Hope House was built in order to combat the problem of obstetric fistula in Liberia. Preventive measures involve both prenatal checkups and education. Since January, Dignity:Liberia’s nurse midwives, Patricia Kollie Kpalo and John Flomo, have traveled to 23 villages. At each stop they first meet with influential people, such as the town chief and elders, to inform them of Dignity:Liberia’s mission. They explain that the purpose of Hope House is to care for pregnant women at high risk in hard-to-reach communities, mainly to prevent fistula, and also to observe women for signs of complications. Following this introduction, they meet with members of the community. In all of the towns they have visited, the town chief, the elders, the traditional tribal midwife (TTM), and community health assistant (CHA) have played a vital role in their outreach to expectant mothers, encouraging them to be treated by our medical staff. They are helping us achieve our goal of preventing fistula in Liberia.
The meetings are more than just a plug for the home. They educate the TTMs on high-risk pregnancy, and how to identify potential complications in pregnancy. Dignity:Liberia’s nurse midwives encourage them to make a prompt referral to a health clinic should they see any cause for concern. TTMs are encouraged to take pregnant women to a nearby health facility for prenatal visits and safe delivery. Patricia and John discourage them from performing home deliveries, as this is often a cause of fistula in Liberia. They stress that any women with a history of fistula, postpartum hemorrhage, high blood pressure, or who have had a C-section, should have outpatient checkups at Hope House, and be treated as inpatients shortly before their due date. Additionally, they advise pregnant teenagers and pregnant women who live a distance from a health facility, to seek treatment at Hope House.
The community outreach is building relationships between Dignity:Liberia and the villages. Patricia and John are working with the traditional tribal midwives as partners. The format of the meetings varies from village to village. At a recent meeting, following opening songs and prayers led by two TTMs, there was a moment of silence in memory of Goyah Town's TTM, who passed away in June. In other meetings the class was interactive, with most of the tribal birth attendants sharing their experiences and giving examples of various danger signs seen in pregnancy.
One question that comes up in the meetings is why women have to leave Dignity:Liberia’s compound and be transferred to a different facility to give birth. The answer is, Hope House is not a clinic. We have delivered 5 babies at the waiting home and transferred two other expectant mothers to a hospital where they delivered by cesarean. However, we have begun work on Dignity Clinic! With your continued help, a transfer won’t be necessary; we will be able to take the women to our clinic to give birth! Your support also helps us in our community outreach where we are building relationships. Thank you.
The meetings are more than just a plug for the home. They educate the TTMs on high-risk pregnancy, and how to identify potential complications in pregnancy. Dignity:Liberia’s nurse midwives encourage them to make a prompt referral to a health clinic should they see any cause for concern. TTMs are encouraged to take pregnant women to a nearby health facility for prenatal visits and safe delivery. Patricia and John discourage them from performing home deliveries, as this is often a cause of fistula in Liberia. They stress that any women with a history of fistula, postpartum hemorrhage, high blood pressure, or who have had a C-section, should have outpatient checkups at Hope House, and be treated as inpatients shortly before their due date. Additionally, they advise pregnant teenagers and pregnant women who live a distance from a health facility, to seek treatment at Hope House.
The community outreach is building relationships between Dignity:Liberia and the villages. Patricia and John are working with the traditional tribal midwives as partners. The format of the meetings varies from village to village. At a recent meeting, following opening songs and prayers led by two TTMs, there was a moment of silence in memory of Goyah Town's TTM, who passed away in June. In other meetings the class was interactive, with most of the tribal birth attendants sharing their experiences and giving examples of various danger signs seen in pregnancy.
One question that comes up in the meetings is why women have to leave Dignity:Liberia’s compound and be transferred to a different facility to give birth. The answer is, Hope House is not a clinic. We have delivered 5 babies at the waiting home and transferred two other expectant mothers to a hospital where they delivered by cesarean. However, we have begun work on Dignity Clinic! With your continued help, a transfer won’t be necessary; we will be able to take the women to our clinic to give birth! Your support also helps us in our community outreach where we are building relationships. Thank you.
 | Kathy Beth StavinohaKathy Beth graduated from high school in Monrovia, Liberia in 1977. She retired from St. Edward’s University in 2022 after 21+ years of service. She lives in Brenham, TX with her husband and cat. |
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