Latest News from HCW - Helping Children Worldwide

Microfinance graduates trained to mentor other CRC parents; new parents enrolled in microfinance program

7/10/2019

The CRC recently began training graduates of the Microfinance Program to mentor other parents, so that they can learn microfinance skills to help their families become financially stable. For the first training, the CRC chose eight parents who have demonstrated success in their microfinance businesses since graduating the program. To become mentors, they were coached on the roles and responsibilities of a mentor, and how they can support the process of training new participants. Eight CRC parents completed the training and will begin mentoring other parents: Gbessay Sesay, Saffiatu Dakowa, Samuel James, Catherine Ngaliwa, Baindu Sumbu, Fatmata Mattia, Janet Turay, and Fatmata J. Amara. The new mentors will receive a second microfinance loan as a reward for faithfully paying back their first loan on time.

On June 21st, a meeting was held for a new group of 25 CRC parents who would like to enroll in the Microfinance Program and learn strategies for improving their financial stability so they can take better care of their children. Victor Kanu, lead facilitator of the Family Strengthening Program, informed the parents that the training will cover seventeen topics that will change their household and family lifestyle, including money management, budgeting, planning, and saving. During the initial meeting, the participants were given the task of developing business plans for three different potential businesses. These plans will be used throughout the training, and the CRC staff and mentors will consult with the parents at the end of the training to help them choose the best business plan. The actual training will launch July 28th, and cover two topics per meeting. At the conclusion of the training, there will be a certification ceremony and a loan distribution for the amount of five hundred thousand leones to each graduate (approximately $56.)

Sponsor A Child Assistant Coordinator Henry Kebbie, who assisted with the training, thanked the participants for coming to the meeting, noting that this program is not for the parents, but rather for their children. He encouraged the parents to look for businesses that will yield a greater profit, and advised them to utilize the money well so that they can provide food, transportation, and other necessary items for their children to live happy and comfortable lives. The CRC staff are excited and encouraged to see the impact these trainings are having in the lives of CRC families and their communities.

Mercy successfully treats child for abscess

7/9/2019

Little Rugiatu Kargbo was admitted to Mercy Hospital when he came in last month with a septic abscess on his head. The abscess extended down to his eyes and jaw. When the abscess first appeared, his mother began applying herbs to his head to try to help control and heal the abscess. When Rugiatu developed a fever, his mother knew she needed to take her son to the hospital. Once he was admitted, the Mercy staff drained and dressed the abscess in the surgical theatre and medications were administered as prescribed to the young boy. Once the team felt that Rugiatu was in a satisfactory condition, he was discharged and his mother was able to take him home. His mother said she greatly appreciated the team for saving her child’s life and is very thankful to the Mercy staff for all of the medical support given to her and her son.

HCW joins UN advocacy group for children without parental care

7/9/2019

HCW has been given the opportunity to support global efforts to strengthen children’s care in the context of the 2019 UN General Assembly Resolution on the Rights of the Child, which will focus on children without parental care. We have endorsed the recommendations contained in the resolution on children's rights, specifically, the focus on children without parental care that is being presented to the UN General Assembly this year. Additionally, HCW has joined the UN Advocacy Group on Children Without Parental Care, partnering with hundreds of other organizations working to ensure that children all over the world grow up in a loving family.

Each year, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) makes important decisions affecting the lives of people around the world. They recommend a course of action for all United Nations Member States on a wide array of topics from human rights to education, development, climate, violence against children, and peace and security, among others. The focus of the 2019 UN General Assembly Resolution on the Rights of the Child is children without parental care. The UN’s general agenda for the coming years is built on an understanding that to truly achieve sustainable development, we must start by focusing on those who have been left the furthest behind. According to the UN’s Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs), strategic investments in children are key to furthering peace, ending global poverty, and ensuring that all human beings can fulfill their potential. The SDGs set forth bold targets across sectors and include an explicit focus on improving child outcomes through poverty reduction and increased access to health, nutrition, education, justice, and protection. Decades of research have demonstrated that we cannot truly support children without investing in family relationships and ensuring that quality care is provided to all children.

In November 2018, representatives from 14 organizations, networks, and agencies met in New York to discuss the 2019 UNGA Resolution on the Rights of the Child. At the meeting, participants agreed to work together to develop and propose key recommendations and messages for Member States to include in the draft resolution. Several calls were organized, and a working group collaborated to develop and negotiate key recommendations on behalf of the coalition. The final negotiated text reflects the broadest agreement among almost all members and provides a strong basis for joint advocacy with Member States at national, regional, and global levels.

The Key Recommendations reflect agreed commitments by States under international standards, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, as well as previous UNGA resolutions and other negotiated documents. The recommendations are bold and focused on what needs to be done to implement the commitments made by governments towards children, families, and communities.

The 64 recommendations are divided under 8 key priority areas:

Recognize and prioritize the role of families
Support families and prevent unnecessary family-child separation
Protect children without parental care and ensure high-quality, appropriate alternative care
Recognize the harm of institutional care for children and prevent institutionalization
Strengthen child welfare and protection systems and services
Ensure adequate financial and human resources
Improve data collection and regular reporting
Ensure full participation of children without parental or family care

Helping Children Worldwide is proud to endorse the 2019 UNGA Recommendations on the Rights of the Child as outlined below.

CRC celebrates the Day of the African Child

7/3/2019

June 16th was a special day at the Child Rescue Centre and for many communities and countries across the African continent. Annually on this day across Africa, African Member States and its partners commemorate the Day of the African Child (DAC). DAC was established to raise awareness of the need for continuing improvement in education. As a partner of the Ministry of Social Welfare: Gender and Children Affairs in Sierra Leone, the CRC has made it part of their culture to bring together CRC children on this day of commemoration. After church, children from various locations within the Bo district congregated on the CRC compound for the Day of the African Child. Leading this commemoration event was Mabel Mustapha, the Education Manager at the Child Rescue Centre. Mabel encouraged children to remember that the DAC is not just a day for fun activities together, but also a day to commemorate and recognize the importance of their education. However, this day also included many opportunities for fun for the children and their families. They listened to music, danced, shared and listened to stories about the history and impact of the Day of the African Child, and played many outdoor games. At the end of all activities, children and their families were able to share an African dish together and pray together. The community of children, parents, and Child Rescue Centre staff were so thankful to be able to participate in this day of commemoration.

Mercy Hospital celebrates two birthdays

6/21/2019

The first female child to be delivered via c-section at Mercy Hospital was born on Thursday, June 20th. Previously, all c-section babies delivered at Mercy had been male. June 20th also happens to be the birthday of Mercy’s Hospital Administrator, Jinnah Lahai. Jinnah said he considers it a particular blessing to welcome a new baby into the world at Mercy on his birthday.

The mother of the child is Hawa Kamara. Hawa is a destitute patient, so her surgery was completely covered by Mercy Hospital. She came to Mercy ready to deliver, but it quickly became apparent that she needed a c-section to ensure the health of both herself and her baby. Surgical Health Officer Lawrence T. Kargbo performed the successful surgery. Both mom and baby are doing well and Mercy Hospital is excited to have welcomed a new child into the world! Happy birthday baby girl and Jinnah!

Microfinance Program Puts a Smile on Recipient's Face

6/19/2019

Launched in 2017, the CRC’s microfinance program has provided training and microloans to sixty different recipients, fifty-four of whom are women. A microloan can be the first step in a family’s ability to strive for and achieve financial stability and independence. It can be a life-saving opportunity particularly for households headed by single women.

Tennah Massaquoi is an elderly woman who is the sole caregiver of her two grandchildren; all four of her adult children having passed away. One of her grandchildren, Sally Kaitor, is enrolled in the CRC Program. Life was very difficult for Tennah; she struggled to support and take care of her grandchildren. However, during the CRC’s annual assessment process, staff identified Tenneh Massaquoi as particularly vulnerable, and encouraged her to enroll in the CRC’s Microfinance Program. There she received training in budgeting, saving, managing a small business, and earned a certificate with a small loan of approximately $90. Tennah has used that loan to launch a small business selling groundnuts. Her business is doing well, and she is realizing a small profit which she has been able to use to help take care of her grandchildren. “Before my four children died at a young age, I thought they were going to be taking care of me, the CRC has been my only hope,” Tennah says. It is customary in the Sierra Leonean culture for grown children to provide care for their parents in their old age, but Tennah doesn’t have that opportunity. “Now I consider the CRC as my children,” says Tennah heartwarmingly. The Microfinance Program that the CRC provides continues to support more individuals, like Tennah, in achieving financial stability.

Tennah Massaquoi working with her groundnut business.

CRC Visits Remote Students

6/13/2019

The Case Management Team of the Child Rescue Centre provides ongoing monitoring and support for more than 500 programs for children, regardless of where they live. Part of the case management process is for caseworkers to visit students at home, at school, and at work in order to ensure that all is well personally, socially, academically, and spiritually within their community.

Joseph Junisa, Henry Kebbie, Amie Nallo, and Deborah Kanneh, recently organized school visits to CRC students living outside of the Bo District. Together, they traveled to Kono, Kenema, Moyamba, Freetown and Rutile to visit with students and their families. While there, they helped students write letters to their sponsors, checked on their health and well-being, and assessed their academic performance. The visit also enabled these caseworkers to check in privately with the students and with their parents, to make sure that each families’ relationship was strong, and the living environment well kept in their communities.

During one school visit, a case manager came to notice -- after overseeing how all the children would interact together-- that the CRC effectively connects friends and classmates together. These kids love to play together, eat their lunches together, and love to walk home from school together. The CRC creates a loving and safe environment for students to freely express themselves and find common interests between them and their classmates. The caseworkers were happy to report that all the students are happy in their homes and schools, and performing well academically and socially.

Child Graduates Nutrition Program

6/10/2019

Sixteen-month-old Francis celebrated a major milestone in his young life when he recently graduated from Mercy Hospital’s Nutrition Program. Francis had been in Mercy’s Nutrition Program for approximately five months, where he received a monthly supply of Pikinmix, a healthy food supplement for malnourished infants and children. Francis’ mother was so thrilled saying, "The Mercy Outreach Team was very caring”. His mother also noted that “they supplied my child every time I came to them for the Pikinmix and he became stronger and healthier after taking it”. Francis has achieved a healthy weight for his age, and will no longer need the supplement to thrive.

Another child, four year old Christina was brought to Mercy by her mother because she was suffering from a fever, loss of appetite, and chronic cough. Christina’s mother chose Mercy because of its reputation for providing high quality medications and care to its patients. After receiving treatment from Mercy, her mother said, “I am very happy for the treatment given to my child at Mercy”.

Mercy's Surgical Team provides surgery for CRC students

5/21/2019

Wuyatu (right) and her mother (left), after her surgery at Mercy Hospital.

The Child Rescue Centre and Mercy Hospital have partnered together since Mercy officially opened in 2007. The hospital has provided medical care to all CRC children enrolled in the program since that time. Now that Mercy’s surgical suite is open, Mercy has been able to provide crucial surgical interventions for many, including two different CRC students.

Wuyata, a CRC student attending SS1 at Njaboima Secondary School in Bo, began experiencing abdominal pain and fever in 2018. Unable to perform surgeries at that time as construction on the surgical suite was not complete, Mercy staff referred the family to Sowa clinic for surgery. The family didn’t have the funds to pay for the surgery, so they opted to continue to provide Wuyata with medications for the pain and postponed surgery.

On a routine school to visit another CRC child attending the school, CRC Case Manager Victor Kanu discovered that Wuyata was not there, and immediately contacted her assigned Case Manager, Amie Nallo. Amie visited Wuyata at home and realized immediately that she was very ill, and advised the family to bring her back to Mercy as quickly as possible. Mercy’s new Surgical Health Officer, Dr. Laurence Kargbo, examined her and discovered that the problem was a hernia, and prepared her for surgery.

During the operation, the doctor discovered that Wuyata actually had a bilateral hernia, but the decision was made to conduct a second surgery a month later after she had recovered from the first procedure. Wuyata recovered well, and eagerly returned to school. “All I have to say is thank you lord and for CRC supporting me to go through this surgery, and Mercy for doing the surgery successfully.” She is scheduled to have the second procedure in a month, and is hopeful that she would be able to return to school in time to take her promotional exam.

In March, Isatu, a student in SS2 at Queen of the Rosary School recently complained of abdominal pain to her caregiver, who brought her to Mercy to be seen by Community Health Worker, Henrietta Baby Sitta. Sitta quickly realized that the cause was her appendix, which needed to be removed. Isatu’s appendix was successfully removed by Dr. Amara and the surgical team at Mercy, in one of Mercy’s new operating theatres.

Isatu spent 4 days at Mercy recovering, and the CRC staff visited her at Mercy to check on her recovery. Her mother Margaret expressed her gratitude for both the CRC and Mercy staff. “I thank God and the staff at CRC and at Mercy for working together to restore the health of my child.” Isatu was able to return to school a week later.

Isatu returned to school after recovering from her appendectomy at Mercy Hospital.

CRC staff attend team building retreat

4/18/2019

After serving as the Child Rescue Centre Director for more than two years, Mohamed Nabieu couldn’t leave the CRC and Sierra Leone without a very unique farewell. He took the opportunity to take the hardworking staff on a well-earned holiday but also ensured that the time spent away would continue to build the skills and capacity of the team by including time to continue refining their leadership skills. The event lasted for two days in February at Kent Beach.

Mrs. Olivia Fonnie, the Director of Christian Education\Specialized Ministry to Children, was on hand to present on the topic “Work Ethics,” explaining the importance of workplace ethics and providing examples. Fonnie also spoke about ways to demonstrate a strong work ethic, and discussed examples of ethics violations in the workplace. The presentation was followed by a highly interactive discussion among the staff.

Mohamed Nabieu’s presentations based on Patrick Lencioni’s work were on the five dysfunctions of a team,and the four disciplines of a healthy organization. Nabieu shared the dysfunctional interactions that can make an organization inefficient and ineffective, and urged the staff to embrace the four disciplines of healthy organizations instead. Staff were encouraged to continue to develop their skills in working cohesively, maintaining organizational clarity, communicating and even over-communicating, and reinforcing clarity through human systems.

The presentations shared by Mrs. Fonnie and Mr. Nabieu are built on an ongoing practice of weekly leadership discussions where staff read and reflect on various leadership materials in order to continue to be an organization of excellence.

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