Our Impact

Nutrition Initiative

During our monthly pop-up clinics our doctors have diagnosed some form of malnutrition in 80% of the children they see(see photos). As of the end of May, we will begin a re-feeding program for severe acute malnutrition in children under the age of five. Our staff will be trained by clinicians from Project Peanut Butter & Partners in Health.

Our Covid-19 Initiative

We provided 80 hand-washing stations, which include spigots, lids, catch basins, soap and pictorial educational posters for the villagers who can’t read, as well as teaching them a hand-washing song!

Dr. Sandy Gangha washing his hands at a hand washing station at the MOH clinic in Ngolahun. We have supplied the village with 80 stations like this to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Paramount Chief Baion briefs the sub-chiefs on the distribution of the buckets.

Our truck generously donated by the Saslow Family of Smith Haven Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram proved incredibly useful in the transporting of these supplies.

Hand washing buckets with spigots and lids being distributed to the villagers of Ngolahun.

COVID-19 educational session with community leaders on sanitation and hygiene.

Social distancing, mask use, and washing being explained to the village elders.

The educational posters have instructions written in several Sierra Leone dialects as well as being depicted in images.

One of the female leaders demonstrating proper hand washing techniques to the village women.

The children have been taught a Sierra Leone song about the importance of cleanliness to sing while they wash their hands for 20 seconds.

Even the youngest children are participating.

Young people taking responsibility for their own health and that of their village.

Stations are readily available around the village.

The owner of this local store is providing an important hand-washing station for the many customers she serves.

Practicing effective hand washing techniques under the watchful eye of the village leaders.

January Pop-Up Clinic

Our January 2021 pop-up clinic has been successful, thanks to our donor David Miller and District Health Officer, Dr. Desmond Kangbai, who assisted us with the medical team. Our doctors discovered that two boys, aged 8 and 2, suffered from hernias and needed surgery in Kailahun, several hours away from home. MOH sponsored their procedures & MOH staff stayed with them overnight in the hospital. Both boys have recovered well and are happy & healthy.

This David Jinnah also with Hernia as well

Musa with mother and MOH staff in hospital

Cocktails for a Cause

Miracle of Help recently held their first virtual fundraiser, “Miracle of Help Cocktails for a Cause”!

Please see our videos of our featured speakers below.

We are looking forward to holding more events in the year to come!

Risa Gold

Paramount Chief Baion

Musa Gangha

M M Kowa

Scholarships

MOH has provided four scholarships to create an initial pool of staff members for the new hospital in this very remote region.

Idrissa Siaka will attend Njala University and earn a degree in Community Health & Clinical Sciences (CHO).

Nurse Margret Bassie will become a State Registered Nurse (SRN) at Eastern Polytechnic.

Mariatu Baby James will study at the School of Midwifery in Bo.

Musa Gangha, our Country Director, will be earning his Masters Degree, in Public Health at Eastern Polytechnic.

64 Fruit Trees

Jusu Jabbie, head man of the village stands over a young sapling — Jusu Jabbie, head man of the village, stands over a young sapling

Jusu and MOH volunteer with one of our fastest growing trees

Jennifer Jabbie, Jusu's daughter proudly shows off a healthy young tree

Jusu, Jennifer, and MOH volunteer inspect two pineapple plants

New seedlings waiting to be planted around the guest house

In 2019, the women of Ngolahun planted 64 fruit tree seedlings and have been watering and fertilizing them as part of an MOH community project. The trees have flourished under their care, and will provide fruit for the hospital staff and patients. More fruit trees are being planted around the guest house.

Donations

Our recent donation to the Ngolahun school and clinic includes 200 primary school books, 17 boxes of writing supplies, 100 pairs of shorts, 1 wheelchair and 6 pairs of crutches, assorted medical and other supplies.

Donation Response

Students enthusiastically thanking MOH for the school supplies, and pledging to educate themselves so that they can help their village.

Second Shipment Highlights

This shipping container, packed full of furniture, office supplies, and even a pick-up truck will be repurposed as an operating room or laboratory for the new MCHP that we are building.

Clean drinking water

MOH has dug the first of three wells for the hospital complex as well as rennovating the existing clinics water well.

Meeting with Kailahun District Health Officer

From left to right: Country Director Musa Gangha, Disctrict Health Officer Dr. Desmond Kangbai, Dr. Risa Gold, Paramount Chief Baion

November 2019

Working With the SL Government

Learn More

Videos From Our Latest Trip

Local Doctor Treating a Mother & Child

Community Singing

Ngolahun Healthcare Situation

Vision Meeting Report

Women of Ngolahun/ Current Health Issues

Physical Health

Monthly Pop-up Clinic

Once a month in participation with the Sierra Leone Government we send two clinical health officers and 2 lab technicians to work with our five maternity nurses, three trained birth assistants and fourteen new community health workers to the Ngolahun Clinic for three days where they treat upwards of 300 new patients every month.

Outgrowth of this Clinic has led us to establish the Outpatient Malnutrition Program & Surgery Initiative.

Outpatient Treatment Post Malnutrition Program

We run an Outpatient Treatment Post Malnutrition Clinic certified by the Sierra Leone government. We follow strict guidelines mandated by Sierra Leone & the World Health Organization. We have treated 11 children for Severe Acute Malnutrition(SAM) with Project Peanut Butter’s Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). Additionally, we have treated 14 children for Moderate Acute Malnutrition(MAM) with Bennimix.
The training of our staff was provided by Dr. Yusupha Dibba from Partners In Health, & Dr. Marc Manary from Project Peanut Butter.

Another SAM/MAM successfully treated child. (Severe Acute Malnutrition, Moderate Acute Malnutrition)

A mother proudly shows the weight gain of her child after completing the Malnutrition Program

A mother who’s child was helped by the Moderate Acute Malnutrition program

A child recovered from Severe Acute Malnitrition and his mother say thank-you to MOH

Surgery Initiative

As a result of the monthly pop-up clinic our doctors diagnose patients who need surgery. Every month MOH now sends between 2 & 4 patients(men, women and children) to the government hospital and sponsors these urgently needed procedures. Outside of their normal duties, our staff travels with these patients, stays with them overnight, and make sure they return home safely. A total of __ patients have been treated in 2021.

Clean Water Project

With funding from the New Hope Foundation, we have embarked on bringing clean water to 7 villages. 4 of these villages are receiving their first well ever. These villages are so remote that they can not be reached by truck or car. Everything had to be brought in by motorcycle & built on site. All of the wells have water towers and holding tanks and once complete will be powered by a solar pump. The water will accessible by tap and spigot making it possible for children and the elderly to access clean water. This project is slated to be completed by the end of April 2022.

Scholarship Fund

MOH has provided four scholarships to create an initial pool of staff members for the new hospital in this very remote region.

Idrissa Siaka is currently attending Njala University to earn a degree in Community Health & Clinical Sciences (CHO).

Nurse Margret Bassie is becoming a State Registered Nurse (SRN) at Eastern Polytechnic.

Mariatu Baby James is studying at the School of Midwifery in Bo.

Musa Gangha, our Country Director, is earning his Masters Degree, in Public Health at Eastern Polytechnic.

In exciting news, 3 donors have pledged funds to enable MOH to send 2 Sierra Leone pre-med students to medical school for their MD degrees as well as fund the training of midwives and hospital administrators.

Our Midwife MOH scholarship recipient Mariatu(center) is eager to start working for MOH. Our Country Director , Musa Gangha(right) is proud to be earning his Masters in Public Health on an MOH scholarship.

Some time in 2022

Dr. Raphael Shapiro will take a team consisting of 4 surgeons to teach advanced surgical techniques to the surgeons of SL. They’ll be hosted by Dr. Kangbai and teach in Nixon General Hospital in Kailahun.

Social Health

Skills Training Center

We are delighted to report that we’ve been given 2 factories in the village of Mamboma to make soap & cassava . Plans are currently underway to start soap making. We will employ the mothers of the 25 newly nourished children to ensure that they have the income to keep their children fed. MOH is exploring a promising resale program opportunity with Eco-Soap, a socially minded company that produces soap at low cost that can be resold locally. We hope these enterprises will become entirely self sufficient.

Plans to start cassava will follow.

Plans for the future

We have started a fruit farm to support hospital staff and its patients. Additionally, we will be planting a cotton tree farm for the villagers to pick and weave into clothing.

Economic Stability

Straightash Environmental Solutions

We have sponsored Peter Ash of Straightash Environmental Solutions to travel to Sierra Leone & work with our farmers to teach them organic farming methods and how to care of the soil. The goal is to achieve “Organic Certification”, so that they can get higher prices for their crops of rice, cocoa & coffee. The farmers hope to form a cooperative and pool their resources so they can purchase a truck to get their crops to market. Currently they are obliged to wait for middle men to come to their village who pay very little.

Micro Finance Program

The villagers we work with have requested a Micro Finance Program to enable them to get small loans. These loans allow mainly women to start businesses such as tailoring or poultry. As their loans are repaid, they are eligible for larger loans, and can further grow their enterprises. We are eager to set up this program that will enable many more people to become self-sufficient.

Government Interface

Our 2021 Trip to Sierra Leone was Highly Successful

Our MOH team met with the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health & Sanitation and the Ministry of Planning & Economic Development. We received an enthusiastic welcome! Not only is our 10-bedded hospital plan approved, but a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between MOH and the Sierra Leone government formalizing our partnership.

Future wishes – As the funding becomes available, MOH is pre-approved for the construction of a 60-bed general hospital as a future extension of our current plans.