CCC: CDFs, CHE, and Canoes

Second post this week…I am going to try to write smaller entries and post pictures more often when things happen actually happen, rather than one big entry all at once. This week was a much quieter week than last week, which was nice. Mid-week I took a quick trip to Bopolu to visit some of the CDFs (community development facilitators). One of the tasks of the CDFs is the CHE training (community health evangelism/education). Previously, CHE fell under the ministry department, but due to the health content of the training, it is now being overseen by the health sector.

I love the idea of the CDFs and CHE. It is really the type of program that motivated me to go into public health. It is focused on teaching communities basic health information and through this sharing the love of Jesus. The CDFs are SP national staff who live in the community. They facilitate not just the CHE, but also the entry of other projects. These include WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), ministry, agriculture, and literacy, just to name a few.

The great thing about CHE is that every community goes through the training. They select and train a CHE committee made up mostly of community leaders. They then train a group of community members as CHE (community health educators). They have been using the first year materials for a while, but there are now second year + communities who are ready for more information. The last couple weeks I worked to pull together some materials to start off the year two communities.

Liberia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates and high infant and under 5 mortality rates. The 2007 maternal mortality rate was 994 per 100,000 infant mortality rate was 71 per 1,000 live births, and the under 5 mortality rate was 110 per 1,000 live births. The under 5 causes of death are dealt with in the first year materials but there is very little information pertaining to pregnancy and women’s health. So year two we will try to focus on maternal health and give communities more knowledge on healthy pregnancy, preventing and recognizing problems, and caring for infants. This week I gave the first set of lessons to the CDFs in Bopolu and they were excited to have it.

I enjoyed meeting the CDFs for the first time. Though I had met them in passing before, this was the first time really spending time with them and I am looking forward to working with them more. There were three ladies at this site and they are all returning CDFs, so they know what they are doing. Their biggest concern….crossing the river to one of the communities. They go in a canoe, but this capsized recently and none of them know how to swim. We are hoping in the very near future to finish a new canoe so they can cross the river more safely, especially as rainy season comes. And hopefully to find some lifejackets and do a short swimming lesson…ie don’t panic and let the life jacket keep you afloat until you can get to shore!

Pray for the CDFs as they continue the CHE trainings – for both the old and new communities.

The picture below is the CDFs – Alice, Annie, and Ophelia.