It is Ash Wednesday today. Several of the participants at the opening of the conference at 9AM proudly wore their ashes on their foreheads. George, Bob, Ray, and I will be going to Mass tonight at 6PM. We are all anxious to participate in an Ash Wednesday celebration. The conference has been going well. There are 75 participants and they possess an eagerness to learn that is incredible. My Theology of Hope sessions were well received. Mr. Garrett would be proud of me as I got several "amens" and "alleluias" from the class. Maybe there is a little "Baptist preacher" in my blood, as Dermot would say. Ray spent hours and hours yesterday trying to get a communication hookup onlyto find out that it just ain't gonna work. Sorry!!!
Sierra Leone is a beautiful country and it's people are so welcoming. I am amazed as I watched the continual activity outside the internet cafe where we must go to get any kind of internet connection. What amazes me so much is that no one carries anything in their hands. Everyone carries everything on their heads, hustling peanuts and leaves, and all sorts of food that I have never seen before. Yesterday I saw a boy carrying a tire rim on his head. Women with babies on thier backs is very common and many will stop when you want to take their pictures. All school children are in uniform and each color uniform represents a different school. Boys on motorbikes serve as taxis to the people moving them very swiftly around the area. Across the street from the internet cafe is a market place filled with clothing from the United States and other countries. In a way it is a good thing, but having the abundance of western clothes has also destroyed the garment industry in Africa. This afternoon Ray, JU, Aminada and I are going to a Catholic Grade school (St. Vincent's) I think to deliver some soccer balls and spend time with the students. I am looking forward to that. Tomorrow we will watch Dr. Maggi perform a fistula surgery. There is so much to tell and so little time. I will leave you today with a note that we are all doing well even in the heat and high humidity. A special note to Char, I love you!! And to the rest of my family - I look forward to seeing you and talking to you when I return. Jim
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Greetings to LCHS and ST. James, Lititz, et. al
Greetings from Bo, Sierra Leone. If you read Ray's blog you will read of our journey here. Today we are working on getting conectivity with the satelite. Hopefully we will accomplish the task and see all of you. We are sitting at Mars Internet Cafe in Bo and the people have been most gracious in helping us get connected. The trip to this point has been eye-opening to say the least. The people of Sierra Leone are extremely friendly and want to go out of their way to talk to you and meet all of your needs. I look forward to giving my first presentation today to the over 70 attendees at the conference. Wish me luck! There was a wonderful welcoming banquet for us last night. We had all the traditional Western US bar-be-que fixings: chicken, ribs, mashed potatoes, cabbage, and a salad with some homegrown ingredients. It was all very good. However, I was bribed into trying a hot sauce for the cabbage. Needless to say in Africa "HOT" has a whole new meaning. My tongue is still on fire!!!! To my Christian Service students I want to way thank you for the going away party. And to the people of Saint James, know that your dollars will be well spent. Finally I send my love to my wife Char. I miss you!!! Until later today, I sign off. and yes, it is hot and humid, but it's better than the cold ANYDAY.
Love to all
Jim Rogers
Love to all
Jim Rogers
Arrived in Bo ... Workshop is Underway
After a long journey, we arrived in Bo on Monday afternoon. We first met up as a group in London (Ray and George from Butte), (Jim and Bob arriving from New York), and Darrius Maggi arriving from Dallas. We got into Freetown late in the evening on Sunday and were dissappointed to learn that one of our bags was missing. Unfortunately, this bag contained one of the teaching manekins (baby) and about 70% of the medications we brought with us. We are still trying to locate the bag and hope it will arrive. We stayed at a hotel near the Airport and then, on Sunday morning, we took a ferry across to Freetown where we started our drive to Bo. The drive took about 5 hours, and we were able to see some wonderful sights of Sierra Leone along the way, passsing many small villages. We arrived on Monday afternoon and immediately went to Bo Government Hospital where the West Africa Fistula Foundation is located. We were introduced to the staff and then immediately went to the ward where about 40 women greeted Dr. Maggi with cheers and songs of joy. It was a wonderful moment to witness these young women filled with so much hope and love for Dr. Maggi. Of the 40 women, 17 are currently awaiting fistula surgery, some have already had surgery and are there for a checkup, and others are there to be evaluated. On Monday evening, we had a very nice Texas BBQ at the Georgetown Resorts where we are staying. The staff of the West Africa Fistula Foundation were all there to greet us and join us in a night of conversation and getting to know each other. On Tuesday morning, we kicked off the Safe Passages Workshop for about 75 healthcare workers and students from Njala University. Jim and I are working with Jusufu Tommy, Aminata N'jai, both students from Njala University in Freetown and John Kamara who is the logistician for the West Africa Fistula Foundation. We are currently working on establishing a video connection back to the NCHCI's lab in Butte. We hope to make our first test today at 3:00 pm (Bo time) 8:00 am MST. All is well. We will write more later.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Sierra Leone Map and Statistics
On February 22, 2009, the MLI team will arrive in Freetown, Sierra Leone. From there, the team will travel by car to Bo, Sierra Leone to (1) provide a Safe Passages Training Workshop for healthcare workers from throughout Sierra Leone, and (2) conduct a video communication demonstration project. The team will also travel to the village of Kabala before returning home (see map).
Sierra Leone has the highest maternal death rate at 2,000 per 100,000 live births. In comparison, the United States’ maternal death rate is 11 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. In 2005, it was estimated that a woman’s lifetime risk of maternal death is 1 in 8. Sierra Leone also has the highest mortality rate in the world for children less than 5 years of age.
Following are some relevant statistics for Sierra Leone:
Population: 5.7 million
Size: 27,700 sq. miles (slightly smaller than South Carolina)
Capital City: Freetown
Life expectancy at birth male/female: 39/42 years
Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births): 159.2
Probability of dying under five (per 1,000 live births): 269
Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2005): 41
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Thank You St. James Parish, Lititz, PA from Jim Rogers
As we prepare to embark on our journey to Sierra Leone I want to take this time to thank Father James O’Blaney CSsR and the people of Saint James Parish in Lititz, PA for their most generous contributions. Your $4,525 will enable us to make a difference in the lives of the people in Bo and Kabala. Please pray for the success of our trip. I will share my many stories with you when I return in March.
By LAURA KNOWLES, Correspondent, Lancaster New Era
In his travels to West Africa, Dr. Robert Scanlon has seen conditions that would shock most people in the United States.
"There is no running water, limited food, no electricity, no medical care and trash that litters the ground. Conditions are so unsanitary and dangerous that people struggle to simply survive," said Scanlon during a recent visit to Lancaster Catholic High School. Scanlon told the students there that few babies live beyond their first month, dying from infections, malnourishment, AIDS and other illnesses. The antidote, reported Scanlon, can be as simple as reaching out and providing a "ray of light" to help the people of Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria and other countries. The costs can be as little as $5 for vaccinations to keep a child healthy or $27 to pay for the medical and sanitary obstetrical and pediatric care.
Scanlon, of Huntington, N.Y., visited LCHS to charter the first high school chapter of Aiding Infants and Mothers in the United States. The organization, known as AIM, was founded by Scanlon four years ago. He worked with his local community on the program, including Huntington-area doctors, nurses, Catholic school students and churches.
"What I am hoping to do today is to open the eyes of the students here at Lancaster Catholic High School, to see beyond what they know here," said Scanlon. The conditions in West Africa, he noted, are incomprehensible to most students in America. To witness the extreme poverty and desperation of people in Third World countries demands a reaction and a commitment to help in whatever way possible. "In my case, as a doctor, I am compelled to go there and help to provide much-needed medical care," said Scanlon, adding that he helps to train personnel and raise money for medical equipment and medicines. Only when basic needs for food, water, shelter and health are satisfied can children focus on their educational needs. The AIM program also helps to raise money for books, paper, pencils, teachers and schools, so that youngsters can find a way out of their poverty. Scanlon explained that he was pleased Lancaster Catholic had agreed to take on the challenge of community service that extends across the globe. He hopes students will look at ways they can help in Africa and here in the United States. "I watch the students as they see the photographs of the children in Africa," said Scanlon, who presented a brief slide show on the AIM project. "I want them to know they can help in so many different ways." AIM students, educated in the importance of healthy lifestyles, will take on the task of "adopting" a village in Africa. They will be raising funds and developing ways to extend care to women and children who need health attention, basic necessities and education.
Jim Rogers, director of the Good Samaritan program and chairman of Religious Studies and Activities at Lancaster Catholic, will be going to Africa this month with Maternal Life International to scout for a village that Lancaster Catholic High School's AIM chapter will adopt. He will be joined by Scanlon, Dr. George Mulcaire-Jones and Raymond Rogers, from the National Center of Health Care Informatics. The 12 students on the AIM committee agree. They have worked on several local programs to help people. Soon they will be helping people in a faraway country. "We want to get involved and get the entire school involved in community service," said Karrissa Miller, one of the AIM committee students. As Rogers summarized, the purpose of the AIM chapter is twofold. First, the students will become better-educated about the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices, ranging from healthy eating to healthy relationships. Secondly, they will serve the world community by adopting a small village and helping to meet the medical, educational and spiritual needs of that village.
As we prepare to embark on our journey to Sierra Leone I want to take this time to thank Father James O’Blaney CSsR and the people of Saint James Parish in Lititz, PA for their most generous contributions. Your $4,525 will enable us to make a difference in the lives of the people in Bo and Kabala. Please pray for the success of our trip. I will share my many stories with you when I return in March.
By LAURA KNOWLES, Correspondent, Lancaster New Era
Photo Caption: With Dr. Robert Scanlon, front right, Lancaster Catholic High School is launching the first U.S. chapter of Aiding Infants and Mothers. Pictured with Scanlon are some of the students who will be involved. Shown, front row, from left, are: Ernell Harley, Sarah Creme and Scanlon; and back row, from left, Corey Mitchell and Karrissa Miller.Laura Knowles/Sunday News
In his travels to West Africa, Dr. Robert Scanlon has seen conditions that would shock most people in the United States.
"There is no running water, limited food, no electricity, no medical care and trash that litters the ground. Conditions are so unsanitary and dangerous that people struggle to simply survive," said Scanlon during a recent visit to Lancaster Catholic High School. Scanlon told the students there that few babies live beyond their first month, dying from infections, malnourishment, AIDS and other illnesses. The antidote, reported Scanlon, can be as simple as reaching out and providing a "ray of light" to help the people of Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria and other countries. The costs can be as little as $5 for vaccinations to keep a child healthy or $27 to pay for the medical and sanitary obstetrical and pediatric care.
Scanlon, of Huntington, N.Y., visited LCHS to charter the first high school chapter of Aiding Infants and Mothers in the United States. The organization, known as AIM, was founded by Scanlon four years ago. He worked with his local community on the program, including Huntington-area doctors, nurses, Catholic school students and churches.
"What I am hoping to do today is to open the eyes of the students here at Lancaster Catholic High School, to see beyond what they know here," said Scanlon. The conditions in West Africa, he noted, are incomprehensible to most students in America. To witness the extreme poverty and desperation of people in Third World countries demands a reaction and a commitment to help in whatever way possible. "In my case, as a doctor, I am compelled to go there and help to provide much-needed medical care," said Scanlon, adding that he helps to train personnel and raise money for medical equipment and medicines. Only when basic needs for food, water, shelter and health are satisfied can children focus on their educational needs. The AIM program also helps to raise money for books, paper, pencils, teachers and schools, so that youngsters can find a way out of their poverty. Scanlon explained that he was pleased Lancaster Catholic had agreed to take on the challenge of community service that extends across the globe. He hopes students will look at ways they can help in Africa and here in the United States. "I watch the students as they see the photographs of the children in Africa," said Scanlon, who presented a brief slide show on the AIM project. "I want them to know they can help in so many different ways." AIM students, educated in the importance of healthy lifestyles, will take on the task of "adopting" a village in Africa. They will be raising funds and developing ways to extend care to women and children who need health attention, basic necessities and education.
Jim Rogers, director of the Good Samaritan program and chairman of Religious Studies and Activities at Lancaster Catholic, will be going to Africa this month with Maternal Life International to scout for a village that Lancaster Catholic High School's AIM chapter will adopt. He will be joined by Scanlon, Dr. George Mulcaire-Jones and Raymond Rogers, from the National Center of Health Care Informatics. The 12 students on the AIM committee agree. They have worked on several local programs to help people. Soon they will be helping people in a faraway country. "We want to get involved and get the entire school involved in community service," said Karrissa Miller, one of the AIM committee students. As Rogers summarized, the purpose of the AIM chapter is twofold. First, the students will become better-educated about the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices, ranging from healthy eating to healthy relationships. Secondly, they will serve the world community by adopting a small village and helping to meet the medical, educational and spiritual needs of that village.
Partnership to Improve Healthcare In Sierra Leone
In late February 2009, a team will be traveling to Sierra Leone to train and equip healthcare workers in the areas of maternal and newborn care and to demonstrate technologies to link clinicians in Sierra Leone with clinicians in the US using video conferencing technologies. The team is comprised of Dr. George Mulcaire-Jones (MLI-Butte, Montana), Dr. Bob Scanlon (MLI and AIM - Huntington, New York), Ray Rogers (NCHCI and MLI - Butte, Montana), and Jim Rogers (AIM - Lancaster Catholic High School).
Working in conjunction with the West Africa Fistula Foundation, the team will provide four days of healthcare training and will also conduct a demonstration project to connect Sierra Leone with Butte, Montana and Lancaster, Pennsylvania using video conferencing technology. The NCHCI is working in cooperation with Montana Tech of The University of Montana to demonstrate the application of video communication technologies to assist in the training of healthcare workers in developing countries.
Between 50 and 100 healthcare workers from throughout Sierra Leone are expected for the training workshop.
About MLI: Maternal Life International (MLI) and the National Center for Health Care Informatics (NCHCI) have come together to address the alarming maternal and infant mortality rates in Sierra Leone, Africa. For over a decade, MLI has been delivering training and equipping healthcare workers throughout Africa to improve maternal and newborn care. MLI has successfully implemented it Safe Passages, Circles of Life, Parish Nursing, and Faithful House training programs in many locations across Africa.
About the NCHCI: The NCHCI is a leader in developing and implementing technologies to improve the management of healthcare data, information, and knowledge. The NCHCI conducted a successful video conferencing demonstration program in Jos, Nigeria in 2008 demonstrating the capability to deliver real-time education to physicians, nurses, and midwives in Nigeria.
About AIM: Aiding Infants and Mothers was developed by Dr. Bob Scanlon of Huntington, NY to support the growing need for maternal and newborn care in Africa. Funds generated through AIM go to directly support the programs of MLI. In 2009, Lancaster Catholic High School, Lancaster, PA, is starting the first high school-based AIM chapter in the nation.
About Montana Tech: For the past 108 years, Montana Tech has earned a reputation as one of the finest science, engineering, and technical colleges in the world. Montana Tech is a leader in undergraduate and graduate education and research in the Pacific Northwest in engineering, science, energy, health, information sciences and technology. With more than 40 academic programs and 38 clubs and organizations, Tech offers tremendous opportunities in a student friendly environment. In 2002, Montana Tech created the nation's first undergraduate degree program in Healthcare Informatics.
Working in conjunction with the West Africa Fistula Foundation, the team will provide four days of healthcare training and will also conduct a demonstration project to connect Sierra Leone with Butte, Montana and Lancaster, Pennsylvania using video conferencing technology. The NCHCI is working in cooperation with Montana Tech of The University of Montana to demonstrate the application of video communication technologies to assist in the training of healthcare workers in developing countries.
Between 50 and 100 healthcare workers from throughout Sierra Leone are expected for the training workshop.
About MLI: Maternal Life International (MLI) and the National Center for Health Care Informatics (NCHCI) have come together to address the alarming maternal and infant mortality rates in Sierra Leone, Africa. For over a decade, MLI has been delivering training and equipping healthcare workers throughout Africa to improve maternal and newborn care. MLI has successfully implemented it Safe Passages, Circles of Life, Parish Nursing, and Faithful House training programs in many locations across Africa.
About the NCHCI: The NCHCI is a leader in developing and implementing technologies to improve the management of healthcare data, information, and knowledge. The NCHCI conducted a successful video conferencing demonstration program in Jos, Nigeria in 2008 demonstrating the capability to deliver real-time education to physicians, nurses, and midwives in Nigeria.
About AIM: Aiding Infants and Mothers was developed by Dr. Bob Scanlon of Huntington, NY to support the growing need for maternal and newborn care in Africa. Funds generated through AIM go to directly support the programs of MLI. In 2009, Lancaster Catholic High School, Lancaster, PA, is starting the first high school-based AIM chapter in the nation.
About Montana Tech: For the past 108 years, Montana Tech has earned a reputation as one of the finest science, engineering, and technical colleges in the world. Montana Tech is a leader in undergraduate and graduate education and research in the Pacific Northwest in engineering, science, energy, health, information sciences and technology. With more than 40 academic programs and 38 clubs and organizations, Tech offers tremendous opportunities in a student friendly environment. In 2002, Montana Tech created the nation's first undergraduate degree program in Healthcare Informatics.
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