essential health services to inhabitants.

“The people feel cared for. They receive adequate service, medicine is available in the centre, and the place is comfortable. They take enough medicine from the centre and leave”, Bahja Ahmed, midwife and survivor of the war in Darfur says.

People from Abu Gaw had to take long journeys to reach health services before the building of the new center. Many couldn’t afford the cost of transport. So the local community made it a priority to have a health facility.