December 20, 2013
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Bishop John Pessima leading a planning session.
A study group.
Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries
In the years ahead, Mattru Hospital in Sierra Leone will be an important focus of Global Ministries.
Throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s, dozens of United Brethren missionaries served at Mattru Hospital. The hospital was recognized as one of the best hospitals in all of West Africa. People came from neighboring countries—Ghana, Guinea, Burkina Faso—to be treated at Mattru Hospital.
Then the civil war hit Sierra Leone. All missionaries were evacuated in 1994, and years of rebel warfare left the hospital in shambles and the staff scattered.
In 2001, Doctors Without Borders reopened Mattru Hospital and invested thousands of dollars in equipment, renovations, and personnel. A year later they returned the hospital to Sierra Leone Conference. But Mattru Hospital has struggled ever since.
Mattru is the only hospital in the Bonthe District. There may be clinics, but no surgery, emergency care, early childhood, obstetrics, etc. They want to do these things, but lack the capability.
The Need for a Strategic Plan
Before I went to Sierra Leone in February 2013, Sierra Leone Conference invited me to help them develop a strategic plan for Mattru Hospital. I said I would only be a facilitator; I wouldn’t write the plan for them.
Meeting with the village chief.
I talked to them about some of the people to include around the table, but they went much further. They brought in the paramount chief, regional and national medical directors, and people from non-government organizations (NGOs) who have worked in other West African nations. These folks were all key stakeholders, not necessarily in Mattru Hospital itself, but in the success of medical work in Sierra Leone.
A family practitioner from Auburn, Ind., accompanied me to Sierra Leone. [It is necessary to refer to him anonymously.] His involvement with Mattru Hospital began in 1984 when he spent time there as a medical student. He and his wife later returned as fulltime missionaries.
In November 2012, this couple were volunteering at a hospital in Guinea and decided to spend some time in Sierra Leone. He conducted an assessment with hospital staff and conference leaders, and sent me a 26-page document. That greatly helped get the ball rolling.
Dr. Dennis Marke (left) and Dr. Martin Salia.
Also participating in those meetings were two Sierra Leonean doctors, Dennis Marke and Martin Salia, who have United Brethren roots and had served at Mattru Hospital. They now work at a hospital in Freetown, but came to Mattru for the planning meetings and made tremendous contributions.
Two Days of Meetings
We broke into groups to focus on issues related to five areas: medical care, finance, administration, community relations, and property. After working for several hours, the groups presented their findings.
I asked the committee to select the three most crucial items from each group. That gave us a list of 15 items. Then Bishop John Pessima appointed a five-person committee to fine-tune the plan, working out specific goals and a timeline. Both Dr. Dennis Marke and Dr. Martin Salia were part of that group. (more…)
Victor Mojica (left) has been named senior pastor of Clearview UB church (Goshen, Ind.), effective January 1, 2014. He takes the place of Hubert Schmucker, who retired after 36 years of service in the United Brethren denomination.
Jason Sheets has been named senior pastor of Avlon UB church (Bremen, Ohio) effective January 1, 2014. He had been serving as associate pastor of Shepherd of the Valley UB church (Logan, Ohio).
Please pray for the young daughter, just a toddler, of Justin Marva (right), one of the four superintendents in Sierra Leone. She is a very sick girl, battling both malaria and typhoid. Rev. Marva is superintendent of Administration and Finance for Sierra Leone Conference.