KRB Update #2170 Food for Life Keith R. Brinkman Sierra Leone September 12, 2011

Greetings from Sierra Leone, West Africa.

As we did on the Caribbean Mercy, there are many projects and activities off the ship. One I would like to share with you about is the Food for Life – Agriculture Training. The goal of this project is to increase capacity of local organizations to contribute to improved nutrition and farming incomes for farmers by training in holistic agriculture concepts and organic farming methods. Four local organizations participated: Heifer Sierra Leone, Hope of Glory, City of Rest and Sierra Canadian Humanitarian & Development Organization. Sixteen participants from these groups were involved in the training over four months.

Their training started with a Bible study, then lecture and practical application. Jean Claude from Congo Brazzaville was our agriculture facilitator. He has a passion for training others. I have watched him sharing from Genesis in the Bible with the participants to going out and getting his hands dirty in the earth in practical demonstration.

Bambay Sawaneh joined the program with his wife and baby despite a physical disability he suffered during the war. Rebel soldiers chopped off both his hands. A compassionate nun arranged for him to have a surgery that split the stubs of his arms to allow him to grasp things. Without that surgery, farming would have been impossible. His dedication to farming comes from a family history in agriculture. In comparing the Food for Life methods with the traditional ones, he said, “Through this form of training, I came to learn that we have been wasting our time and wasting our energy. It’s like we’re working like an elephant and eat like ant…We destroyed everything out of ignorance.” If you would like to read more of his story, please let me know and I will send you the whole article.

On July 9th, it was graduation day to celebrate with their completion of the course. I had the privilege to be the MC for our gathering as we honor these participants in their achievement. At the same time, reminding them that they have been trained to be trainers (the Training of Trainers – TOT method). The Mercy Ships Food for Life Graduation Ceremony symbolically marked a new beginning, bright with hope for the future. In a country suffering a shortage of food and high import prices, there must be a radical change in food production. The Food for Life Program has the potential to develop the nation agriculturally as the trainees become trainers in their communities. In Victor Tamba’s words: “God gave this to me. I never dreamed of it. Now I’m an agriculturist. I know my future will be very good now. I can never, never forget it!”

Prayer Requests: **Application of the biblical principles and agriculture principles they have learned to be shared with others in this nation. ** For the follow up taking place now with the new trainers.

Serving Together,
Keith

Email: [email protected] www.KeithBrinkman.com

Mail: Keith R. Brinkman, Mercy Ships, P.O. Box 2020, Lindale, TX 75771 USA

Schedule: Sierra Leone Field Service February 27 – December 8, 2011

KRB Update #2169 Kalimu

Keith R. Brinkman Sierra Leone August 27, 2011

Greetings from Sierra Leone, West Africa. Please allow me to introduce you to a new friend (mi padi in the local language) and one of our patients – Kalimu from the area of Kenema.

Kalimu was born with a cleft lip (hole or gap) on the left hand side. Cleft lips are a congenital deformity / birth defect common all around the world. In the developed world, surgery is readily available and done around two months after birth. In Sierra Leone and most of western Africa, surgery is not readily available.

His granny heard that Mercy Ships was screening for potential patients in January at their local government hospital. She brought the boy from the village and he was screened and scheduled for surgery in August. She waited patiently and when it was close to August, she asked the boy’s parents if he could live with her for the time of Ramadan (on the Islamic calendar for the entire month of August). When the time came, Kalimu traveled with granny to Freetown (5 hours away).

I first met Kalimu at the HOPE Center where he was staying before his surgery onboard. He was quiet and kept to himself even when invited to join the others kids and me. Though by day three, he came up and stood next to me and later sat on my lap and feel asleep – so either he was tired or he trusted me. Wednesday came as the day of admission to the hospital onboard. I visited him that evening in Ward D and we played with some toys together. When I returned to my cabin that evening, I thought ‘it would be great to be able to observe his surgery as I haven’t seen a cleft surgery and I have been here more than five years’. In the morning, I contacted the operating room supervisor and she checked with the surgeon and he was fine with me observing. For over an hour, I watched intently and prayed continually as Dr. Gary performed his surgery. It was amazing to watch the physical transformation for Kalimu. I waited with him in the recovery room as he woke up. When we brought him to his bed in the ward, his granny saw him and clapped her hands and ‘shaked’ her body in joy for her grandson.

During the time onboard, I visited Kalimu daily. He enjoyed going to Deck 7 (our outside deck) and playing on the ride-on toys there, something he has never seen before. When Kalimu was sent to the HOPE Center, I visited with him and his granny with a translator as they only speak the mende language. Granny shared that he is a ‘closed’ boy – quiet and reserved. I shared that when I was his age, I was shy and only had a few friends and kept to myself a lot. I learned that Kalimu lives with his parents in a village and they felt when he was born ‘that is how Allah made him’ and would not do anything to change it. Yet his granny also a Muslim felt differently. I asked her how his parents will feel when they see Kalimu – not knowing if they would be upset, messing with Allah’s will or gladi (happy) that their boy is healed. She said they will be gladi. I would love to be there when granny takes Kalimu to the village for the first time after Ramadan. She has already enrolled him in school in town and even though they are Muslim, she has him in a Christian school due to the quality of education.

Prayer Request: Kalimu’s life, reintegration into society, his physical, spiritual and emotional health – and for all of our patients

Serving Together, Keith Email: [email protected] www.KeithBrinkman.com

Mail: Keith R. Brinkman, Mercy Ships, P.O. Box 2020, Lindale, TX 75771 USA

Schedule: Sierra Leone Field Service February 27 – December 8, 2011

I am remembering a friend of almost 20 years and a former crew member (from the Anastasis, Good Samaritan, and Caribbean Mercy) – Dr. Curtis ‘Bud’ McKinney who went to be with the Lord on Saturday, July 30th. He died peacefully in the night of congestive heart failture. His wife Jean shared that they will have a little memorial service on September 9th in Portland, Oregon. I am remembering the many outreaches, advance work in Astoria, and many wonderful experiences and adventures with him in South America and Central America.

PLASTIC PATIENTS IN WARD COLOR, DRAW, AND BLOW BUBBLES DURING PHYSIO THERAPY EXCERCISES. Creative ways for young patients to engage in therapy excercises. , a photo by keith.brinkman on Flickr.

Tamba Alie Junior comes from Koidu in Kono district of Sierra Leone. I have known him since he first arrived. He had burn contractures at the age of 2 because he put his hand in boiling water. The plastic surgeon did his surgeon and he is in teh recovery and exercise stage. In this photo you see the creative ways for our young patients to engage in therapy excercises. We still pray for the complete healing of his hand and the area on his leg for the skin graft.

ORTHO SHOES DONATE PHOTOS FOR DR FRANK TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR SHOE DONATION. PATIENT SLE10392 JOHN KUNHATEH, a photo by keith.brinkman on Flickr.

John was one of the first patients I meet in Sierra Leone – as he grabbed my hand and took me for a walk in the hospital. He comes from Kenema and arrived on board March 14 and spent 4 months with us.
He had major orthopaedic problems with his legs – though now he standing tall and walking. He has returned home and we heard via phone that he is doing really well.

4th of July in Freetown (2), a photo by keith.brinkman on Flickr.

With over 400 crew members, up to 200 local day workers, 100 + (patients/caregivers) in the hospital, our galley feeds a lot of people. We are so grateful for the containers that come from The Netherlands and from the USA with food – including the steaks you see in this photo. Make you hungry?

4th of July in Freetown, a photo by keith.brinkman on Flickr.

Even though the ship crew come from 40 nations, on the 4th of July (US Independence Day) we had a great barbeque on the dock.

KRB Update #2168 HOPECenter
Keith R. Brinkman Sierra Leone June 23, 2011

Greetings from Sierra Leone, West Africa. When Mercy Ships arrives in a country, potential patient screenings are organized at various locations (in the port city and upcountry) and dates throughout the country. For Sierra Leone, the upcountry screenings were done in January by a team of ten at five provincial governmental hospitals – Koidu, Kenema, Bo, Makeni and Kabala. Patients who are near the port area can easily travel to the ship; others that live farther away typically have greater travel obstacles, which hinder their ability to travel to the ship and they may be ones with greater needs. To help alleviate our crunch with ward beds and to care for those from outside the port city, Mercy Ships developed the HOPE Center concept to provide housing for patients and caregivers (usually for those patients 15 years of age or younger) in a secure location near the ship. This was started during our field service in Cotonou, Benin in ’09.

Pre-operative patients typically arrive at the HOPECenter a couple days prior to surgery. While at the Center, patients and caregiver are provided with nutritious meals, strengthening the patient for the upcoming surgery. Both have their own mattress and are protected by mosquito nets to prevent malaria. After the patient has transferred to the ship, they will have their surgery on the ship and their time of recovery in the Hospital wards. There comes the time when the intensive, around the clock care, is not always needed. It is at this time for those who live far away, they can move to the nearby HOPECenter. Importantly, the Center frees up precious bed space in the hospital ward on the ship. In the past, many individuals requiring outpatient care had to stay in the ward because it was not possible for them to travel to and from the ship and home. If a bed is being used by a patient requiring minimal care, that bed is unavailable for a new surgical candidate.

In Sierra Leone, our amazing Advance Team was able to secure a portion of the Seafarer’s Club, located next to the port, to use as the HOPECenter. Renovations were made and now the Center has a capacity of 40 patient beds and 40 caregiver beds – though we have purchased extra 20 mattresses as sometimes our numbers have been closer to 100 at the Center. Some of our crew coordinate the activities there along with a great group of local dayvolunteers. We offer Community Health teaching on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays afternoons on various subjects.

I greatly appreciate at how close the HOPE Center is located as it gives me the opportunity to take the 10 minute walk – just out the gate, up the hill a bit and then to the right into the compound. I go regularly if not daily and visit with some of the patients that I have established relationships with while they have been on the ship in the Hospital. We talk and visit together, see how they are, play games, break up little fights with the boys, sing and just deepen relationship together. If, I took the time to list the various ones and about their lives and circumstances, this update would be way too long. I have connected well with many of our patients from Koidu which is in the district of Kono and far from Freetown. While visiting those that I know, I have met others who are yet to come to the ship for their surgery. With them, I share that “I will see you when you are on board”.

Prayer Requests: ** Health (not just physical, but also emotional and spiritual health) for our patients at the HOPECenter as they recover and prepare to return to their homes. ** For the surgeons we need as we have weeks without a general surgeon – and we have many patients on waiting lists.

Serving Together, Keith Email: [email protected] www.KeithBrinkman.com

Mail: Keith R. Brinkman, Mercy Ships,

Schedule: Sierra Leone Field Service February 27 – December 8, 2011