Mr. William S. Tamba joined the staff of Hope House in October 2025. He hit the ground running – seeing patients, providing community outreach, co-hosting educational and information-sharing sessions for Traditional Tribal Midwives (TTMs) at our compound in Todee, and even providing me with pictures and information for publicity and other purposes. I asked if I could interview him for this blog, and he readily agreed.
Originally from Lofa County, Foyah District, Liberia, which borders Guinea and Sierra Leone, William speaks Kissi in addition to English. One of 15 children (he has 7 brothers and 7 sisters), he enjoyed playing football (soccer) as a child. He continues to enjoy sports, but also enjoys reading, listening to music, and attending church.
William’s favorite subject in school was science, particularly topics on fertilization and puberty. The joy he gets from caring for others and making a difference in their lives guided his decision to go into healthcare. He had not heard of obstetric fistula, prior to starting his career in healthcare, but he has long held an interest in caring for women and finding solutions to their problems. He wanted to become a medical doctor, specializing in gynecology, but this wasn’t feasible financially. Instead, he took advantage of a scholarship offered by the Phebe School of Nursing, specializing in midwifery, which had a connection to his dream of becoming a gynecologist.
I asked William what difference he believes is being made by Dignity:Liberia’s community outreach. He said the outreach has convinced the TTMs of the importance of babies being delivered in a healthcare facility. He has noticed fewer home deliveries (which can lead to birthing injuries), an increase in antenatal or prenatal care, a reduction in neonatal deaths and maternal deaths, reduced complications during delivery, and fewer teen pregnancies. He wrote that the beneficiaries and their families are a living witness; many of them cannot stop thanking and praying for Dignity:Liberia.
Although he is frustrated by the lack of support by a few community leaders in the fight against home deliveries, he feels that overall, the community outreach he does for Dignity:Liberia has brought great relief to the people of Todee and the surrounding communities. It has greatly reduced many health challenges people were experiencing. The most rewarding aspect of his outreach has been convincing the community midwives to stop delivering babies in the villages. Dignity:Liberia helps them with the cost of transportation and provides a meal when they attend quarterly meetings on our compound, which has encouraged their participation and has led to a change in viewpoint.
While William is heartened that his work through Dignity:Liberia has made a difference in the lives of pregnant women and provided them with healthy deliveries, he is saddened at other health care issues in the communities. Many of the mothers that he visits have seen their children, many under five, die from preventable and curable diseases. He believes that the health care system in the region has some serious challenges.
I hope you've enjoyed getting to know William as much as I have. He is a great asset to Dignity:Liberia and our efforts to prevent obstetric fistula in Liberia.
Originally from Lofa County, Foyah District, Liberia, which borders Guinea and Sierra Leone, William speaks Kissi in addition to English. One of 15 children (he has 7 brothers and 7 sisters), he enjoyed playing football (soccer) as a child. He continues to enjoy sports, but also enjoys reading, listening to music, and attending church.
William’s favorite subject in school was science, particularly topics on fertilization and puberty. The joy he gets from caring for others and making a difference in their lives guided his decision to go into healthcare. He had not heard of obstetric fistula, prior to starting his career in healthcare, but he has long held an interest in caring for women and finding solutions to their problems. He wanted to become a medical doctor, specializing in gynecology, but this wasn’t feasible financially. Instead, he took advantage of a scholarship offered by the Phebe School of Nursing, specializing in midwifery, which had a connection to his dream of becoming a gynecologist.
I asked William what difference he believes is being made by Dignity:Liberia’s community outreach. He said the outreach has convinced the TTMs of the importance of babies being delivered in a healthcare facility. He has noticed fewer home deliveries (which can lead to birthing injuries), an increase in antenatal or prenatal care, a reduction in neonatal deaths and maternal deaths, reduced complications during delivery, and fewer teen pregnancies. He wrote that the beneficiaries and their families are a living witness; many of them cannot stop thanking and praying for Dignity:Liberia.
Although he is frustrated by the lack of support by a few community leaders in the fight against home deliveries, he feels that overall, the community outreach he does for Dignity:Liberia has brought great relief to the people of Todee and the surrounding communities. It has greatly reduced many health challenges people were experiencing. The most rewarding aspect of his outreach has been convincing the community midwives to stop delivering babies in the villages. Dignity:Liberia helps them with the cost of transportation and provides a meal when they attend quarterly meetings on our compound, which has encouraged their participation and has led to a change in viewpoint.
While William is heartened that his work through Dignity:Liberia has made a difference in the lives of pregnant women and provided them with healthy deliveries, he is saddened at other health care issues in the communities. Many of the mothers that he visits have seen their children, many under five, die from preventable and curable diseases. He believes that the health care system in the region has some serious challenges.
I hope you've enjoyed getting to know William as much as I have. He is a great asset to Dignity:Liberia and our efforts to prevent obstetric fistula in Liberia.
 | Kathy Beth Stavinoha Kathy 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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