Tom Kenyon President of Project Hope, Country Director Oman Kabia and team visited the School of Midwifery Bo (SoMBo) as part of their agenda to give support in reducing maternal and infant mortality rate in Sierra Leone. The principal of SoMBo in her welcome speech, informed all that Project Hope has been very supportive; they have helped in training Tutors of SOMBO in Kangaroo Mother Care. This training she said will be cascaded to students by Tutors for effective Clinical Placement.

Christina Padilla the project Manager of action medeor paid a curtsy visit to SoMBo during her monitoring activities.  She thanked the SoMBo team for work well done and hoped the healthy relationship will continue.

STAFF OF PROJECT HOPE MEETS WITH CROSS SECTION OF SoMBo STAFF .

DISCUSSIONS ON TRAINING SUPPORT FOR ESSENTIAL CARE FOR MOTHERS AND BABIES BY PROJECT HOPE AND SoMBo

VISIT OF TEAM TO ONE OF THE SKILLS LAB IN SoMBo

ADVERTISEMENT FOR ADMISSION  2018/2019 BLOCKS

Caritas Bo in collaboration with BMZ, Action Medeor and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, wishes to inform the general public that Application Forms for Admission into the two-year Midwifery Training programme are now available for sale.

Candidates who wish to apply MUST be holders of a valid license to practice Nursing in Sierra Leone with a minimum of three years professional practice and at least a credit in two subjects at WASSCE or two “O” Levels in not more than two sittings. Mature students are encouraged to apply.

Application Forms can be obtained at United Bank For Africa (UBA) at 17  Damballa Road  on payment of a non-refundable fee of Le 150,000.00 ( One hundred and fifty thousand Leones only. All payments must be made through UBA Bank Account Number: 540610310000224 Account Name: Caritas Bo – Midwifery School.

The completed forms should be returned to the Administrative Officer, Midwifery School Bo at 41 New Gerihun Road Pastoral and Social Centre , Caritas Office Bo.

• Please attach the following documents: A) Copy of your recent license from the Nurses and Midwives Board, B) SECHN Certificate,  C) Copy of your birth certificate or sworn  declaration of age, D) Copy of your National /voter/NASSIT ID Card, E) Two recent Passport Size Photographs bearing name,  F) A scratch card  for the verification of results, G) Recommendation Letter from a Referee (Employer or Manager)

Closing Date for the return of the completed forms is by the close of Business on Wednesday, 25^th April,2018.

For further Enquiries, please contact the School on: Tel No: +232 76 671 945/ +232 88 671 945 Email address: caritasbo2014@gmail.com

Admission Criteria

• Prospective Applicants must be State Enrolled Community Health Nurses (SECHNs) with 3 years  Post-Registration experience.
• Must have at least two credits (WASCE)
• Must possess a SECHN Certificate from the Regulatory Body (Nurses and Midwives Board of Sierra Leone.
• Must have a License to practice from the Nurses and Midwives Board, Sierra Leone.
• Must be committed and interested in working in remote, rural communities (Primary Health Units and Maternity Hospital working in the rural areas.
• Willingness to be deployed in a CHC or CHP on completion of training.
• The training is opened to both Males and Female applicants who meet the admission criteria. (SECHN Males are encouraged to apply).
• Nurses working with Government, Private and Non-governmental organizations are allowed to apply.

WELCOME AND PURPOSE OF THE TRAINING.

On the second item on the agenda the coordinator of the school Mr. Thomas Johnny welcome all present in the training and gave an over view of the erection of the building and how it’s being funded by the Quant family, BMZ and Action Medeor. He further told them of the need for them to go through this training of Preceptor ship so that they too can help to give support to the students in their journey to fight in the reduction and eradiation of maternal mortality ratio and infant mortality rate in Sierra Leone.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE OF THE TRAINING.

The purpose and objective of the training was done by the Head of school, she informed us that the office of the Directorate is planning to train national preceptors but the CNMO gave the school the go ahead to do a small scale training for preceptors for areas where we will send  our student on clinical placement on the 19^TH February, 2018.

The Head of school gave the objectives of the session as follows:

• To understand the maternal and newborn health care challenges in the country and implication for midwifery education and practice
• For participants to understand the concept of preceptorship and serve as preceptors for the student of SOMBO.
• To create the linkage between the clinical placement setting and the classroom.
• To  create a better understanding of what is expected when students are posted to clinical facilities and thereby improve quality of the students supervision,  guidance and support.
• To give regular feedbacks and encouragement.

GROUP WORK DONE BY PARTICIPANTS

We also learnt in the presentation by our facilitator Sister Hawanatu that a competent Midwife must possess the following qualities in accordance with the ICM code of conduct.

• Must have the ability to perform.
• Have the right attitude.
• Their behavior at work.
• How knowledgeable they are.
• How skillful they can perform.
• How they can cope with their task as preceptors

Picture showing Sister Hawanatu doing her presentation

The training ended with closing remarks by the head of school and encouraged all the participants to put into practice what they have learnt.  One of the participants gave the vote of thanks .We had group pictures and ended the training in zealous spirit by the participants to take up their new roles.

Cross section of participates

Donor: CRS

Quarter Activities per Objective

• Intermediate Result 1: Foster families provide improved parenting to EVD affected children

Activity 1.1 Social Workers carried out parental skills training to all 58 caregivers of the “we yone pikin” project and community members who are part of the SILC groups in the respective communities. The 7^th module (Never Forgetting the Past: Loss and Grief) was been rolled out to caregivers. This module helped caregivers to learn that it is normal for children to miss their deceased relatives, and the life they used to know with them.  This does not mean that they are not grateful for the care and support you are providing.

• Sub-Intermediate Result1: Foster families spend more economic resources for caring

Activity 1.1.1 SILC groups continue to be growing and faring on well. Savings in the groups continues to increase week after week. Members of the savings groups continues to secure loans from the groups of which the loans are been used to attend to domestic concerns.

Activity 1.1.2 Social Workers along with Field Agents carried out process monitoring of SILC groups in their respective areas of responsibilities. The groups are visited whiles they meet for weekly contribution. During the visit Social Workers and Field Agent guide the groups to follow laid down roles and regulations that govern their groups.

Activity 1.1.3 The monitoring team along with the lead Social Worker also do conduct routine monitoring visit to communities were the SILC groups are formed.

• Sub-Intermediate Result2: Foster parents treat EVD affected children fairly and with love and respect.

Activity 1.2.1.a: Findings from end of project assessment conducted by CRS on “we Yone Pikin project phase one” indicates that caregivers did not understand parental skills training rolled out to them in phase one of the project. The reason for this was that the training was rolled out at once to foster parent thereby living the highly illiterate and slow learning caregivers with little understanding on Positive Parenting Skills. This short fall in phase one prompted the need for a review of training materials on parental skills. The training manual was later reviewed, simplified and reorganized into 8 cascading modules with one module to be rolled out every month to caregivers in their respective SILC groups’ when they come together for weekly contributions. This approach has increased the understanding of positive parenting and alternately taking good care of the children that stay with them. Caritas Bo staff (Social Workers) were trained for a day on the manual and on how to facilitate training on positive parental skills.

Activity 1.2.1.b: Having gone through one day training on Positive Parental Skills from CRS, Social Workers in return rolled out parental skills training to 58 caregivers during their respective SILC group weekly and or monthly meetings. One module is being rolled out to each SILC groups on a monthly basis.  The reporting period saw the rolling out of 7 Modules (modules 1 to 7) to Caregivers through training on parental skills. The titles of the different modules rolled out so far include:

1. Being a foster parent is to be a loving parent
2. Children Change as They Grow Older

• Good Listening and Responding Skills,

1. Boys, Girls and the importance of School
2. Good Discipline and the Role Model
3. What is Child Abuse and How to Respond?

• Never forgetting the past: loss and grief

The training is geared towards ensuring that Caregivers learn about Positive Parenting in a bid to improving their relationship with their children and how to see both boys and girls as one in terms of opportunities, how to recognize individual differences among children and so on.

Intermediate Result 2: EVD affected children are better able to cope with their situation.

• Sub-Intermediate Result 2.1: EVD affected children feel more confident and nurtured.
• Activity 2.1.1. Social Workers along Catholic Women Organization Members do roll out the “singing to the lions” therapy to all 119 children who are been divided into clusters in six chiefdoms in Bo district. With the rolling out this activity, children are better prepared to overcome fear and become resilience to their situation.

Intermediate Result 3: Community leadership is better able to protect children.

• Sub-Intermediate Result 3.1: Community-led protection mechanisms are functioning and provide monitoring and follow up.

Issues and Challenges

Break of motor bike still remains a challenge; this is having huge impact on project implementation in terms of achieving result. It is also having cost implication on the project budget line. However, we hope for a very brighter light at the end of next quarter after receiving two used motor bike from CRS through the dynamic effort Kat the CRS project manager attached to we yone pikin project.

Skeletal budget line is also having effect on the implementation of project activities. This is even worse after the increase in commodity prices in the market due to the decline in value of dollar.

Lack of refreshment for children during the rolling out of singing to the lion’s activities is also a challenge.

Lack of musical player for children for activities on singing to the lions is also another challenge.

Indicate resolutions or proposed corrective actions

• CRS to provide additional funds to provide refreshment for children during singing to the lions activities.
• Social Workers to improvise in providing their personal musical players during rolling out singing to the lions activities.

See photos below:

Caritas Bo with support from UNICEF have been able to carry out the following activities in Bo and Bonthe districts:

1. Train front line workers and supervisors/managers to use PRIMERO for data inputting, supervision, data sharing, analysis and for evidence based decision making commenced and was successful. 80 people (43 males 37) attended the training.
2. The child protection/child justice training provided to MSWGCA probation officers and FSU Investigation Officers and Court monitors in Bo and Bonthe districts yielded impacts. 40 people were trained including 27 males and 13 females.
3. In all 80 communities in Bo and Bonthe districts advocacy meetings with 100 community authorities (whole day meeting) for community based support for juveniles were held and were well attended by competent community authorities including town chiefs, VDCs, CWCs etc.
4. Refresher training of 80 Caritas Bo staff and other NGOs on facilitation skills and how to work with communities, U-Reporting, life skills was done at district level- Bo and Bonthe. Facilitation was also supported by UNICEF child Protection Officer Child Protection Specialist. (45m and 35 F)
5. 80 adolescent clubs/spaces were set up in 80 communities in Bo and Bonthe districts. These adolescent clubs/spaces comprise of 2, 400 children (1,234 boys and 1,166 girls).
6. Caritas Bo Staff and other NGOs were orientated on birth registration and civil registration. The training took place at Caritas Bo office, 41 New Gerihun, Pastoral and Social Centre. The training ran through the following essential topics: What is birth and Civil registration; The National Civil Registration Act-2016; Importance of Birth and civil registration; What will happen if my Child’s birth is not Registered. 40 people were trained including 23 males and 17 females. This training have is being rolled in the communities..
7. Children were trained in life skills to build their resilience and strengthen their coping mechanisms in all 80 communities in Bo and Bonthe Districts. 2, 400 Children including 1,234 boys and 1,166 girls benefited from the training. Children can now cope with life related challenges and say no to negative peer group influence/pressures
8. Due to the community engagements through sensitization and advocacy in the operational communities all communities have made commitments to end child marriage and FGM/C. This was included in the community byelaws with commitments of enforcement by the local authorities.
9. Sensitization in all 80 communities in Bo and Bonthe districts were carried out on the importance of birth and civil registration of children. The same Sensitization banners printed by all social workers were used. Also part of the tools used includes drama. Communities have now seen the need for birth registration of their children although birth certificates are in short supply at PHU levels. There is now need for printing, distribution and collection of completed certificates at community levels.

See photos below:

The selection committee Starting from Left to Right:

1. Amba Coker- Deputy Chief Nursing Officer
2. Christiana Massallay- Acting Registrar Nurse and Midwifery Board
3. Alhaji Turay- DMO Bo District
4. B. Moses Kawa- Guidance counselor
5. Patricia Mokowa- Head of School
6. One of the candidates during the interview

The selection committee                        Candidates Waiting for interview

The School of Midwifery Bo (SOMBO) was formally opened on Saturday 21^st of October, 2017.

The inauguration session was witnessed by dignitaries from all works of life including:

• The Most Rev. Bishop Charles A.M Campbell of Caritas/Catholic Diocese of Bo
• The Director of Caritas Bo, Mr. David S. Yambasu.
• Honorable Minister of Health
• The Chief medical Officer
• Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer
• Rep from UNFPA
• Board member Action Medeor
• Sierra Leone Midwives Association (SLMA)
• Chairman Bo District Council

On  the 4^TH April 2017, was the Formal launching of School Feeding/Nutrition project at the Pujehun District, Pujehun Town.

Many people were involved during the launching of the project such as Children, Stakeholders, the general Public, and representatives from line Ministries like the DMO, Deputy Director of Education, Head of Family Support Unit of the Sierra Leone Police. District Nutritionist, the CA of District Council, Head Teachers, school pupils, and the media.

The launching of the project was geared towards informing project stakeholders on project goals, aims and objectives as well as expected activities.

200 participant including key stakeholders and the Bishop of the Diocese of Bo turned up for the event and made statement thereby making commitment to the success of the project.

About  500 school pupils, 50 schools, 50 SMCs, 50 Child Welfare Committee benefited from this Project.

Bishop Charles Campbell flanked with Caritas Bo Staff during project launching.

The Catholic Women Association (C.W.A) launches “Women Empowerment for collection Action Project” in the Catholic Diocese of Bo with funds from Missio Aachen. May 2017.

Caritas Bo Team Launches Four Foods Study on April 19th in Pujehun District.