We only got these Sisters to stand still for this one picture! They were very excited to get started on their new challenge to aid in capacity building for health care development in Sierra Leone.
In May 2016, HealeyIRF received a 3-year $525,000 grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. This grant is a key component in HealeyIRF’s plan to create a self-sustaining and locally managed Charity Health Network in Sierra Leone. With 78% of the population living on less than $2 a day, building a network providing free or low fee-for-service healthcare interventions is critical to improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Particularly since, nearly 40% of all healthcare services in Sierra Leone are provided by private and faith-based organizations.
Capacity Building for Health Care Development
Developing an administrative workforce to support this network is the purpose of the grant. Nuns in Sierra Leone will train in non-traditional roles. These areas of study include, public health, management and finance, logistics and production, psychology, biotechnology and microbiology. After receiving their degrees, they will support the Charity Health Network.
During our March trip to Sierra Leone we met with some of the Regional Supervisors and scholarship recipients (pictured above) participating in the program. Nine Sisters have collected their scholarships and an additional nine have received notification of their award.
Fields of Study
One participant is seeking a Master’s Degree in Business Administration at the Institute of Advanced Management & Technology (IAMTECH) in Freetown and another is taking an online PhD course of study in Organizational Leadership at Regent University in the U.S. Further, one Sister will be getting a Bachelors Degree in Business at IAMTECH and a Clinical Mental Counseling Online Course at Warden University is the field of study for one of the program participants.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
-Nelson Mandela
