The project has finally come to an end.

The total money donated was ￡80,700. The British Red Cross Society (BRCS), working through the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society (SLRCS), has achieved a very successful Community Based Healthcare Programme throughout Sierra Leone. Work was carried out in all 13 regions of the country and enabled communities to come together and re-establish effective working to improve the health and wellbeing of their residents. This was done through ensuring potable water supplies, effective sanitation, community gardens, health education/promotion and health monitoring. Figures illustrating these successes are given below.

* Just under 30% of children compared to 71% across the country – UNICEF data.

This would not have been possible without the financial help from SIWS and technical support from the international team of the BRCS. Our contribution has been acknowledged in the annual report of the BRCS Trustees – see page 43 of the report on http://www.scribd.com/doc/55261978/British-Red-Cross-2010-Trustees-report-and-accounts.

All clubs in SIWS contributed to this success, as well as 16 other SIGBI clubs, SI Freetown and UKPAC. The total money raised was ￡83,404 with ￡2,704 spent on expenses which included publicity (leaflets, flyers and display boards), goods for sale, postage and events. This gives a breakdown of expenses at 3% and the donation to the Red Cross of 97%. A cost:effective and cost:efficient programme which ensured that those with the greatest need were given help to improve their lives. Many thanks and congratulations to all who gave their support.

For reports from the Red Cross go to:

• Musa’s story
• Q1 2011 report
• Annual report 2010
• July-September 2010 report
• Acheivements in 2010

Licking Lassa Fever – health education & hygiene for all

Licking Lassa Fever was a regional project of Soroptimist International Wales South; it saught to stop so many people suffering and dying from Lassa Fever, other communicable diseases and malnutrition, in Sierra Leone.

Here are some just some highlights of what we have been able to achieve this year:

• 290 people took part in The Annual Mothers’ Congress in Freetown, which showcased the achievements of the Mother’s Club throughout the year. The purpose of the day was to celebrate and recognise the remarkable achievements of the congress in promoting Reproductive and Child health.

• 52 quarterly sensitization campaigns on the prevention and control of communicable diseases such as malaria, TB, Lassa Fever were undertaken by 280 Red Cross Volunteers in all 13 branches. A total of 22,160 people were reached during both campaigns which took place between March and December 2010. Volunteers used megaphones, visiting market places, playgrounds, parks and schools.

• 144 wells were chlorinated by Red Cross volunteers and are now benefiting 20,762 people.

For the full report go to Annual report 2010

During this quarter, one of the main priorities of the SLRCS has been responding to the suspected outbreak of Lassa Fever in Bombali and Port Loko. Working together with the Ministry of Health, British Red Cross volunteers have conducted increasing numbers of awareness-raising sessions on Lassa Fever across all branches. In addition, Red Cross volunteers are using drama performances to help communities detect Lassa Fever at the crucial early stages. Despite poor road networks, caused by heavy rains between July and September, Red Cross volunteers have carried out an enormous amount of work including chlorinating wells, delivering training in hygiene promotion and distributing hygiene promotion kits. This ongoing work continues to underpin SLRCS’s promotion of Lassa Fever prevention and control.

Highlights
Here are some just some highlights of what has been achieved this quarter:
• Red Cross volunteers chlorinated 45 traditional wells and 4 hand pumps, providing safe water to over 8,500 people.
• In collaboration with UNICEF, 720 community motivators were trained on child survival and are now teaching households on family hygiene procedures such as the benefits of immunisation, exclusive breastfeeding, and environmental sanitation.
• 80 link teachers were trained across all 13 branches
• 520 volunteers were trained in Community Based Health First Aid in all 13 branches
• 70 community meetings on prevention and control of Lassa fever were carried out across all branches.

Our support for this programme continues to help deliver sustainable improvement across Sierra Leone. Thank you for your continuing support.

The full report can be downloaded here Soroptimists Q3 2010 web.

Members of SI Freetown and Wales South met at the SIGBI conference in Manchester (21-23 October 2010) and celebrated the achievements of the project so far.

This has been achieved through donations totaling £65,000 made in 2009 and 2010 and raised since the inception of the project in 2006. See below for financial progress so far.

This leaves £13,799.78 to donate at present…..we hope to make it up to £15,000 for our final donation, to be made in 2011.

I’m back!

It is without a doubt the hardest thing I have ever done. I would not have believed that one leg would keep going in front of the other when the energy tank is not just registering zero, it was heavily on minus.

If you’ve been following the Captains’ Walk on television you will have seen the likes of Rob Howley and Warren Gatland say that you have to dig deep within yourself to get up there and it’s true, it’s a mental challenge even more than a physical one. You have to find a reason for going on up, despite the cold (-20C), the 1 in 3 gradient, the 50% less oxygen, the leaden legs and the darkness broken only by the terrifying sight of  1,000 head torches flickering ever upwards into infinity.

Well I got to Uhuru Peak somehow. I thought I might have to spend the rest of my life up there as I had absolutely nothing left to come down, but one of the guides grabbed my hand and once we reached Gillman’s Point again, we ran all the way down the loose shale. Nine hours to get to the top, three to come down! I am not sure my toe nails have survived the experience.

I must record my gratitude to all those who made donations to LLF in support of the climb.

Now where shall I go next?

Cherry Wright

Executive Summary

Thanks to the generous support of Soroptimist International Wales South Health Education & Hygiene Trust (SIWSHEHT), the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society’s (SLRCS) Community Based Health Programme is improving the health of the most vulnerable. During Q1 and Q2 SLRCS has been conducting an enormous amount of work in order to enable communities to prevent and respond to illness before the start of the rainy season. During Q2, ongoing hygiene promotion, the construction of latrines and wells, and the dedicated work of 480 Community Action Groups has been underpinning SLRCS’s promotion of Lassa Fever prevention and control.

Highlights

Here are some highlights of what has been achieved this quarter:

• The construction of nine two-seater Ventilated Improved Pit latrines has been completed and handed over to the communities in Port Loko (Mapeteh), Kenema (Kamboma and Pelewahun) and Ngiema in Kailahun. 360 beneficiaries are using these latrines;
• In May, 630 Red Cross Volunteers in 13 SLRCS branches participated in a nationwide Polio eradication campaign. A total of 452,316 under fives were vaccinated against the crippling disease by volunteers working in 78 communities;
• Volunteers conducted growth monitoring for 1,831 children under five;
• 480 Community Action Groups members in 48 catchment villages carried out house to house motivational talks on prevention and control of Lassa Fever in Kenema branch; 8,775 people were reached.

Download full Q2 2010 report here

Mount Kilimanjaro

Our intrepid explorer Cherry Wright is on her travels in September. No, not Mount Everest…..but to Mount Kilimanjaro. This is 2,000 feet higher than Base Camp on Mount Everest and, as Cherry herself has reminded me, she is a year older and this time, she’ll be camping, at -20C!!

Instead of sponsorship on this occasion Cherry is asking for donations to Licking Lassa Fever for our last push to £80,000. If you would like to support her and LLF please give/send your donations to her or me, or do it online via the web at http://www.everyclick.com/licking-lassa-fever/info . If you wish to use a cheque please make it payable to ‘SIWS Health Education & Hygiene Trust’ – postal adress available using the contact form. Giving permission for GiftAid would increase the amount by 25% – forms are available from http://licking-lassa-fever.org.uk/wp-content/themes/the-ideal-website-11/documents/gift-aid-declaration.pdf

Child beneficiaries

Mothers’ club members

On 27th April 2010,  Sierra Leone independence day, the Government of Sierra Leone  launched free health care services for children under five, pregnant women and breasting feeding mothers. This is to tackle the devastating mortality and morbidity rates among children and pregnant women. Most of SLRCS’s clinics will be used as Peripheral Health Units and will be supported by government.

Achievements this quarter:

1. Construction of 32 latrines is now under way.
2. 39 trainer volunteers in 13 villages received training on good hygiene and health practices.
3. 7,000 people were reached in an awareness-raising campaign on the prevention and control of Lassa Fever, Malaria and TB.
4. 341 children under 5 years were referred to the nearest health facilities for growth monitoring.
5. 542 children under 5 years of age were traced and referred for immunisation.
6. 520 Red Cross Volunteers in 13 branches participated in a Government led four-day nationwide Immunisation Campaign against Polio for children under 5 years. Vaccination of over 900,000 under fives was achieved against the crippling disease.
7. To promote safe and clean deliveries, SLRCS delivered hygiene materials to the District Health Management Team in Koinadugu branch. This included items such as dettol, toilet soap,  rubber bowls, scrubbing brushes and blankets.
8. 26 schools (10,557 pupils) across all branches benefited from drama performances conducted by 280 Youth Peer Educators to raise awareness on HIV and AIDS.
9. Health Promotional talks on HIV and AIDS prevention control, care and mitigation were carried out by 280 Youth Peer Educators in 41 communities across all branches, reaching 500 young people
10. Home visits were undertaken by 260 Youth Peer club volunteers across all branches to talk to households about the dangers of early marriage, teenage pregnancy and contraceptive use. A total of 3,000 people were reached during the period.

Constructing a latrine

Drama Group - education

During the remainder of the year, SLRCS plan to do the following:

1. Build five birthing houses in Koinadugu and four other branches.
2. Conduct refresher training for 360 volunteers on promoting good hygiene, clean water and sanitation, and 40 volunteers on Lassa fever prevention and control.
3. Conduct quarterly meetings to strengthen Mother’s Clubs, Traditional Birth Attendants, hygiene promoters, malaria keep-up volunteers, and Youth Peer Educators.
4. Conduct quarterly sensitisation about malaria, Lassa Fever, TB, immunization and HIV.
5. Provide seeds and tools for the mothers’ club garden, and carry out house-to-house visits.
6. Train Youth Peer Educators on drama and stage monthly outreach performances.
7. Provide home based care kits containing medical items needed for self-treatment.
8. Provide income generating activities for people living with HIV and AIDS.

A more detailed report is available in .pdf format, via this link.

Modelling the fashions

Over 30 Soroptimists and friends attended a successful evening with drinks and refreshments, as well as a raffle prize of a shirt, supplied by TM Lewin at their Cardiff store. The latest clothes were modelled by 2 members of SI Cardiff & District with a member of staff. Then there was time for socialising and shopping – with £104 being raised for Licking Lassa Fever. A raffle prize of a token for a shirt was also donated by TM Lewin for use at the regional AGM. An enjoyable evening was had by all.

Enjoying the evening

In Medieval times Minnesingers travelled throughout Germany
singing wonderful songs of love and beauty. The Minnesingers Male Chorus continue that fine tradition throughout their native South Wales and beyond. We are promised a broad repertoire in several languages of Traditional, Folk, Modern and Classical songs and ballads to enjoy.

Come and be entertained, amused and uplifted by these memorable and magical singers led by their talented musical director Meryn Williams.

Tickets £8 – please use the contact form below.