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Richard Kerr-Wilson |
The last year has been one of consolidation, both here
and in Sierra Leone, and we are now ready to move
forwards. The new hospital in Kambia was opened officially
by the President just after the last AGM, and is now up
and running. The President returned to Kambia in February
to inaugurate a mobile phone mast, which makes
communication considerably easier.
Patrons have remained the same, but are probably
due for a change. Nigel Jones, who has been a great
support to us during his time in Parliament, stood down at
this election, and has been replaced as MP for Cheltenham
by Martin Horwood. Martin has already shown his support
even before he was elected.
Trustees and committee have changed. After
being the driving force behind the setting up of the link
with Kambia, Godfrey and Pauline Taylor decided it was
time to take a less active role, and resigned before
Christmas. Their enthusiasm over the previous ten years
cannot be underestimated, and we are sorry they are no
longer part of the team.
Alan Dick joined us as a trustee, and John Kloer, who
also took over all aspects of the post of Treasurer, has
taken Godfrey’s place as trustee. John did not feel able
to continue as Chairman of the committee as well, but Alan
Dick was persuaded to take over this position. We have
also been fortunate to have the addition of Malcolm
Garrett and Jackie Monaghan to the committee.
A separate local fund-raising sub-committee has been
set up to make the committee less unwieldy. Terms of
reference for both Trustees and committee are in the
process of being formalised.
Trustees have met on two occasions during the year,
in October and again in February.
Committee meetings take place every two months, in
June, September, November, January and March.
Visits to Kambia: Julia Fortes, a medical student
from Sheffield was in Kambia at the time of the last AGM.
She undertook interviews with husbands of women with
vesico-vaginal fistulae as part of her year in
International Public Health.
Paula Froggatt, Richard and Joey Kerr-Wilson and James
Dowling returned to Kambia in October. While Richard
operated on 15 patients with fistulae, Paula helped in the
hospital, Joey explored setting up school links with two
schools in Gloucestershire, and James investigated how
best we can help to improve maternal health care in
Kambia. They were able to stay on site in one of the
hospital houses, and were well fed by Alice Batty.
Alice Kerr-Wilson and Peter Krause, who stayed for
nearly three months over Christmas and the New Year,
followed them. The purpose of their visit was to make a
health educational film to encourage mothers to make use
of trained birth attendants. They successfully completed
this, and the film is already being taken out to the
villages using a television and generator, which they
purchased on behalf of the Appeal. MSF has also been given
copies of the film to use. The film is in Krio, and can
therefore be used elsewhere in Sierra Leone. They made two
other films, one for the schools and one in English to be
used in the UK for fundraising. They also left behind an
RBGAN, which is similar to a satellite phone without the
phone, but means we can also communicate with Kambia by
email. Their visit was largely funded by a grant from the
European Third World Association.
The final visit to Kambia was from four midwives and a
gynaecologist from Cheltenham General in February. One of
the midwives had been to Kambia before, and they were able
to undertake some training of the maternal child health
aides during their stay.
The only visit from Kambia during the year so
far has been that of Dr. Santigie Sesay, the District
Medical Officer, who is studying for his Masters in Public
Health in Leeds, like his predecessor, Dr. Foday Dafae.
Santigie paid a brief visit to Cheltenham , but we hope he
will be able to return before going back to Sierra Leone.
Arrangements are in place for a visit from the Kambia
hospital pharmacist and lab technician next month. We are
only waiting for the visas to be sorted out before
confirming the dates.
Results of fundraising will be gone into in
greater detail in the Treasurer’s report. Local
highlights include the Elyan’s Big Breakfast, which is
due to be repeated on Saturday June 11th this
year, Caroline Gardner’s daring parachute jump on the 19th
June last year, the Christmas stall in the Promenade,
another Christmas card kindly sponsored by Charles Russell
, proceeds from Pate’s Christmas Carol Service, and a
fund-raising lunch organised by Emily O’Connor in
London.
The fundraising sub-committee is planning to hold four
main local events each year, the next two being the Big
Breakfast, and the Golf day at Cotswold Hills organised by
John Kloer on July 15th.
Publicity: the website continues to be maintained
by Liz Adams, and is generating some useful contacts. The
transport charity, Transaid, has been in touch and after a
recent visit to Sierra Leone has received the go-ahead and
obtained funding to implement a transport programme for
health for the whole of Sierra Leone. There will be a
transport officer for each district, with responsibility
for implementation and maintenance of vehicles.
Gail Haddock, a doctor who worked in Sierra Leone ten
years ago with VSO, has also contacted us via the website.
She raises money from a book she has written about her
experiences and from local talks in Scotland, but has no
organisation through which to channel her funds. Richard
and Alice met her in Scotland, and she has offered to use
Kambia leaflets and direct any funds to the Appeal.
A 13th newsletter has been written, and
Kevin McPhillips continues to include it with his
mailings.
The coming year: We plan to continue to concentrate
on maternal health, especially trying to improve
education, training and communication. We have offered to
sponsor someone from Kambia to go to medical school,
providing they return to Kambia for at least five years
after qualification. The District Health Management Team
in Kambia has identified such an individual they would
like us to send to medical school in Freetown in the
Autumn. Similarly, we may also be able to sponsor nurses,
midwives, and other health professionals. The DHMT have
also requested that we provide training for MCH aides,
which it should be possible to arrange without too much
difficulty.
With the help of the DHMT, we have identified four
Peripheral Health Units to support, and hope to provide
them with outreach workers and improved communication.
Requests for HIV testing kits, sterilisers and other
hospital equipment will be met as far as possible.
Further visits for fistula operations are planned for
October, and midwife support in 2006.
Richard Kerr-Wilson |
