Woodpeckers are known for hammering at wood with their beaks (at 1,200 times the pull of gravity). My husband and I have one that frequently visits our bird feeder. The feeder is a flat tray that hangs from a shepherd’s crook by three chains. Recently, I watched in fascination as a wren landed on top of the shepherd’s crook while the woodpecker was eating, and threatened it with such ferocity, that the woodpecker retreated beneath the feeder, clutching the sides with its feet (the wren had a nest in a nearby wren house). The next day, I saw a squirrel running back and forth on top of a nearby trellis, trying to escape the wren’s wrath.
Similar to the wren, Dignity:Liberia is small. Our US Board of Directors consists of 9 people. While we now have a 3-member Board of Directors and 11 paid employees in Liberia, we are still considered small.
Before I witnessed the mama wren warning all intruders to stay away from her nest, I would have expected her to retreat. Woodpeckers and squirrels are bigger than the tiny bird and appear stronger.
Dignity:Liberia has long enjoyed the support of individual donors and a few churches. However, most foundations look at our wren-sized organization and put their money on the “woodpecker” and “squirrel” organizations seeking funding. Fortunately, some foundations realize that size doesn’t matter as much as determination and zeal; in the past three years, we have received foundation grants. The result? A maternity home that is delivering babies and preventing fistula, a collaborative effort between traditional tribal midwives and Dignity:Liberia’s nurses, experienced and trained in midwifery, and a dedicated fistula clinic whose construction is progressing as expected. We are small, but we are achieving some great things. Size does not necessarily matter.
Similar to the wren, Dignity:Liberia is small. Our US Board of Directors consists of 9 people. While we now have a 3-member Board of Directors and 11 paid employees in Liberia, we are still considered small.
Before I witnessed the mama wren warning all intruders to stay away from her nest, I would have expected her to retreat. Woodpeckers and squirrels are bigger than the tiny bird and appear stronger.
Dignity:Liberia has long enjoyed the support of individual donors and a few churches. However, most foundations look at our wren-sized organization and put their money on the “woodpecker” and “squirrel” organizations seeking funding. Fortunately, some foundations realize that size doesn’t matter as much as determination and zeal; in the past three years, we have received foundation grants. The result? A maternity home that is delivering babies and preventing fistula, a collaborative effort between traditional tribal midwives and Dignity:Liberia’s nurses, experienced and trained in midwifery, and a dedicated fistula clinic whose construction is progressing as expected. We are small, but we are achieving some great things. Size does not necessarily matter.
 | 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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