Spring 2009

Pawlak and Radich
Sponsor Nursing Student

Joanna Pawlak and Nick Radich are the latest sponsors of a student in IDEA’s Nurse Education Program.

“We were stunned when we found out how far a euro will go to make a difference with IDEA,” says Joanna. “We like that this sponsorship will not only help this student, but will also help the patients she treats during her career as a nurse in Sierra Leone.”

Sierra Leone has shockingly high child and maternal mortality rates. One in four children will die before their fifth birthday and one in eight women will die as a result of pregnancy. Improved access to medical care is key to improving this situation.

Joanna is currently pursuing a master’s degree in biomedicine
at the University of Amsterdam and just began her internship in a research
laboratory. When not working as an investment manager, Nick rocks out
as a guitarist in a heavy metal band.

“I just wanted to say how happy I am to have been able to provide some level of support for the foundation's endeavors. I sincerely hope that the recipient has the best of success” adds Nick.

The beneficiary of this sponsorship will be among the students entering Njala University’s Department of Nursing this fall.

New Clinic Opens in Calaba Town

The need for basic medical care in Sierra Leone is staggering and a newly opened clinic in the Calaba Town section of Freetown is helping to address this need.

IDEA is proud to sponsor the Evangelical Lutheran Community Health Clinic which opened in February. 350 patients were treated on the first day of operations alone.

The clinic is operated by Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sierra Leone and provides service regardless of religion or tribal origin.

The clinic is staffed by a Clinic Director who is a Registered Nurse and Midwife and one of the fewer than 100 doctors living in Sierra Leone. The staff is rounded out by additional nurses and volunteers.

A medical mission team from the Northern Texas / Northern Louisiana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America traveled to Freetown to assist the staff in opening the clinic. The team included one doctor, four nurses and one medical technologist.

Conditions diagnosed the first week of clinic operation included: pneumonia, malaria, high blood pressure, malnutrition, bacterial and fungal infections, anemia, worms, and pregnancy among others.

One nine month old infant weighed in at only six pounds; one third of the typical size of a baby this age.

In celebration of the clinic’s opening all services were offered free of charge for the first week. A nominal enrollment fee is now charged. The clinic staff makes payment plans for patients who are unable to pay the enrollment fee at the time of the first visit. No one is denied care for inability to pay.

Binta NgeGba brought her 12-year old son, Sahr, to the clinic for treatment of his malaria on opening day. They had been to several other clinics which cost more and dispensed ineffective, counterfeit medication. This is a common problem in Sierra Leone.

Binta is thrilled with Sahr’s treatment at the new clinic. She says that she is telling everyone about the new facility and “that there are good medicines there.”

Majors Scientific Books Kicks off Text Book Drive

“When the rebels gutted school libraries during the war, they did a great disservice not only to the school but to the students as well.” says Eddie McEwan, Store Manager of Majors Scientific Books in Dallas, Texas.

Majors has kicked off a drive for books to re-stock the library at Njala University’s Department of Nursing.

Like other academic book stores, Majors buys back unwanted textbooks from students at the end of each semester. These used books are then re-sold for the next term. However, new editions and new book selections by instructors mean that some books cannot be sold again. Majors offers store credit to students selling these books and donates the recently out-of-date text books to IDEA for nursing students in Sierra Leone.

IDEA will ship these and other donated nursing text books to Sierra Lone for use beginning in the fall term.

“Majors has given us a wonderful start to this drive,” says Jennifer Seaborn, IDEA Executive Director. “These text books are exactly what the instructors tell us are needed and will help the students tremendously.

For more information about this drive contact IDEA at: info@theideafoundation.org

Eddie McEwan, Store Manager, Major Scientific Books, with donated nursing text books

A Shop of Her Own

Hawanatu Kamara graduated from the Women’s Literacy and Vocational Program in December 2008 and has already opened her tailor shop.

Hawanatu Kamara works on her Calaba Town tailor shop
In the program Hawanatu learned how to design and sew garments as well as how to keep her own books.

The program start-up kit included a treadle-powered sewing machine and the supplies to fill her first few orders.

Her shop is located on the front porch of her Calaba Town home. It has space and shade to work and keeps her small children safely corralled where she can keep an eye on them.