2025 Trip to Liberia Travel Log – Day 4
Deja vu! Tuesday morning we stopped back at JFK Hospital to meet Dr. Freeman, the only ENT (Ear, Nose, & Throat) Specialist in Liberia. He is shown above, doing an ear exam. He shared the good news that he will have an ENT colleague from South Africa joining him soon. Dr. Freeman expressed thanks for the work we are doing to bring Ear and Hearing Care to Liberia and especially to the interior of the country (also known as the Hinterlands). His 5 year plan includes construction of a small specialty clinic for ENT cases on the JFK Hospital grounds. That would greatly improve the ability to do hearing tests that are now done in a room with tile floor and concrete block walls. A sound-insulated booth will be helpful!
When we arrived at The Light of the World Academy, there were hearing screenings in progress!
It was like a dream come true when we saw Nurse Georgia and Nurse Naomi doing ear exams for the students at the school that Pastor Sylvester started. Georgia and Naomi completed the specialized training in Ear & Hearing Care at the Starkey Hearing Institute in Zambia last November.
If you look closely you can see the "on deck" patients holding their forms while they wait their turn.
Church Aid, Inc. is the NGO we are working with in Liberia on the Ear and Hearing Care project. They plan to do screenings at 11 schools this week - leading up to Monday March 3rd, which is World Hearing Day. You think I am kidding, right? Google it - it's for real. Here in Liberia there will be parades, speeches and radio talk shows about Ear & Hearing care - all promoted by Church Aid, Inc.
"It feels a little scary to have someone poking around in my ear, but I am trying to be brave"
Thanks to all that donated sewing machines, thread, and other supplies for the vocational tailoring/sewing program at The Light of the World Academy. Pictured above are Younger, who is Pastor Sylvester's wife, and Pastor Sylvester. Younger will lead the tailoring and sewing class and may be using that new Brother sewing machine for her training demonstrations.
Here is a picture of 1 of the 4 sewing machines they already have. When asked, Younger said that they would be glad to accept a working sewing machine of any vintage. So look around and ask around - I plan to do an ocean freight shipment by the end of March. If you have a sewing machine that is not being used, we can change that…
We spent part of the day reviewing past projects and discussing future projects like a parsonage for Pastor Sylvester and his family, perhaps A/C for classrooms, teacher training on the capabilities of the SmartBox computer lab, and a reading/literacy curriculum.
Tomorrow, we look forward to passing out those 400 gift bags to the students, spending time in the classrooms, and visiting Bishop Brown who leads Church Aid, Inc.
It was eventful day for Jeff and me in Liberia. We look forward to the adventures that tomorrow will bring!