#GivingTuesday: Help Welbodi Partnership Build Sierra Leone's Healthcare System Back Better

#BlackFriday and #CyberMonday are over, and what the women and children in Sierra Leone need, can’t be bought in a day. Will you help us use #GivingTuesday to kickstart the recovery phase of the Ebola response? We will be fundraising over the holiday period and the New Year to "build back better” and ensure that what we do now is sustainable and makes a real and lasting difference to women and children in Sierra Leone. 

Please act now so that together we can address the needs at the Children’s Hospital and start making a difference. With your support we can start taking steps to rebuild the healthcare system and build it back better. By laying a strong foundation now and starting the recovery process, we will be able to strengthen our ability to secure longer term funding to invest in maternal and child health for the years to come. 




Today, you could make one-time donation here or give a valuable ongoing gift with a recurring monthly donation (UK, USA). Even a few dollars or pounds per month will help. If you sign up this month for a new recurring donation to our Global Giving project, an anonymous donor will match your donation up to $200!

Photo credit: Sandra Lako 2011

Stronger Together

The Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone has been declared over. The fight is done. Thousands of people in Sierra Leone and from around the world worked together to overcome the Ebola virus. The government, NERC (National Ebola Response Centre), Ministries, healthcare workers, community members, NGO workers and so many more people served and sacrificed to get us to this point. It is through collaboration and coordination and a lot of perseverance that we won this battle. 

The Ebola Response Consortium (ERC)*, of which Welbodi Partnership is a member, demonstrated the power of partnership throughout the outbreak. NGOs were able to join together to ensure coordination and collaboration with the aim of reaching one common goal: ending the Ebola outbreak. This film tells the amazing story of what can be achieved when people come together and work in unity. The work that the ERC has accomplished over the past year has been tremendous.  From surveillance, to infection prevention and control, to improving water and sanitation in health facilities, to safe and dignified burials, the ERC was able to work on all fronts to support the government of Sierra Leone in ending this outbreak.  The projects that Welbodi Partnership was involved with were not only crucial to stopping the chain of transmission within health facilities but also in laying a foundation for a stronger and better healthcare system in Sierra Leone. The work that has been done through the ERC will have a lasting impact beyond this Ebola outbreak and we look forward to continued collaboration throughout the recovery phase to improve healthcare in Sierra Leone.

*The ERC is a consortium of non-governmental organizations that is supporting the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) in Sierra Leone to respond to the Ebola outbreak in all districts of the country. The ERC is led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and comprised of eight member organizations – Action Contre la Faim (ACF), CARE International, Concern Worldwide, GOAL, King’s Health Partnership, the IRC, Save the Children and Welbodi Partnership– and seven partner organizations – ABC Development, eHealth, International Organization for Migration, Médicos del Mundo, Muloma Women’s Development Association (MUWODA), Oxfam GB and Solidarités International- who have pooled their collective technical and operational resources to support the MoHS in the Ebola response and recovery. 

Remembering our Heroes

On the eve before the WHO declares the Ebola outbreak over in Sierra Leone, hundreds of people gather downtown for a vigil and march in honour of our fallen healthcare worker heroes.  As Ebola comes to an end, we remember those who have served their country and sacrificed their lives, and their families who still bear that loss.

During the first six months of the outbreak, healthcare workers were greatly affected by Ebola and many of them died as a result. In some places this led to a great sense of fear amongst both healthcare staff and patients alike and they were afraid to go to clinics and hospitals. Thankfully with time, training and supplies, health care workers gained confidence to treat patients again and likewise, patients and caregivers began to rebuild trust in the healthcare system. It will take time, but efforts will continue to be made during the next stage of recovery to restore that trust and empower communities to improve their health practices and health seeing behaviour.  

This evening was a time to reflect. A time of gratefulness towards the healthcare workers who have sacrificed their lives in service to their country. A time to celebrate how far Sierra Leone has come and the prospects of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone being declared over by morning. The evening was proceeded in true Sierra Leonean style with music, dancing, lights and laughter all the way from Campbell street to the country’s famous Cotton Tree. Spirits were high and the resilience of the Sierra Leonean people was clearly evident.

Many people have stepped up and fought this battle. Sadly, not all of them have made it to the end. They will be remembered and remain in our hearts forever.

Welbodi Partnership thanks the healthcare workers who have made great sacrifices to work during the Ebola epidemic. They have been brave and stood in the line of duty to ensure that health care in Sierra Leone continues to be available. Thank you to the staff of Ola During Children's Hospital, Princess Christian Maternity Hospital, Rokupa Government hospital and Jenner Wright Clinic for your perseverance. 

Position available: Consultant Paediatrician – Head of Training

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation in Sierra Leone is recruiting for an available position of a Consultant Paediatrician to serve as Head of Training at the Ola During Children’s Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Position Available:           Consultant Paediatrician – Head of Training

Location:                            Ola During Children’s Hospital (ODCH), Freetown, Sierra Leone

Reports to:                         Medical Superintendent, Ola During Children’s Hospital

Supervises:                         Medical Officers, Residents, House officers, and Medical Students            

Contract length:               12 months, with possibility of extension subject to funding availability and performance

Start Date:                          As soon as possible

Remuneration:                 Competitive, to be discussed with the selected candidate

Application deadline:    11:59pm on Friday the 14^th August 2015

The Ola During Children’s Hospital is the national children’s hospital located in the eastern part of Freetown with approximately 10,000 admissions per year. The hospital provides medical care for neonates and children from the Western Area but also serves as the only tertiary referral centre for paediatrics for the country. The hospital was granted temporary accreditation by the West African College of Physicians in November 2013. As a Consultant Paediatrician – Head of Training you would have a direct and significant impact on the quality of care provided at the Children’s Hospital and play a crucial role in the development of Sierra Leone’s first ever postgraduate training programme, producing the country’s future leaders in child health.

Please see the full terms of reference and application details here:

Termsof Reference

ApplicationForm

Please distribute this notice widely to those who might be interested in this great opportunity to help improve child healthcare in Sierra Leone.

Applications

Application deadline: 11:59pm on Friday the 14^th August 2015

Applicants are welcomed from all nationalities, including Sierra Leoneans at home or in the diaspora.

In accordance with equality and diversity policy and child protection policies, successful candidates for this position will require a Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check, or national equivalent. We will comply fully with the DBS Code of Practice and undertake to treat all applicants for positions fairly.

Please download and complete the application form and email the completed form, accompanied by a CV, to Dr. Sandra Lako, email: jobs@welbodipartnership.org 

Please include the title of the position in the subject line of your email.

CVs and cover letters will not be accepted for this position without a duly completed application form.

Only those applicants shortlisted for an interview will be notified.

New Position in Sierra Leone or London!

In addition to our previous post, we've got another position we're excited to announce and begin recruitment for. Please share with your friends and networks!

Welbodi Partnership is looking to recruit a short-term Project Planner and Grants Writer to help us write at least one important grant over the next few months, and to help develop project plans, concept notes, budgets, and other materials to inform future grants.  The person can be based in London with at least 20% of their time spent in Freetown (2.5 weeks) or they can be based full-time in Freetown.

You can also find this position listed on Charity Jobs.

More Exciting Opportunities to Get Invovled

Welbodi Partnership has several key positions it is hiring for. If you or anyone you know would like to make a difference in Sierra Leone first hand send an application today! 

The positions available are:

Operations Manager

IPC Mentor (2 positions available)

Project Manager for Hospital Improvments

WASH Engineer 

 Please spread the word about these positions so we can help Sierra Leone get to Zero Ebola Cases as quickly and safely as possible.

IPC training starts at Princess Christian Maternity Hospital

PCMH clinical staff engaged in IPC training

May 4th not only started a weeklong campaign for hand hygiene, it also saw the brilliant start of Infection Prevention and Control  (IPC) training at Princess Christian Maternity Hospital. PCMH is one of the 3 hospitals Welbodi Partnership supports in a national IPC program that was created by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, CDC and partners, including Welbodi. The IPC program is aimed at improving hospital standards and working alongside a national IPC Focal Nurse in each facility. There will be a big focus on training of all cadres of hospital staff in the first phase of the project, followed by a huge push on the implementation of infection control measures such as hand washing, waste segregation and appropriate sharps (needles/razors etc) management in the clinical areas. This is to ensure patient and health worker safety during the current Ebola epidemic but also for the future since there are many infectious diseases that pose a risk to our patients and staff.

The first training at PCMH was a three day long event aimed at getting our senior nurses fully prepared and trained as ‘Link’ Nurses throughout the hospital. Subjects taught by Margaret, PCMH IPC Focal Person, and Katie, Welbodi Partnership IPC Nurse Mentor, included demonstrations on hand hygiene, how to don and doff PPE and waste segregation. We even managed a race on who could construct a sharps box the fastest.  This was a great opportunity to remind staff of the importance of IPC, to encourage them to take an active role in IPC in their area of responsibility and to empower them to pass on their knowledge and skills to their colleagues as well as reinforce IPC and make sure that IPC measures are put in place in their clinical areas. 

This three-day training of 16 staff at PCMH was a great way to kick off the training for over 400 hospital staff that will need to be trained over the next two months.

Photos by: Katie Hadlock

Text by: Katie Hadlock & Sandra Lako

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to work in Sierra Leone?

Are you looking for something different? Would you be interested in working in Sierra Leone?

Welbodi Partnership is recruiting – maybe you are the person we are looking for.

You're the kind of person who likes to pitch in and help out wherever needed. You're excited to be part of a small but growing organization, helping to expand their team, kick-start new projects, and make a difference in Sierra Leone. You're positive, enthusiastic, and you see problems as just a temporary obstacle to be overcome with determination and teamwork. You're eager to roll up your sleeves and get work done, and you're not concerned about who gets credit. You know your way around an excel spreadsheet and a financial report, are comfortable screening resumes or interviewing job candidates, and could stop-gap project management from time to time -- but you're also willing to help figure out why the generator is making a strange noise, or to spend an afternoon buying furniture for a new flat.

If that sounds like you, please check out the full advert for a new and exciting position for Operations Manager here: http://www.charityjob.co.uk/uploads/wp_recruitment___operations_manager_(5).pdf

Welbodi Partnership supports World Hand Hygiene Day - #safeHANDS

The Welbodi Partnership team promotes #safeHANDS

Today, May 5th 2015, marks ten years of the WHO Clean Care is Safer Care Program and National Celebration of World Hand Hygiene Day. Approximately 800 hospitals in the African region have signed up to promoting hand hygiene and this includes the three hospitals that Welbodi Partnership is supporting: the Ola During Children’s Hospital, Princess Christian Maternity Hospital and Rokupa Government Hospital. As an organisation we want to promote hand hygiene and reinforce handwashing in the hospitals we support. Our Infection Control teams will go to the various wards in each of the hospitals to demonstrate appropriate hand hygiene using special GloGerm to show how important thorough handwashing with soap and water is in keeping themselves and their patients safe.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation is also ready to celebrate World Hand Hygiene day in collaboration with its partner organisations and a special event will be held at Connaught Hospital, where the Minister of Health and Sanitation will sign a statement pledging support to address health care associated infections in Sierra Leone. This is a milestone in Infection Prevention & Control in Sierra Leone and a necessary step in the fight against Ebola, as we strive to prevent any further health care worker infections of Ebola. We aim for safer health care facilities for staff and patients alike as we move forward in this new era of infection prevention and control in Sierra Leone.

Save Lives, Clean Your Hands!

#safeHANDS

Farewell to Katie Turner, hopefully it's a "see you later"

Katie Turner is a paediatric nurse from the UK, who completed an undergraduate degree in Anthropology and Development Studies at Sussex University prior to a post-graduate Diploma in Nursing and Diploma in Tropical Nursing in London. Working for Welbodi Partnership with the dual role of IPC Nurse Mentor and Paediatric Nurse Educator, Katie is kept busy both supporting the national IPC project implementation, and working with the Ola During Nurse Trainer, Aminata. She enjoys bringing dancing to teaching sessions, which always keeps everyone enthused!

Katie finished her three months with Welbodi Partnership this past Sunday and we greatly appreciate her hard work at the Children's Hospital and everything she accomplished. We hope she comes back to work with us in the future.

Katie says: "I have thoroughly enjoyed working for Welbodi Partnership for the past three months. It was great to work in a position that supported national staff, to get to know all staff at the hospital and feel truly welcomed into the ODCH family. Welbodi's relationship with the hospital is one of participation, fairness, transparency, strengthening, listening and trust. I am proud to have worked with an organisation that represents those values so well.

Working within the Ebola outbreak finds new challenges, such as postponing some services and training. Even life saving procedures are avoided due to safety, this can shake your concept of morality when individual safety tops a patient's in a situation you would normally intervene, when a whole new level of risk and fear is involved. But to be involved in a new national programme for IPC is exciting for all; a way to train, implement and protect hospital staff so they feel confident to continue quality care during the current situation and beyond.

Working in Sierra Leone does requires a lot of patience than I was used to previously; a waiting game for funding to arrive and learning how to combine getting work done with a pace that suits everybody. It has been refreshing being in a mentor position learning how to empower, encourage and motivate to move forward. Staff are tired here, emotionally and physically, so support and enthusiasm goes a long way.

Teaching, I have experienced here, is all about an exchange of ideas, it is never just dictating from a position of knowledge, but adapting to the situation through dialog and an agreement on how to improve things steadily. Equal partnership and respect are key elements for positive change, this is something Welbodi achieves well. I would gladly work for this organisation again and encourage others to do so. Even if you don't quite end up doing what you expected to!"

For more stories from Katie about her time in Sierra Leone, visit her blog: http://www.freetowndiary.blogspot.com

Meet: Alimamy Kargbo, our Office Manager

Alimamy is the Welbodi Partnership Office & Supplies manager. Born in Bombali District, Sierra Leone, he came to Freetown to study at Njala University College, before going on to teach English Literature and Language at secondary school level. Since then he gained experience and qualifications in human resources management, customer service, team management and finance, in positions in banking, at the Exclusive School of Cosmetology, and as a team field editor for the Demographic and Health Survey in 2013. He started working with Welbodi Partnership in January 2015, and is an ever-cheerful and hardworking asset to the team. Alimamy plays a big role in the flight against Ebola. He is responsible for ensuring that the patients in the holding centre receive their discharge packages which includes clothing, since their personal clothing needs to be burned before they exit the red zone. He also manages the supplies for the surveillance office and is currently busy purchasing supplies for the upcoming Infection Prevention and  Control training for hospital staff. 

“I enjoy working with Welbodi Partnership because it restores hope to mothers and helps to improve the lives of children”

A big thank you to Josie Prynn...

Welbodi Partnership is privileged to have had Josie on our team for two months. The time was too short, but Josie was able to accomplish a lot during her time with us. Her focus was on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training, which included facilitating a pilot training at the Children's Hospital as well as engaging with hospital staff from Rokupa and PCMH (Maternity Hospital) to start setting up the IPC project there. New staff will carry on where Josie left off to ensure that infection prevention and control becomes a reality in the hospitals that Welbodi Partnership supports so that staff and patients are safe. 

Josie is a doctor who qualified from the University of Manchester, and has a degree in International Health from Leeds University. Following completion of the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Josie worked in Kambia, Sierra Leone for several months in 2014. Keen to come back to Sierra Leone she was happy to be offered a position as IPC Trainer, supporting the national IPC project implementation. On leaving, Josie said: “I really enjoy working with Welbodi as they have a sustainable approach that looks towards long-term goals rather than quick fixes”

Thank you Josie for joining the Welbodi Partnership team in Sierra Leone. 

Click here to read one of Josie's post on sustainability: https://josieinmoyamba.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/a-little-reflection-about-sustainability/

March News from Welbodi Partnership: Ebola Update, New Projects and more!

Entrance to our newest partner facility, Rokupa Government Hospital

We've been busy working during the Ebola outbreak. Our work has been addressing four key areas.

First, we have been supporting the Children’s hospital to ensure that the patients and staff are safe and routine services continue. We have achieved this by holding focus group discussions, providing focused training to hospital staff, both clinical and non-clinical, and procuring a back up supply of personal protective equipment that can be used by hospital staff to ensure their safety.

Additionally, we have been supporting the 20-bed holding (isolation) unit at the Children’s hospital through a DFID funded project since November 2014. This includes connecting the holding unit to the generator to assure uninterrupted power 24 hours a day, setting up an office for the surveillance team and providing the team with ongoing support, helping with coordination of laboratory results, purchasing essential items and providing discharge clothing and transportation money to the children and their caregivers, who've been admitted in the holding unit. This is because they need to leave behind all of their personal belongings when they leave the unit, anything taken into the unit cannot come out and must be burned.

Thirdly, we have been working closely with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other organisations to develop a national hospital Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Programme. This will include training of all hospital staff in infection prevention and control, facilitating water and sanitation improvements in facilities as well as providing ongoing mentorship to national staff to ensure that IPC is implemented in the hospitals. We will support this project in three hospitals in Sierra Leone – at the Ola During Children’s Hospital, the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital and Rokupa Government Hospital.

Finally, we've been working beyond the hospital by addressing urgent needs in the local community. For example, a lack of clean water and taps have hampered efforts to control the virus. New taps are currently being constructed in several communities to improve the water supply in those areas.

As we look to the future, we're making plans to expand our work in the local community, to increase support, give advice and educate about certain practices that continue to hamper the efforts to control the virus. We're also welcoming new people to the team to help meet the current needs and to support our new projects!

During the outbreak we've managed to remain flexible and responsive to the needs in Sierra Leone, thanks to our team on the ground and the speed and generosity of our supporters. We appreciate everyone's efforts. 

With cases of Ebola declining, the government's current ‘Getting to Zero’ campaign and exciting projects on the horizon, we are optimistic about the future in Sierra Leone and restoring health care there. We hope you'll continue to be a part of our work. 

For an opportunity to help us expand our support through a special matched giving opportunity this month please read the post about the Global Giving campaign. Global Giving will be hosting a matching campaign to support our Ebola-project efforts. Starting April 1st at 00:01 EST, donations to our Global Giving project will be matched 100% until funds last. This campaign is occurring on both the USA site, and the UK site depending on where you are. 

Welbodi on Global Giving -- give now and double your donation!

We were excited to join the GlobalGiving community this year with our project to support communities fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone. The outbreak is not over, and with this project, we are helping primary health facilities and community groups in the impoverished eastern part of Freetown take action to help get Sierra Leone to zero infections -- and then keep it there, by making sure that health workers, patients, and members of the public stay safe from infection.

This month, as long as funds last, GlobalGiving is matching donations to Ebola-related projects like ours. Donations are matched 100% up to $1000 per donor, and $20,000 per project.

This is a great time to support Welbodi and have double the impact! To do so, please visit our project page at GlobalGiving or GlobalGivingUK.

Below is a report on this project previously posted on our GlobalGiving project site. 

I saw a blur of yellow gloves and dancing bodies, while the instructors – two nurses employed by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in Freetown – called out instructions in Krio, a local creole language. Waves of laughter filled the room as cleaners, laundry staff, and other non-clinical health workers shimmied and shook to test the fit of their personal protective equipment (PPE) in a training session on how to prevent infections and keep themselves and other safe from Ebola.

Having just arrived in Freetown a few days before, I was pleasantly surprised to see the grim image of workers clad in PPE—an image that had become, in many ways, the ultimate symbol of the Ebola outbreak—transformed into a scene of  fun and empowerment. “The PPE shake,” I later tweeted.

What I was watching, in February 2015, was a pilot of a training class that will be rolled out in hospitals nationwide in Sierra Leone. The Welbodi Partnership is playing an important role in providing this training, as well as ongoing mentorship and other support for infection control, to staff in three Freetown hospitals.  

We know, however, that it’s not only hospital workers who need to stay safe. With your support through Global Giving, we will provide opportunities for smaller, primary health facilities in the poorest neighborhoods in Freetown to request this kind of training, or to propose other initiatives they believe will help stop the spread of Ebola. We know that health workers and other local partners are well-placed to identify obstacles and opportunities in the fight against Ebola, and we are committed to providing them with both financial and non-financial support to exploit those opportunities.

You can help. Just $50 can sponsor a training session, and just $100 can buy an infrared thermometer to screen patients before they enter a primary health clinic, identifying those with fever or other possible signs of Ebola in order to protect staff and other patients from infection

Communities, too, are essential to fighting this deadly disease. Next time, we’ll report on some of what our community partners are doing, with your support, to help Sierra Leone reach zero infections!

Reminder - great opportunities to join our team in Freetown!

We still have lots of exciting job opportunities with the Welbodi Partnership.

We have some wonderful IPC trainers and mentors already, but we are still recruiting more to be part of an exciting project to improve infection, prevention and control and ensure safe provision of care at Ola During Children's Hospital (ODCH), Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH), and Rokupa Government Hospital in Freetown.

We are also now hiring a WASH / civil engineer to help improve the water and sanitation infrastructures in these hospitals. This is essential for the implementation of IPC practices to reduce the health risks for staff and patients. 

Finally, we're looking for a (Paediatric) nurse educator to join our team in April 2015, and help continue and build upon our ongoing training initiatives. They will support the well-established nurses’ training office at ODCH, help establish a nurse/midwife training office at PCMH, and support the newly established Paediatric Nurse Specialist training at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS).

Please spread the word!

Recruiting a WASH engineer for an exciting project in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Welbodi Partnership is looking to recruit a WASH Engineer for an exciting project in Freetown, Sierra Leone. We are supporting the Ministry of Health and Sanitation with the rollout of a national Infection Prevention and Control Program in three hospitals in Freetown. Through this project we hope to make a significant impact in infection control measures in the hospitals and ensure the safety of both patients and staff. Good infection control is only possible with a sufficient water supply, good access at the point of need (i.e. running water on the wards), an appropriate waste management system, etc. To implement the necessary WASH improvements we would love to have a WASH engineer join our team in Sierra Leone. Please forward this to anyone you feel may be interested:

Position: WASH / Civil Engineer

Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone

Start Date: March 1st 2015

Duration: 6-12 months

BACKGROUND: Welbodi Partnership (WP) is a UK-registered charitable organisation based at the Ola During Children’s Hospital (ODCH) in Freetown, Sierra Leone. For the past six years, Welbodi has worked towards improved paediatric care in the Western Area of Sierra Leone through hospital system development, infrastructural changes, staff training, provision of equipment and community engagement in partnership with ODCH staff, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) and the Sierra Leone Institute of Child Health (SLICH).

Welbodi Partnership continues to support healthcare in Sierra Leone during the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) by providing coordination support to the holding unit at the Children’s Hospital while at the same time strengthening the safe provision of ‘routine’ health services (non-Ebola care) to children in the hospital. WP is working with the MOHS and other partners to roll out a national programme to strengthen Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in government hospitals and to ensure that hospitals have the water and sanitation infrastructure necessary to adhere to IPC. Welbodi will implement this programme in three hospitals in Freetown: the national referral Ola During Children’s Hospital, the national referral Princess Christian Maternity Hospital and Rokupa Government Hospital, a community hospital.

SCOPE OF WORK: Welbodi Partnership is looking to recruit a WASH / Civil Engineer to join the team in Freetown to work in collaboration with the existing hospital maintenance teams and local contractors to improve the water and sanitation infrastructures in the hospitals that are essential for the implementation of IPC practices to reduce the health risks for staff and patients. The WASH Engineer will collaborate with the MOHS established Patient Safety Committees (PSC) as well as the national IPC focal persons and Welbodi Partnership IPC Mentors.

Due to the urgency, applications will be reviewed as they are received and suitable candidates contacted on an on-going basis. This position is for 6-12 months. At this time, WP can only accept applications from citizens or permanent residents of North America, Europe and Sierra Leone due to limitations in the complex evacuation process in case of emergency.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• To develop a plan for improving the WASH infrastructure at the hospitals based on assessments carried out by partner NGOs in January 2015 and to prioritize the WASH activities according to urgency
• To prepare technical drawings, BOQs and specifications for water and sanitation infrastructure as well as develop, negotiate and manage contracts with service providers, which will include preparing tender documentation and evaluating capacity and quality of contractors
• To provide effective and efficient management of the project implementation in line with the project proposal
• To provide ongoing supervision and mentorship to hospital maintenance staff, technical assistants, contractors and direct labour work teams during the implementation and evaluation of projects
• To offer technical solutions to problems arising during construction and ensure appropriate safety and construction practices are adhered to at all times on site
• To collaborate with the maintenance team and local contractors to implement WASH activities and ensure a functioning management, monitoring and planning body for the ongoing sustainability of the WASH infrastructure
• To carry out further assessments of the hospitals and set up maintenance systems, train staff and arrange repairs of tanks, pumps, generators, pipe networks, drainage systems, etc. as required
• To support the PSC, IPC focal person and IPC Mentor with the implementation, including delivery of training, of the SOP for “Safe Provision of Hospital Services during an Ebola/Viral Haemorrhagic (Fever)” and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation’s “National Patient Safety Guidelines” – this would include specific WASH related training such as disinfection and waste management and monitoring adherence to disinfection and waste management protocols
• To take a leading role during the regular hospital PSC meetings on WASH related matters
• To take a leading role in interagency WASH coordination meetings and develop networks with relevant WASH actors to ensure coordination and works suitability
• Ongoing monitoring and regular reporting of WASH activities for WP and partners
• To support the Project Manager / Country Director in evaluating the impact of the programme
• To perform any other duties deemed necessary to meet the needs of this project

 REQUIREMENTS:

Essential:

• University Degree in Engineering or other relevant WASH field(s)
• At least 3 years of practical, hands-on experience in WASH interventions
• Experience of programme implementation including financial accountability
• Experience of staff management and capacity development
• Excellent people skills and the ability to work collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds
• Ability to self-motivate and work autonomously within the scope of the role
• Excellent computer skills particularly in Microsoft Word, Power Point and Excel
• A good command of the English language (verbal and written) is required
• Flexibility in roles and responsibility is essential

Highly desirable:

• WASH experience in a development, emergency or post-conflict setting with a good understanding of water (especially water networks), sanitation and/ or solid waste management in the African context
• Experience in a hospital setting
• Experience in WASH/environmental health related training/mentorship/programme development
• Krio or other local language ability

SALARY/BENEFITS: Based on qualifications and experience, to be discussed with shortlisted candidates.

APPLICATION PROCESS: Interested candidates should email a copy of their CV, cover letter, and a list of three relevant references to jobs@welbodipartnership.org as soon as possible. The job title should be included in the subject line. Your cover letter should include: your country of residence and nationality, your date of birth, dates you are able to commence and duration of availability. Only those applicants shortlisted for an interview will be notified.

Equality and Diversity Statement

The Welbodi Partnership confirms its commitment to a comprehensive policy of Equal Opportunities in volunteering and employment in which individuals are selected and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities and are given Equal Opportunities within the organisation. It is the Welbodi Partnership’s policy as an employer to treat all people equally irrespective of race, ethnic origin, nationality, sex, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, creed, disability, age or political belief. Applicants for this position should be aware that if successful, they will be requested to complete a Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check, or equivalent in countries other than the UK. The Welbodi Partnership complies fully with the DBS Code of Practice. The entirety of the Welbodi Equality and Diversity statement is available upon request.

Sandra Lako: The impact of Ebola in Sierra Leone

Sandra Lako: The impact of Ebola in Sierra Leone

14 Jan, 15 | by BMJ

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Today is the 228th day of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. A year ago I would not have believed anyone who told me that I would be in the middle of an Ebola outbreak in January 2015. A confirmed Ebola case in West Africa never crossed my mind. Even in May of last year, when the first positive case in Sierra Leone was announced, I could not imagine the extent to which this virus would spread throughout Sierra Leone. No one was ready for the battle we are up against.

To date there have been 7696 confirmed cases in the country, affecting people in every district. Still the virus is looming. It has been an incredibly challenging time for Sierra Leone. Life and work for many people has been consumed by this outbreak and sometimes it is hard to remember a time without Ebola.

Ebola is a terrible disease, causing suffering and death, but its effects go far beyond the illness alone.

Ebola has caused an already fragile healthcare system to collapse, with people afraid to access clinics and hospitals for fear of contracting the virus and healthcare workers anxious to provide care for similar reasons. Some health facilities are closed and others only provide outpatient services. This has led to an increase in morbidity and mortality from more common illnesses and gaps in essential health services. Fortunately people’s confidence in the healthcare system is slowly being restored and at the Ola During Children’s Hospital we are experiencing an increase in the number of non-Ebola cases being admitted to the regular wards. Healthcare workers are starting to feel more protected owing to increased access to personal protective equipment and additional training, however, the loss of over 300 healthcare workers in Sierra Leone due to Ebola still weighs heavily on health professionals with many of them often wondering “Who will be next?” In a country with long standing shortages of healthcare professionals these losses will be felt for years to come.

The impact of this outbreak extends much further than the healthcare sector alone. Many children have been orphaned due to this disease. Families have been wiped away. Some survivors are stigmatized and shunned by their communities. Businesses have closed and trade is limited. Primary and secondary schools have been shut for months with children accessing what little education they can by radio or personal tutors at home. It is unlikely that the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences will produce any graduates this year. Farming has come to a halt, leading to food shortages across the country. Every sector and every person is affected by this outbreak.

Thankfully in some parts of the country, the number of cases has significantly reduced. In Freetown, (Western Area) the numbers seem to be stabilizing, but it may still be too soon to tell. There are fewer patients in our holding unit, but that is likely due to the fact that patients are now spread out across more facilities. Even if the number of cases has not dropped, I do know that the number of holding beds for isolation and testing, and treatment beds for confirmed cases have increased considerably over the past few weeks, which is essential for the containment of this virus and breaking the chain of transmission. This gives me hope.

We are all working hard to make sure that this outbreak ends and despite the difficulties, it has been amazing to see the resilience of my Sierra Leonean and international colleagues and the sacrifices that everyone is willing to make in order to achieve a common goal: an Ebola free Sierra Leone.

Read more about Welbodi Partnership’s response to the Ebola outbreak.

Read more about the impact of Ebola on child health.

Competing interests: None.

Sandra Lako is a doctor from the Netherlands who has worked in Sierra Leone for the past nine years. She spent the first half of her time setting up and managing a paediatric outpatient clinic with an organisation called Mercy Ships. She then joined Welbodi Partnership, a UK based charity supporting the only government run children’s hospital in the country. As country director, Sandra is leading the team to expand their work to the maternity hospital and a community hospital with the aim of improving the accessibility and quality of healthcare for women and children in Sierra Leone.

First posted in BMJ Blog on 14th January 2015: http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2015/01/14/sandra-lako-the-impact-of-ebola-in-sierra-leone/