THE PRINCIPAL’S REPORT AT THE GRADUATION AND PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY OF THE SCHOOL’S FIRST GRADUATION CEREMONY: 13TH DECEMBER, 2019

OPENING COURTESIES:

Mr. Chairman, the Honorable Minister of Health and Sanitation,  our Fellow the Most Rev. Charles A.M. Campbell, Bishop Catholic Diocese of Bo, the German Ambassador, the UNFPA Representative and her team, the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, the Deputy CNMOs,  the Action Medeor team and the Quandt family , the Director of Training and Research MOHS,  representatives from CRS, the Director Caritas Bo and his team, Past President WACN and President of the post graduate college of nursing and midwifery, Vice President WACN, Chairman WACN and Fellows of the WACN, Registrar NMB,   the Country Director ICAP and staff, WHO and other health partners, the Principal National school of Midwifery,  Presidents of the Sierra Leone Nurses and Midwives Associations, Directors, Programme Managers, DMOs, District Health Sisters and  representatives from MoHS,  Principals and Heads of Nursing and Midwifery institutions, the P. C. Kakua chiefdom, the chairman Bo District council, the Mayor Bo city, Matrons of the various hospitals here present, CHOs, in-charges, Preceptors and Midwives, Distinguished Guests, the grandaunts, members of the media, student Midwives, the chief of Nyandehun village and all here present.

I join the Chairman in welcoming you all to the 1^st Graduation Ceremony of the School of Midwifery Bo, to celebrate the success of the 1^st graduating class. The school is celebrating her successes, achievements and hard work from 2017 through 19 with the ICM theme for the 2019 International Day of Midwives “  Midwives, defenders of women’s rights “.  It is a pleasure and honour to have you join us on this memorable day in the history of the school (the 1^st graduation).

Mr. chairman, members of the high table, distinguished quests, today is a remarkable day as we successfully celebrate the graduation of 49 newly qualified midwives (47 females and 2 males) contributing to the Midwifery workforce in Sierra Leone. I hereby extend a warm and hearty Congratulation to you Set 001; the Class of 2017-2019. You have worked well and you and your family ought to feel proud of your achievements.

Mr. Chairman, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, in compliance with the principle of downward accountability, it gives me pleasure to share with this august gathering the score card of the School of Midwifery Bo (SoMBO) for the reporting period 2017-2019.

SCHOOL PROFILE

The School of Midwifery Bo (SoMBO) was born in response to the country’s urge to reduce the high mortalities as a contribution by the Catholic Diocese of Bo in southern Sierra Leone. The patient midwife ration strongly underscores the high demand for trained midwives in Sierra Leone particularly in the Southern Region.  This propelled the Catholic Diocese of Bo to envisage an increase in skilled birth attendants in rural communities, reduce maternal and infant mortality rates, reinforce the right professional attitudes and knowledge among midwifery practitioners and contribute to new knowledge in midwifery education.

Caritas Bo, the Development Wing of the Catholic Diocese of Bo together with partners like action medeor, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, developed the project concept of setting up a midwifery school in the southern region of the country. The project concept was preceded by an intensive participatory planning phase including a feasibility study, which was conducted in 2015. The school opened in 2017 and can be seen as an important contribution to strengthening the health system in Sierra Leone.

GOAL

To compliment Government’s efforts in reducing the high maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality rates through Midwifery education in Bo District by 2020.

VISSION

A school of excellence, producing competent and committed midwives dedicated to delivery safe services that are acceptable, affordable and accessible to women and their newborns in the rural communities in Sierra Leone

MISSION

The School of Midwifery Bo strives to contribute to the reduction of maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality by providing quality midwifery education to nurses who will provide safe, effective and respectful care to women, newborns and their families in Sierra Leone

VALUES

• Accountability
• Stewardship and
• Integrity

MOTTO

Competence, Quality, Integrity

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

1. To increase the current number of midwives by 100 by 2020
2. To reduce maternal and new-born mortality and morbidity by 10% by 2020

• To increase positive midwife attitudes, ethics and etiquette towards patients, and also increase positive community perceptions of midwives by 50% by 2020

The School of Midwifery Bo is located in Nyandehun about 8 kilometers from Bo along the Bo-Kenema highway. The School (third in the country) is being funded by BMZ, the Quandt family, UNFPA and Action Medeor through Caritas Bo. The school is fully accredited by the Nurses and Midwives Board of Sierra Leone following a comprehensive assessment in October 2017 and May 2019.  The school was inaugurated on the 21st October, 2017. At the moment, the school is offering a two-year curriculum midwifery training for SECHNs who have worked for at least three years. The first Set (the graduating class) started on the 20^th November, 2017.

We offer two years midwifery training for SECHNs who should be willing to be deployed in rural communities. We recruit 50 students yearly. The curriculum is competency-based modular structure according to ICM with 40% Theory and 60% clinical practice. We teach these SECHNs to be Midwives with the Knowledge, skills and attitude to improve on our maternal and newborn care in the country especially in rural settings.

The School strives to contribute to the reduction of maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality by providing quality midwifery education.

• At the inception of the school, 50 student midwives were admitted ( 48 Females & 2 Males) as Set 001 in November 2017
• Set 002 was admitted in June 2018 (50 Female student Midwives)
• Set 003 admitted in June 2019 (46 Females & 4 Males)

TEACHING/LEARNING

Because ICM focused more on practice according to the curriculum, students spend more time in the clinical placements in addition to basic theoretical teachings in the classroom and practice in the skills lab. Clinical experiences are gained in the following facilities; Bo gov’t Hospital, Kenema Gov’t hospital, Pujehun Gov’t Hospital, Moyamba Gov’t Hospital, Princess Christian Maternity Hospital, 34 Military Hospital, Panguma hospital, Serabu hospital, BeMONC centers in Bo, Bonthe, Moyamba and Pujehun, Mercy Hospital, Marie Stopes Bo, Family Planning Bo, and Jenner Wright. The school also organizes Student-led community Midwifery projects in some centers in Bo and Pujehun where pregnant and lactating mothers received free treatments and gifts for their infants.

STUDENT POPULATION

The school has a total population of 149 students.

Set 001 who is graduating today, started with 50 students but one (1) dropped along the way due to domestic problems. The remaining 49 will be graduating today as State Certified Midwives with Certificates in Midwifery after completing two years of hard work in theory and practice.

Mr. Chairman, distinguished quests, it is with pleasure that I inform you that the school had a 100% pass rate in the State Final Board Examination with some students attaining Distinction and Credits.

OUR PRODUCTS

The school Mantra is “making a difference” in Midwifery education and practice by promoting quality and respectful maternity care. Our products will work in rural communities to help improve on the high maternal and infant rates in the country. We also believe that there will be opportunities for the graduates to benefit from continuous professional development. As a demonstration of our commitment to in-service training for our graduates, two of our graduating students have just arrived from Lusaka on an exchange learning visit on electives. We hope to continue exploring these opportunities so that the products from the SoMBO “Factory” of midwives will continue to make a difference in their service of care.

STAFF

Mr. Chairman, I have a wonderful team each with a unique role in making this very day a success. At management level, we have the Director Caritas Bo Mr. David S. Yambasu who together with  our Fellow the Most Rev  Charles  A.M. Campbell  have played  very pivotal roles for us to have a Midwifery school in the South; Mr. Thomas Johnny the Project Coordinator   and Mr. Patrick Dauda and Mr. William Kanu the Finance Officers.

Academic staff

This comprises the following:

Mrs. Hawanatu Kabia – she deputizes me and she is also in-charge of supportive clinical supervision of students and block time table. She is a Senior Midwife Educator with vast experience. Sr. Kabia is also a Fellow of the West African College of Nursing

Mrs. Veronica Bull– Mrs. Bull is the skills lab coordinator and course planner for each set. She is also a Senior Midwife Educator

Mrs. Velma Cole– Senior Midwife Educator in-charge of Posting of Students to Clinical sites and Head of the student welfare commitee.

Ms. Fatmata Dakowa – a teaching Assistant a hard working Nurse-Midwife in-charge of Quality Improvement/Lesson Plan. She has gained admission at COMAHS pursue the Nurse/Midwife Tutors course.

Ms. Bariatu Bawoh – Is a teaching Assistant who joined us in June this year. She has also gained admission at COMAHS to pursue the Nurse/Midwife Tutors course

Very Rev Fr. Moses Kawa – is our Chaplin and Guidance & counseling specialist which is a unique outfit of SoMBo, one of the ways in which SoMBo is making a difference

Mr. Ira McCarthy – is our ICT specialist in-charge of the Computer Lan & Library.

Mrs. Emma Alieu; a Midwife tutor whom we started together as Pioneers but was later transferred.

We also have four guest lecturers in the persons of Dr. Williamson –Taylor (who has been transferred to P.C.M.H.), Dr. Peter Samai Ag Medical Superintendent Bo Gov’t Hospital, Sr. Gladys Sesay District Health Sister (DHS) 1 Bo DHMT and Mrs. Fatmata Gegbe also a Midwife Educator Lecturer Njala University.

Support Staff

Dolly Williams – commonly known as ‘Mama G’ is the School Administrator. She is such a committed, respectful and dedicated staff; anyone who visits the school will remember ‘Mama G.’

Miss Angella Kamanda – is the Caterer in-charge of the canteen where we all have our lunch. She is so cool and calculated. She is supported by two of her colleagues:

Nancy Banya and Fatu Smith – are also dedicated to their work, I am sure the students will miss the canteen

Saidu Fullah and Joseph Momoh are the bus drivers with Saidu being the senior. Almost all the students have their telephone numbers; they call them to know their locations especially in the morning.

Foday Johnny and Daniel Kamanda – are the Environmental Hygienists who make sure the compound is always clean. They are both committed and hard working

Securities: we have two sets of securities

1. Civilian Ibrahim M’Bayo the head together with Mr. Jameal Nyande, Mr. Sheku Lamina and Mr. Francis Domingo cover the day duty and they have been very effective in executing their duties.
2. Military we have three military personnel who cover the night to ensure that the school is protected from thieves and they have been committed to task.

The school has over the years trained preceptors using the National Preceptorship curriculum from facilities where our students are posted on clinical placements. The students are able to sync theory and practical work.

We work with the Directorate of Training and Research in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation. We also work with office of the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Office, the Director of Human Resources, the Nurses and Midwives Board of Sierra Leone, various hospitals, DHMTs in the South and BEmONC centers where our students are posted on clinical practice.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The school has the following facilities:

• Office for Project Coordinator
• Principal’s Office
• Staff room
• Office for Chaplin/Guidance Counselor
• Administrator’s Office
• 2 classrooms
• Conference hall
• Skills Laboratory 1&2 with basic anatomical and simulation models and equipment for various midwifery procedures. We also have DVD players and Plasma TV and videos for audio visual teaching
• Computer Lan with computers that can accommodate 25 students at a go so each student has access to computer. We offer basic computer training for the students. The students can now access the internet for their presentations, assignments etc.
• Library – with recent textbooks and journals. The library can accommodate 30-35 students.
• Canteen where students have their lunch. It can accommodate 50-60 students
• For recreation, we have also constructed a volley ball cut with the necessary accessories one of the ways in which we are making a difference.

At the moment, the programme is non-residential. Staff and about 95- 97%% of the student population stay in Bo with only about 3-5% staying in the village. However, the school has acquired about 3.5 acres of land for the construction of staff quarters and student hostels. We wish that donations can be made to support this all important project.

Partner Contributions

BMZ through Action Medeor is the main contributor to this 4 years project through Caritas Bo and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation who has graciously deployed all the five tutors to the school as a demonstration of government’s commitment to supporting human capacity development aligning with government’s strategic priorities in the mid-term development plan of 2019-2023.

UNFPA Sierra Leone

Through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, we signed an Implementing Partner agreement with UNFPA in 2018. Since then, the school has being receiving support from UNFPA in the form of Tuition fees for students, Fuel and DSA for supportive supervision of students, student allowances, donation of 10 all in one computers, one printer, construction of three bill boards, preceptorship training, and also contributed to this graduation among other areas of support. For these, we remain grateful to the UNFPA country Rep. Dr. Kim Dickson and her hard working team, we are grateful.

ICAP

Through ICAP, one of our tutors; Mrs. Veronica Bull the skills lab coordinator travelled to South Africa for training in skills lab simulation, we also had training in skills lab teaching methodology from a specialist from Lesotho. ICAP also donated two (2) Air conditioners, One (1) projector screen, one(1) Printer , seventeen (17) chairs, and two (2) desk top computers. ICAP also facilitated QI training for the teaching staff. We say a big thank you to you Dr. Mame Toure, the country Director for ICAP and your team for your support.

WHO

Through WHO, all tutors in the school have benefitted from the Competency based Education training. Patricia Titullaer has also been coordinating the quarterly Midwifery schools meetings, thank you Patricia for your kind support.

OTHER SUPPORTS

I want to thank the Directorate of Training and Research, CNMO’s office and the Registrar of Nurses and Midwives Board for their support in making this day a success.

I must be grateful to the DMOs, DHSs, Matrons, CHOs and Heads or in-charges of Maternity Units where our students are posted   for clinical practice.

SUCCESSES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Full accreditation by the Nurses and Midwives Board of Sierra Leone.
2. Signing of MoUs with heads of clinical placement sites of our students
3. Signing of the UNFPA IP agreement
4. Launching of the School’s website
5. RBM training for the coordinator and myself in Abuja Nigeria
6. Retreat on team management and communication for all staff
7. Training in Helping Babies Breathe by MOMS
8. Training on Kangaroo mother care by Project Hope
9. IMNCI training for some staff members
10. UNFPA RBM training
11. UNFPA and Caritas review meetings
12. Quality Improvement (QI) training by ICAP
13. Upgrading from Certificate in Midwifery to Diploma for Faculty members
14. Training of Preceptors from clinical placement sites
15. Award to Principal, one staff and one student by the Sierra Leone Midwives Association in recognition of their excellence and dedication  in midwifery education
16. Development of students Portfolio,  supervisory guide and checklist, policies, course evaluation form and OSCE
17. Student led community midwifery project in  communities where our students are posted in Bo and Pujehun
18. EmONC  training for the graduating class
19. Helping babies breathe training for the graduating class  by Dr. Douglas McMullin, Medical Director – Residency , Shasta Community Health Center,  California  USA and team he also sent 55 ambu bags for the graduating set
20. Participation in the  quarterly Midwifery schools meeting and MOHS partner meetings
21. Participation in the development of the Neonatal/Paediatric curriculum development
22. Two (2) of the graduates have just returned from Lusaka for an elective course in maternal and child health by Global Educational Exchange in medicine and the health professions
23. Training of graduating class on family planning through the Manager of RCH/FP
24. Partnership with African Maternity Link UK

CHALLENGES: Although the school seems to be flying quite high, management still continues to grapple with some challenges including:

• Non availability of student hostels so, students don’t experience campus life
• No Staff quarters at the moment; staff have to commute each day
• Lack of utility vehicle
• No big hall that can accommodate all 150 students for public lectures of school events
• Lack of high fidelity models and other mannikins

Some take away for the Newly Qualified Midwives

I wish to offer my hearty congratulations to the first graduates of the school of midwifery Bo. Please behave honourably in your duties, practice professionally, and be kind to patients and expectant mothers because these are vulnerable people to whom you are their only advocates at the time of need. Do not put personal gains before duty; keep your knowledge and skills updated frequently. Do not be afraid to say “I don’t know” as assuming knowledge where none exists may endanger lives. Ask if in doubt and never shun work in rural areas. That is where the greatest health need is. It is in the rural areas where you will improve your skills best and also make a great difference to the lives of expectant mothers, newborns and their families.  Go, I say, go and make the difference.

In conclusion, let me say that I firmly believe that you graduands have not only acquired knowledge and skills to make you functional as you go on into the work environment, but that you have also learned how to put your studies and work into local, regional and global contexts.

Abraham Maslow, the father of modern management defined self-actualization as “the full use and exploitation of talents, capacities, potentialities, etc.”

With the knowledge and skills gained at the School of Midwifery Bo and your commitment to lifelong learning I am confident that you will continue “Working Toward Self-Actualization”.

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you all for listening.

Patricia Mokuwa

1. O. S

13th December, 2019

GRADUATION PICTURES