19 August 2013 - The second and third batches of 29 registered nurses graduated from the College of Nursing and Midwifery in a colourful ceremony today in Wau, Western Bahr El-Ghazal State.

Attending the event were about 400 government officials, members of the local community and representatives of the UNMISS Chinese and Kenyan battalions.

Chinese troops presented Analects of Confucius (collection of Confucius sayings and ideas) to the students and medical teaching materials to Mary Help Center, where the nursing college is located.

The Chinese also entertained the crowd with traditional cultural performances, including the lion dance and martial arts.

Since 2010, some 30 of the 100 students at the nursing college have been attending several nursing lectures per year at the UNMISS Chinese hospital.

During the event, a foundation stone was also laid for the new Mary Help Hospital, which will be built on the grounds where the graduation was held.

UNMISS Chinese engineers have been assisting with the hospital since 2007, when they transported sand for its compound from the local Jur River. In 2012, they helped clean the compound and elevated as well as compacted it with murram (red, clay-like material) earlier this year.

In future, the Chinese plan to excavate and deliver murram to compact the foundation of new buildings for the College of Nursing and Midwifery.