by Yasmine Vaughan


As you may recall from our May newsletter, Project CURE shipped 100 hospital beds to Sierra Leone with the generous support of Rick and Phoebe Peterson. After their long journey from the warehouse in Houston, these beds have finally arrived at Mercy Hospital. Mercy staff have worked diligently to remove some of the older, worn beds and placed 45 new ones in the wards, increasing Mercy’s capacity from 30 to 50 beds.  
Upon receipt of the beds, Hospital manager Jinnah Lahai said, “We (at Mercy Hospital) are aware how hard you have worked for the beds that you donated to us. We appreciate it and are thankful. Words are fleeting, and we want you to know that a simple “thank you” doesn’t do justice to how deeply we appreciate your support. With each donation we receive, we become all that much closer to our goal. Thank you for making a difference through your compassion and generosity. I assure you that the leadership of MH will make the best use of these items as best expected. We remain grateful.” Mercy’s Dr. Stevens indicated that the new beds elevate the appearance of the whole hospital and said that the patients are grateful to have these new beds to make their stay more comfortable. The staff at Mercy are also grateful because this means that they can care for more patients and will not have to turn people away. 
The arrival of the beds could not be timelier: Sierra Leone is at the height of the rainy season, when diseases like typhoid, malaria, and cholera are more common. In the last month alone, Mercy treated 175 cases of typhoid and almost 200 cases of malaria.  
The other 45 beds have been placed in Kissy United Methodist Hospital in Freetown, the Sierra Leone Mission School Clinic in Freetown, Mission of Hope Rotifunk Hospital in Rotifunk, and the Rural Health Care Initiative's birth-waiting home in Bo. The gift of these beds has  strengthened our relationships with these other hospitals and clinics who are all part of HCW’s Global Public Health Coalition, and we hope Mercy Hospital and HCW will continue to be blessed by this collaboration in the future.  
 
Kissy used their beds in the new surgical ward and to complete their new patients wards built in 2020. Rotifunk hospital’s beds have been placed in their newly extended children’s ward. 

With the arrival of these new beds, Mercy has also begun thinking about what other equipment and supplies need to be updated in order to increase its ability to care for patients in the Bo community. Organizations like Project CURE and Providence Health (who is providing COVID PPE to Mercy this fall) are a huge benefit to us. However, our hope is that Mercy will become more sustainable, and that we will be able to increase the capacity for the hospital to acquire more of their medical equipment and supplies locally.  

In addition to brokering the donation of the hospital beds, HCW was able to broker a donation of much-needed respirators for patients in respiratory distress. 

By David T. Musa, TCM Lead Consultant, Child Reintegration Centre, Bo, Sierra Leone

The Training, Coaching, and Mentoring Department continues to maintain a strong relationship with leads organizations in the past months. Based on the recommendations made by the organizations that attended the last attachment theory Train the Trainer workshop, a refresher training was held in August to go through the AT Modules and also look at areas to improve and recommendations. 20 participants from 10 organisations including: Fresh Hope Children’s Home, Commit and Act Foundation, Love one Another, Street Child, Jonathan Child Care Ministry, SOS all from Bo, Every Child Empowerment Forum, Grace Foundation-from Kenema, and Mustard Seed Foundation and Children of the Nation from Moyamba were invited to this program.

The workshop was divided into two sessions: the presentation session from both CRC Staff and  participants and the group work session. Key modules of concern from the participants were presented again by the CRC staff for better clarification and understanding. Several questions were again asked by participants during this session. The participants were also given the opportunity to present some of the modules based on the trainings some have also done with their caregivers in their various operational areas.  Participants were also divided into groups in the group work session to work together and present on various areas such as: i) the module they very important and enjoy best in the AT Theory, ii) what other topic to be added as a module, iii) how has this training helped their various organisations and which further recommendations needed to improve on the AT Modules. Presentations were done after the group work. 

From the follow-up done during the workshop on the train the trainer workshop in May, the following organizations have conducted training for their care givers, other organizations, social workers and community people: Fresh Hope Children’s Home, Jonathan Child Care Ministry, SOS, Grace Foundation-from Kenema, Mustard Seed Foundation and Children of the Nation from Moyamba. 

Report of Rev. Olivia Fonnie, Director Child Reintegration Centre, Bo, Sierra Leone

12 & 13 august, 2021 at the Child Reintegration Centre. Bo.

The event targeted 33 individuals (caregivers and their children) and participants included CRC staff, and was attended by media representatives (S.L.B.C –Bo and A.Y.V Television). 

The event lasted for a period of two days with an intent to strengthen families living in a remote community such as Fengehun village in relation to attachment, finance literacy another informative games which aim at building their emotion and interaction between children and their parents when they returned to their homes. 

During the process of training the CRC facilitators were able to enlighten the participants on the topics: 

1. Attachment Theory 
   • Emotions 
   • Apologizing Take Courage 
2. Finance Literacy 
   • Currency Art Project 
   • Coat Of Arms 

Based on the observation and interaction with participants during and after the sessions we came to notice that the participants grasped the concept of the training, were determined to implement what they learned during the two days of training and promised to provide constant follow-up during with calls or during the regular home visit with CRC staff. 

“This was my first time of attending a workshop of such a nature wherein my child and I are in the same hall learning things we thought was not important ( Parents make apologies to their children, play games with them, check their emotional wellbeing and bedtime stories in the evening hours). Therefore, I want to thank the CRC for inviting me for the program, may God blesses the donors and sponsors of the event”. Said Mr. Mohamed Lansana a caregiver. 

“I learnt a lot during the workshop, things like how my relationship between my children would be. Also the game that create bond between the families,” Said Abdulai Bindi, a caregiver in Fengehun Village. 

The introduction to the financial literacy by Victor was a take home massage for me. To save money was a really challenged for me and my family. now that have learn to save money no matter how minor it is, but one needs to save for raining days, unexpected events, optional events or even expected events to avoid embarrassment and live a dignify life in my community going forward. Therefore, the no matter the amount of money I have I will make sure I save some. Said Joseph Koroma, a caregiver. 
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