Helping Children Worldwide Inc

Global Health and Mercy Hospital - The shared mission of Mercy UMC Hospital ("Mercy") and the Organization is to improve infant and maternal mortality rates in Sierra Leone by providing holistic, community-focused care, regardless of ability to pay. Maternal health is a crucial element of poverty and child mortality. Mercy is a 50-bed facility with a trained and dedicated medical staff including a full-time doctor, a medical laboratory, a research laboratory, a fully stocked pharmacy on-site, an HIV/Aids clinic, and a surgical wing with two operating theatres. As of October of 2024, between malaria clinics (7705), nutrition clinics (1353), hospital admissions and hospital outpatient services (2838), aids clinics (5945) and prenatal clinics (1167), Mercy Hospital and Mercy Outreach were able to provide medical and diagnostic services to 19,008 patients in Bo and 45 surrounding villages in the District of Bo. Mercy's outreach into the surrounding villages includes nutrition clinics and treatment provided for malnourished infants, prenatal care and education, malaria testing and treatment, diarrhetic disease diagnosis and treatment, and HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, as well as support for basic health needs in clean water and sanitation.Following up on the Organization's Together for Global Health conference in 2023, members from the network of practitioners across the globe collaborated on development of a new training program in Sierra Leone for maternal/infant health practitioners. 100 midwives and nurses were trained in multiple curricula. The training brought together universities, NGOs, private business, government and health practitioners from many countries, a unique approach, and certified local midwives and nurses to be master trainers, in line with the Organization's empowerment approach to global development. The Organization's global health technical advisor and her global health intern evaluated outcomes and produced a baseline report. The network agreed to bring the training back each year until the training has been presented in every district and began planning for future trainings.The Organization held trips for the first time to several countries where member organizations from HCW's Together for Global Health network are located, engaging in maternal health conferences.

Empowerment programs and economic strengthening - The Organization's United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) teams are comprised of individuals who are trained and then travel to Sierra Leone to volunteer at CRC and Mercy Hospital. Over the years, teams have engaged in a wide variety of service projects to support the lives of children and their families, including medical and dental clinics, construction projects, teacher training collaborations, and capacity building work with local leadership. Three Village Partnerships were active during 2024, funding the construction of basic community infrastructure, providing medical and nutrition clinics for children and mothers, and supporting family strengthening services to villages through Mercy Hospital, mission team volunteers overseen by the medical staff and mission partnership liaison at the Missionary Training Centre and by Child Reintegration Centre case managers and social workers, and various contractors in Sierra Leone. The Organization's professional staff provided direct support on the ground and via remote collaborations. The Organization continued to build the capacity of the CRC and Mercy staff in 2024, by bringing in experts from the U.S.A and the U.K in medicine, surgery, physical rehabilitation, and nursing care, organizational leadership, case management and social work, identified by the organization as its UMVIM program.

Econonic Strengthening