The Gbomai Bestman Foundation Blog

At our holiday fundraiser, the Giving Health Soiree, we announced that a long time friend and supporter would be joining the GBF team in 2012. Many of you have heard us mention reference Dr. Rhoda Peters from time to time as she was our first friend and partner in Bomi County when we launched our Maternal Care Packages project and adopted our first maternal ward. Two years later, she currently oversees all medical operations at the Liberian Government Hospital as Chief Medical Director. We adore and admire her not only because of her accomplishments, but also because of her work ethic and heartfelt commitment to mothers and children. On our trip to Liberia in Summer 2011, we had the opportunity to meet her newly adopted son (below). His young mother died in childbirth.

See her interview below and read more about Dr. Peters here.

Dr. Peters with her son whom she adopted last year after this mother died in childbirth at her hospital. Unfortunately, she could not save his mom.

Monday 12.6 – Talks with Firestone and GBF’s Advisory Board

On our agenda, one of the most important to-do’s was to meet with a representative of Firestone Natural Rubber Company in Liberia. Firestone has been an important facet in the Liberian commnunity pre and post the civil war. As manufacturers and producers of rubber, their most important input (latex) is abundant in Liberia. Many rubber plantations were able to provide for their own families (like my own) and the families of those that worked for them through long term contracts with Firestone. I  met with Carlos W. Smith, Communication Manager for Firestone Liberia, with whom I discussed  plausible donated cargo shipping space and also radio airtime on their station “Voice of Firestone Liberia” to be launched in the earlier half of 2011.

Carlos W. Smith and Gbomai - GBF's November 2010 trip to Liberia

Sonponrina and I also met with Lee Mason, the County development officer for Bomi County  and Assistant Minister for Planning. One of Lee Mason’s many hats also includes sitting on the Advisory Board for GBF as of recently. We talked about where we are currently as a nonprofit and strategy development. Within the following year, we will be re-evaluating the effectiveness of our current projects and looking at room for improvement.

Tuesday 12.7 – Office almost space complete

The sign our Projects Director made for printing in Liberia! We tweeted it to show our twitter family, but it never made it to printing due to an ink shortage at the local internet cafe!

We spent most of the day transporting barrels of Maternal Care Packages from storage to our new office and setting up our new  space. Tomorrow, the administrators at the Liberian Government will be hosting a ceremony to spread the word about the opening of our office that will be managed by our Liberia Correspondent, Paul Kangar.

We tweeted about the sign that we made for the office. However, the internet cafe was out of ink when we arrived to print. Nonetheless, the staff at the Liberian Government Hospital came to our rescue with local sign that could do the job for our big day tomorrow!

Wednesday 12.8 – The big Ceremony!

I live for more days like today!

Women poured in from the surrounding communities in Bomi County for the ceremony – women from the Gola Women Association, the Klay Town, Tubmanburg, etc. It was certainly heartfelt for the women to show how important it was for us to be there. They presented me with this blue head tie as a token of their appreciation. Dr. Rhonda Peters and the administrator and staff presented a gift, again for their appreciation – for “not forgetting about us” (a popular Liberian phrase). Let it be known that word of mouth from a “dedication” or “ceremony” in Liberia is the fastest way to spread information as 51.75% of the population is illiterate. However, the effectiveness of this ceremony can only be measured within the upcoming months…how many mothers will inquire about the “mama baby packages” and come to receive them at out new office? How many will come to the Liberian Government Hospital based on the recommendations of the elderly women who were here today? How many will come on their own? Can we then quantify how effective these kits are and then replicate this in other counties?

Gbomai with some of the traditional midwives, new mothers, and newborns at the Liberian Government Hospital, Bomi County.

See footage from the ceremony here, soon!

Thursday and Friday 12.9-10 – Wrapping up our trip

We used these last two days day to tie up loose ends and finalize what’s left to handled by Paul upon Sonporina and my departure.

As always, visiting my first home country is a whirlwind of emotions – it’s exciting, scary, sad, and joyous at the same time. Juxtaposed to my second home country, it always seems soo farfetched though. A little surreal…the way women and children live here. But I’m excited for what the future holds for Liberia and the part that GBF can play in the recovery. A girl should not grow up motherless only to fear that when she has children someday her fate will be the same – looming death. The cycle can end or at least be mitigated so that children and mothers can live up to their fullest potential.

USA bound in two days!

Editors note: Gbomai and Sonponrina returned to the United States on December 12th, 2010

Monday 11.29 – An Office for GBF in Bomi County?

Before our arrival, the team and I did not intend on asking Dr.Peters and the administrators here for an office space. However, I thought that it may be value added to our commitment to the hospital if we could stake somewhat of a permanent residence. Thus, I asked Dr. Peters what she thought of the it last week. She thought it was a great idea! So today we stopped by the Liberian Government Hospital again to to check out the spaces Dr. Peters said we could use.  (See picture below).

One of the storage rooms available to be converted into an office space

This space has previously been used for storage, as you may see from photos. But with a little cleaning and moving some things around, we can make good use of the space. I want them to know that we aren’t planning on going anywhere! We’re in Bomi County for the long haul.

Wednesday 12.1 – Meeting with Dr. Rigo

One of our main goals on this trip was to meet with other resident doctors and administrators in surrounding counties for future clinic adoptions. Today, Sonponrina and I met up with Dr. Rigo, the Medical Coordinator for Kolahun Hospital in lofa county. In fact, I was introduced to Dr. Rigo through a friend on Facebook that reached out to me about having GBF come to Monsterrado and Lofa County.

This is an 8-10 hr drive due to road conditions! Thankfully, Dr. Rigo met Sonporina and I in Monrovia.

We talked about the challenges at the hospital. He shares the same sentiments of frustration with Dr. Peter’s (at the Liberian Government Hospital) in regards to having to persuade – practically beg – women to come in for regular check ups for the sake of their unborn children and their own health. Whereas, in the United States most women do not need persuasion to seek medical attention…the situation here is peculiar because many impoverished women of the rural areas do not believe that hospitals can provide better help than what they can do by themselves, with family, or with midwifery assistance. Let’s be clear, midwives are a saving grace in rural areas! But for mothers that have complications, midwife assistance cannot suffice.

Nonetheless, as the only surgeon at the Kolahun Hospital, Dr. Rigo has performed over 120 surgeries within the past 3 months. Many of his patients are young women that are too small for the traditional birthing method (vaginal delivery) – many of them must opt for caesarean sections.

Thursday 12.2 – JFK Hospital in Monrovia

Today Sonponrina and I visited JFK Hospital to tour the facility and set up a meeting with administrators. Also, we visited the Ministry of Health to speak with Dr. Passaweh from the Clinton Foundation. We met him our first week here! At the ministry we received a really helpful tool for evaluating the hospitals and registered clinics in Liberia – an accredited booklet that rates them!

Friday 12.3 – Medical studies at the “old road”

Today we visited A.M Dogliotti College of Medicine of the University of Liberia, Liberia’s only medical school on the “old road.” The assistant lab technician, Henry Flomo, showed us around. We also met with Dr. Joseph Kamara, the college’s acting dean. He told us that the medical school is under serious renovation…which is great considering its deplorable conditions (see Allafrica.com’s article). But they are still in great need of medical books, lab coats, etc. The second tier of our long term plan of action calls for scholarships for students that attend this medical school and matching the institution with a university sponsors in the United States.

Sunday 12.5 – It’s official!

Paul, our trusted contact  on the ground (GBF’s Liberia Correspondent) drafted a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Liberian Government Hospital and GBF now that we have officially begun to setup our office in a space given to us by administration. It’s official!!!

This is what our space looks like as of Friday! We've cleared the debris and old boxes and began painting!

Four weeks ago, Gbomai and GBF supporter Sonponrina Williamson ventured to Tubmanburg, Liberia for our 2nd trip to Bomi County, the field in which we adopted our first maternal/neonatal ward back in February 2009. After 14 hours of travel, our lay over in Ghana threw a tiny wrench our way as our tech equipment was stolen from Gbomai’s luggage. However, that didn’t stop Gbomai from keeping a journal of travel notes, Sonporina from taking great photos, and Paul Kangar, GBF’s Liberia correspondent, from capturing great video content to share with you all. Check Gbomai’s update from her first week in Bomi below, and Week 2 & Week 3 within the upcoming days.

Monday 11.22 – A New Bill of Health Liberia

On Monday, Sonponrina & I attended Liberia’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare “Policy Envisioning and Official launch of Road Map for Development of 10 year National Health & Social Welfare Policy and Plan,” at the Monrovia city hall. It was attended by Resident Doctor of the Liberian Government Hospital Dr. Peters, Liberia’s Chief Medical Director Dr. Bernice Dahn, Minister of Health Dr. Gwanagale, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, USAID, and UNICEF among other organizations. The discussion that took place was centered around Liberia moving forward in good health, highlighting plans to go forward  with new initiatives like Liberia Vision 2030 and a new basic health care package of services that specify maternal, newborn, and child, and republic health.I was already excited to see how these plans will be rolled out within the upcoming years, but I was most excited to be in the same arena with women and men in Liberia who have dedicated their profession and entire lives to the betterment of Liberia. This includes meeting the famous city mayor Mary Bloh, known as the “lady who cleans the city,” whom showed us around the city hall building after the policy meeting.

I was already excited to see how these plans will be rolled out within the upcoming years, but I was most excited to be in the same arena with women and men in Liberia who have dedicated their profession and entire lives to the betterment of Liberia. This includes meeting the famous city mayor Mary Bloh, known as the “lady who cleans the city” and for securing about 5 million from the Bill Clinton Foundation for her city initiatives, whom showed us around the city hall building after the policy meeting.

Dr. Peters, Gbomai, Dr. Benice Dahn, and Sonponrina

Gbomai, Paul Kangar (GBF Liberia Correspondent), Mary Bloh, (sitting), and Sonponrina

Tuesday 11.23 – Due Diligence, Getting back in touch with the mother’s we have helped

Today we headed straight to the Liberian Government Hospital to check personally with Dr. Peters and get a update on what’s happening with the women hospital since August. If you follow us on Twitter, you may remember that Dr. Peters visited me in September when she was chosen to attend an international Health Conference at Yale University. In September, she gave me updates on some of the women I met on my first visit. So this time around, I got the chance to catch up with some of them including a pair of twins born to a 23 year old woman.

See video of the twins here!

Wednesday 11.24 – Meeting with Mr.Lee Mason

Mr. Lee Mason, Bomi County Development officer and assistant minister for planning and economic affairs. Talked about way and means to spread GBF in to other counties, development of the brand, and need to be in other counties. Mr. Mason is a new member of our board.

Thursday 11.25 – One Happy Ending—and one sad one.

I had another amazing day at the hospital – I love meeting these women and learning their stories! But I must admit, it can be a lot to take in…

I met 33 yr. old mother Maima George from in Dagweh Town who had a bouncing baby boy at almost 7 pounds! She was in labor for hours at home with the local midwives…not the trained ones by the hospital. When her water broke, the midwives in her town weren’t to sure if it was in fact her amniotic fluid, instead their kept on telling her to push and that “the baby will soon be here”. After 15 hrs, they brought her in to the Liberian Government Hospital where they needed to operate on her right away. In the end, she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy she named “Bobby Tara” at 1:23pm. This is the reason why GBF supports facility deliveries…for more happy endings like Maima’s!

Take a look at Maima’s baby boy here soon!

However, with as many happy endings there are… more often the end result is a sad ones. I toured the hospital and also met a mom by the name of Massa Gailor. She does not know her age nor when she got pregnant. She never visited the hospital, and in fact gave birth at home. When she saw that the baby was abnormally small and looked “different” per her words, she took the baby to one of the local clinics in Beh’s town (her hometown). The health professionals referred her to the hospital on November 6th but today was the first time she visited the hospital to find out what could be wrong with her baby. We took some video footage where I speak with her about the situation and Ma Nettie briefs us about the likelihood of the baby surviving. the baby is one of the special cases.

See Gbomai’s chat with Massa here!

Nonetheless, I will be at the hospital again next Tuesday at 9:00am with Dr Passawe from the Bill Clinton Foundation, County Health Director Dr. Birch, Liberian Government Hospital Adminstrator Mr. Rogers, and Dr. Peters. Looking forward to this meeting!

Friday 11.26 – Flomo’s first hospital visit

Today, we took a lady by the name of Noah Flomo to nearby Redemption Hospital because she had her baby at home about three weeks ago and had not seen the doctor. She gave birth to her baby by herself on November 4th and later had a nurse in the neighborhood help her cut the unbibical cord. Upon visiting the hospital, the baby was weighed, given 2 vaccinations, and medications to be administered at home for his cold and high fever.

Flomo's Baby Boy at home

See Gbomai’s interview with Flomo and her doctor visit here!

Saturday 11.27 – Enjoying being home

Today, Sonporina and I took a personal day to visit my dad’s rubber tree farm!

Sonponrina and I walk through the fields of rubber trees with Lasana, the farm's Superintendent since my childhood, leading the way.

Gbomai and the young "tappers" that regularly tap the trees for liquid rubber.

Sunday 11.28 – Preparing for the Following Week

Sonponrina and I attended a church service at the Provident Baptist Church here in Bomi County. We also took the day to  arrange our schedule for the week and confirm meetings. From my journal notes, I hope you have been able to gather an outline of what we have been able to accomplish this week! Nonetheless, the pictures and short videologs Sonporina has taken speak volumes and reaffirms why GBF is needed here in Bomi. I look around me and there are too many pockets poverty. You would think that the spirits of the inhabitants of such a place would match their surroundings. You would think that they are beaten up, wounded, and in misery all of the time–yes some are. But there are so many moments of hope and happiness…