During my service with the Evaluation Team, I was able to revisit the Liberia Children Rescue Educational Foundation Orphanage. It was great to reconnect with the children, teens and staff there. I will post some various photos from my three visits.
KRB Update 2154 Evaluation Liberia
KRB Update #2154
May 15, 2010
Keith R. Brinkman
Evaluation Team – Liberia
Evaluation is an important aspect to our programs that happens a year or so after the ship has left. We need to know what was good and what was bad with our projects – the lessons learned as we are committed to excellence in all that we do (one of our core values). In our project proposals, we write ‘the Mercy Ships Evaluation Team will conduct a follow-up evaluation to determine the success of the program.’ I just recently returned from the nation of Liberia, where Mercy Ships conducted four field services between 2005-2008. I was in Liberia briefly in ’06 and basically all of ’07 and ’08. I was excited to have the opportunity to return to Liberia. Our evaluation primarily focused on our community activities – water wells, sanitation, community health, agriculture; our construction projects; and our other training projects. We approached each group with an ear to hear from them. Some interviews were encouraging but others were not so encouraging. I had a good team leader and we worked well together.
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Photo: Meeting with the Community Leader (Papa Blama) to set up a time for the Communities/Villages Evaluation.
Gracie Reeves Baptist Medical Center Outside
Outside the medical clinic in Gaye Town that Mercy Ships built in cooperation with the Gracie Reeves Memorial Baptist Church.
Gracie Reeves Baptist Medical Center
Inside the Gracies Reeves Baptist Medical Center which Mercy Ships constructed in 2007. They were full with people as a medical team from the US military were there offering services for the people.
Trinity Dental Clinic ELWA
Inside one of the treatment rooms in the Trinity Dental Clinic at ELWA in Monrovia, Liberia.
Trinity Dental Clinic ELWA
A photo of the Trinity Dental Clinic at the ELWA Hospital in Liberia. This was built in cooperation with SIM, Dr. Keith Chapman and Mercy Ships. Dr. Keith and his family who were crew membesr on board live in Liberia and continue to provide for the Liberian people. Some of their workers are former dayvolunteers with the Africa Mercy.
Royesville School Plan done by Karen
While meeting with the Vice Principal of the school, he showed us the plans that a short term crew member made for the Central Royesville School.
Royesville School
Central Royesville School was destroyed during the Civil War – Mercy Ships came in during ’05 and ’06 and was able to help reconstruct and get the school re-opened for the children – grades 1- 6.
Losanni Tenegar
The development chairman for the Tenegar area is Losanni and so early on in our evaluation we went out to meet him to discuss when it would be possible to do the clinic evaluation and also the villages/communities evaluation related to the projects we worked on in the area – including agriculture, community health, water and sanitation.
Gebelah at Rick’s
One of the families on board is helping sponsor this young man Gebelah to attend Rick’s Institute – just outside of Monrovia, Liberia. So while I was in Liberia, I was able to visit him at school – he is doing well with his studies and we are all proud of him.