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/