Onyeugo, Sr. M. Catherine Therese

{tab title=”Nigeria”}

Nigeria

Abajah

Medical Missionaries of Community Health project, Abajah, Nwangele L.G.A, Imo State, Nigeria.

MMM Community Health project Abajah was born on the 11th December, 2014 in Nwangele in response to the long lasting invitation of the Catholic Diocese of Orlu Diocese. The ministry is owned and run by the Medical Missionaries of Mary. We, MMM Sisters, in order to get themselves acquainted with the local community, did a familiarization tour. Then we conducted a Needs Assessment/Survey in the eight villages that make up Abajah town. This helped to determine the gap between the current realities in which the people live and the desired conditions of the Communities by their verbalization of pain, challenges, and help offered as well as ideas shared. We did not only hear what the people are saying to us concerning their needs, we also observed some of the needs not mentioned.

From our observations and responses from the people, while the Needs Assessment was still on, we started Palliative Care for the sick homebound, Health Education, both in schools and villages, and “Girls talk” in other churches and schools, Home visitations and Pastoral Ministry (referrals for confessions, communion, anointing of the sick by the Priest and counselling). Treatment of minor illnesses and referrals to the Imo State Teaching Hospital (IMSUTH) and some specialist hospitals. This formed the basis of our ministry in Abajah. The impact of our work extends to the eight villages in Abajah – Addi, Odenaguma, Amaudara, Umuishii, Umuoma, Ozuoha, Umuokpu and Umudiagba.

We are a team of three MMM Sisters working in the ministry. We have volunteers in each village with whom we liaise to reach out to the village heads and the people.

Children/youth program:
We are involved in Catechesis and in the spiritual formation of children where we model for them how to serve voluntarily in the society and teach them how to read and work for the elderly/sick/infirmed.

Networking:
We collaborate with other government/private health facilities, faith based organisations, schools, village heads and benefactors/benefactresses who provide support for the financial needs of some of our indigent clients.

Palliative Care
Following the findings of the needs assessment conducted at the commencement of the MMM ministry in Abajah, we started Palliative Care for the sick homebound especially those abandoned by their family members. We also used the opportunity to educate, create awareness of the care of family members and empower caregivers in the families on how to care for their sick ones.

Health Education and Talks
We also engage in giving health education/health talks both in schools and villages, “Girls talk”, in both churches and Schools. The schools and communities are often consulted in selecting the topics for the health education. It is a very participatory process where the pupils/students/villagers share their experiences of the topic being discussed. We intensify public health awareness programmes on Cancer, Vescio Vagina Fistula, Malaria, Diabetics and Hypertension. We are grateful to the Central Leadership for the funding to be able to do this.

Home visitations
MMM community health project is located in a very rural setting. Hence, 90% of the dwellers are elderly and some of them are sick and infirm. As a team who appreciate the aging process, we often visit the elderly to keep them company and provide other pastoral needs such as informing the priests to go to them for confessions, communion, anointing of the sick and counselling.

Girls’ Talk
We work with young girls in schools and in out of school programmes. Some of these girls dropped out of school as a result of teenage pregnancy. We engage couples and youth in skill acquisition such as simple crafts and homemade preparation of items such as liquid soap.

Clinic Services
We have a clinic every Monday where we attend to the sick, provide first aid treatment as well as treatment of minor illnesses and referrals. We also accompany our patients to the hospital where they can get care from the Teaching Hospital and Specialist Hospitals.

Annual Spelling Bee Competition
To encourage reading among pupils, we began the first Medical Missionaries of Mary Spelling Bee Competition in 2019. In the last two years, we have collaborated with the state education board, local community leaders, head teachers and other faith based organizations in consistently bringing together eleven government primary schools who compete for the winning trophy. This year’s competition will be in June.

Abuja

MMM PHC CLINIC AND MATERNITY, ABUJA

MMM Primary Health Care Clinic and Maternity with outreach programme is situated in Lugbe (generally known as Amac/Aco housing estate) and it is about 30 minutes’ drive from the town and about 20 – 25 minutes to the International Airport. The inhabitants are the Gbagi tribe who were moved from their own farmlands and familiar environment at the dawn of the development of the Federal Capital Territory. They live in clusters of families with 2-3 wives and many children.

Abuja was a small village in the centre of Nigeria. In the 1980’s, it became the Federal capital of Nigeria. Abuja diocese was then erected as an independent mission in November 1981 and became Archdiocese in 1989 with Cardinal Dominic Ekandem as its first Archbishop. The Medical Missionaries of Mary Congregation own and manage the project.

In 1999 the PHC outreach started by visiting 12-15 villages around the Area. The outreach team was made up of one sister, a CHEW and a driver. Presently, we are only in 5 villages due to other government health centres and increase in insecurity. Their activities then were, setting up village health committees, immunizations, health education, antenatal clinics etc.

In 2002 there was a demand for a static clinic by the people around and a referral place for outreach. In 2003 a static clinic opened. The building of the Clinic was funded by Irish Aid and friends. In 2011 the demand to open a comprehensive maternity service increased. In 2013 the need assessment was done by a team led by Sr. Cyrina Ogbebor, MMM and the report was sent to the Central Leadership Team through the Area Leader and Team. In August 2016, the Central Leadership Team considered and approved the offering of comprehensive maternity services to be integrated into the PHC clinic which was started on the 6th of January 2017. It was officially opened and blessed by Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Abuja diocese on 4th of February 2017. The clinic now uses an automated software system, thanks to Misean Cara for funding this project.

Amukoko, Lagos

The Community Health Project, Amukoko (formerly called St.Theresa’s Clinic) was established in 1983 by the St. Patrick Fathers’ (SPS) and run by the Medical Missionaries of Mary Congregation. It is a Primary Health Care facility located in a slum area of Amukoko in Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government.

The area is overpopulated, in a crowded and unhealthy environment, surrounded by unclean canals and gutters which increase the rate of infections. The inhabitants are both Christians and Moslems mostly of the under-privileged class. It comprises of people from the different tribes of Nigeria dominated by Yorubas. The commonest occupation of the population is petty trading and temporary unskilled work making it a vulnerable community.

The Health Care centre based at St. Matthew Catholic Church, Amukoko, is an essential component of the Church’s pastoral outreach to all, especially the poor and the marginalized, offering primary health care services to all classes of people, with particular concern for mothers and children.

The mission of the Health Centre is to spread the healing love of Christ through affordable, qualitative, preventive and curative health services which empowers people to take responsibility for their own health.

The Health Centre Activities
The clinic runs from Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 3.30pm officially, but it normally closes whenever the last patient /client has been attended to, which could extend the closing time to about 5pm.

The above mentioned activities take place in the static clinic except the Outreach activities, Home Base Care / Street Health campaign, School Health Education and the Pastoral Ministries that take place in the Outreaches, schools and the Parish respectively. We engage in these activities with our staff and the volunteers. SHOP Plus (Sustaining Health Outcomes through the private Sector) supports us in D.O.T services, Misean Cara has helped us to start some IGAs for patients/clients . We network with the Local Government who supplies us with vaccines, sometimes engage our staff in training when they are organized and supervise our activities. We also network with Lagos Archdiocese for training and some drug supplies.

We collaborate with other nearby health facilities within the Archdiocese and hospitals for referrals.

The Creighton Model Fertility Care System allows you to know and understand the phases of fertility and infertility that occur in a woman’s cycle. With this understanding, the couple is able to make decisions (choice) regarding the achievement or avoidance of pregnancy. It is a system that also provided a woman the added benefit of being able to monitor and maintain, over a lifetime, her procreative and gynaecologic health. Furthermore, the teachers of the Creighton Model system are trained allied health professionals. Physicians are also being trained to incorporate this system into their medical practices.

The Creighton Model system treats fertility as a part of health and not a disease. It treats women to observe certain biological markers (biomarkers) that communicate with her when she is not fertile while at the same time giving her great insight into her own health. In fact, it is a language of the body which is taught in such a way that women can now listen to what their bodies are saying. In fact, it can be legitimately stated that it is ‘An Authentic Language of a Woman’s Health and Fertility’.

In the Creighton Model system, the couple is taught the ability to mutually value, respect and understand their fertility. This is what we call Fertility Appreciation. It is truly taking care of your fertility. Many couples find that the love and respect each holds for the other grows as their understanding and appreciation for their fertility grows. It accepts fertility as a normal and healthy process which is a precious gift from God; a gift to be loved, respected, understood and wisely used.

Benin City

In Benin City we have a Hospitality, Development and Vocational Centre, Primary Health Care, School Health Programme, Rehabilitation, Pastoral and Prison Ministry, Vocation promotion, Area Business Administration, Area Secretary and Area Leadership.
Our Centre serves as a hospitality venue for Sisters and others during assemblies and meetings.

The Development and Vocational Centre is run by Sr Chibuzo Aloka. They teach computer classes to students, women empowerment for income generation projects to enable them take care of their families.

Primary Health Care as previously known, but now the Medical Missionaries of Mary Medical Centre. They offer Community Clinic Mobile activities:-
· school health clubs,
· health talks,
· seminars,
· school health festivals,
· health competitions,
· empowering children through formation of school health clubs in secondary schools to know the value of health,
· building their self-esteem.

Other activities we offer include:-
• out patient’s services,
· mobile Clinic outreach, rehabilitation,
· Visitation to older and elderly adults and other adults (physically challenged persons.)

This project is being run by Sr Leticia Enujuba, Sr Cordelia Nwaokike and Sr Francisca Maduike.

Pastoral and prison ministry are run by Sister Francisca Maduike who teaches Sunday school for children at St Agatha Catholic Church while Sr Francisca Ogbunuju goes to Benin Prison to do Catechism for the inmates, prepares them for Holy communion and supports them in health and feeding.

Sr Franca Ogbunuju is the Area Business Administrator while Sr Chibuzo is the Area Secretary. Sr Justina Odunukwe is the Area Leader. Sr Cordelia is the vocation animator.

Eleta, Ibadan

ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC GENERAL HOSPITAL ELETA IBADAN

St. Mary’s Catholic General Hospital is owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan and managed by the Medical Missionaries of Mary sisters who serve in the following posts: Hospital Administrator, Matron and MMM Doctor (General Practitioner). We have a staff who form a diverse multidisciplinary team; doctors, specialist doctors on contract, resident doctors, nurses, midwives, community extension workers, orderlies, porters, ward assistants, drivers, field men, cooks, laboratory scientist and technicians, accounts and administrative staff, and secretary. The staff and Sisters strive to give a holistic person-centred care to the community with special emphasis on the care of mother and child.
The proprietor of the Hospital is the Archbishop of the Archdiocese presently His Grace Gabriel Abegunrin of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan
The hospital is located at Eleta Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria in a densely populated suburb of Ibadan in the South East Local Government Area of Ibadan Oyo State.

The Hospital was founded in 1964, It was previously a 176-bed capacity but in order to deliver quality health care services, now 153 beds. Some improvements were made to the existing structures and it is now a 153 bedded hospital

When the Hospital was opened in 1964, Eleta was sparsely populated by low income cadre people. Now it is a densely populated and still extremely poor area. 75% of patients that access health care services at the Hospital are low-income cadre.

Health Care delivery in the city is provided by the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Institutions.

St. Mary’s Catholic General Hospital Eleta, provides both Primary and Secondary Health Care Services. The hospital is committed to the provision of accessible, affordable, and sustainable quality health care services with special interest in the care of Mother and Child.

Presently the Hospital provides care services in specialized fields such as ENT, neurosurgeries, orthopaedic surgeries, urological surgeries, and plastic surgeries besides obstetrics/gynaecological services, paediatrics and many others.

We are also continuing with our out-reach programme services to some nearby villages and to some parishes and mosques on invitation.

Safeguarding Children – We have a Child Protection Policy in the Hospital and no child is left unattended.

The Hospital by virtue of its location handles a tremendous amount of responsibility when it comes to health care delivery to the Nigerian public in general including:
• Adult Clinic
• Emergency (A & E)
• Child welfare Clinic and Immunisation, Antenatal care
• Adult Medical Surgical Care
• Delivery and Postnatal care
• TB Testing (Observation, treatment and medication)
• Counseling and testing, ART antiretroviral drugs
• Paediatric Medical and Surgical Health conditions
• Teaching on Prayer theory and practice integration
• Laboratory Investigations

Itam

The MMMs of the Itam Community operate three Ministries:

Family Life Centre/ VVF Hospital, Prolife Association of Nigeria (PLAN) and Teaching Ministry.

Family Life Centre/ VVF Hospital

As part of the process to reduce all maternal birth injuries/ complications, become more inclusive in providing quality health care services to both male, female, young and the elderly people, Family Life Centre/ V.V.F hospital, Mbribit Itam, Uyo, are responding through the provision of the following health care services:

1. Consultant’s Gynecological Clinics- Thursdays 9am -1pm
2. Consultant’s pediatric Clinics- (Children care services with a pediatrician)- Thursdays 9am -1pm
3. Antenatal Clinics with Scan- Thursdays/ daily
4. Surgery of all types- Tuesdays/ daily emergencies
5. General Out Patient consultations for all male, female and children- daily
6. Laboratory investigations- daily
7. Normal Deliveries, Caesarean Section and Neonatal care- daily
8. Home Based care for the elderly, male/ female
9. Outreach/ Sensitization which includes Immunization, School programs, and community service programs.
10. Free repairs of leakage of urine and or feces (V.V.F/ R.V.F) by pooled effort camp.
11. Rehabilitation and re-integration of repaired patients
12. Skill acquisition for repaired V.V.F/ R.V.F women
13. Counselling services to groups and individuals- daily

Those involved are the MMM Sisters- Sr. Sylvia Ndubuaku, the Matron, Sr. Rosemary Akpa, the Administrator, Sr. Ngozi Callista, a Midwife/ outreach coordinator, Sr. Margaretmary Okooboh, Counselor. Others are the doctors, nurses, nurse assistants, Field Men, Administrative Staff etc.

PRO- Life Association of Nigeria (PLAN) – Sr Cornelia Udoka is in charge of this ministry

Natural Family Planning Clinic is held every Wednesdays from 9:00am to 2 :00 pm
You can also arrange for training for groups or individuals
Online teaching through zoom.

Teaching Ministry in Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA) – Sr Itoro Etokakpan is in-charge of this ministry

Employed as the Institute’s Counsellor for CIWA, this ministry in done through:

•Lecturing
•Individual Counselling/ Therapy
•Group Counselling/ Debriefing (specifically for Final Year Students in different programs which include: DPH, BA, MA, PGD, STL, MTh and PhD students)
• Coordinating a committee called Committee for CIWA Proximate Alumni as the Chairperson
•Presentations
•Presence to the Staff and Students, general participation in CIWA Family Life as an MMM
•Monday to Friday in both Port Harcourt and Obehie Campuses officially, and on Saturdays and Sundays occasional appointments.

OUTSIDE CIWA:

•Workshops on Human Sexuality/ other topics with young Religious from different Congregations.
•Designated Person for Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults for MMM West Africa Area

Mile Four, Abakaliki

OUTLINE OF MILE FOUR HOSPITAL ACTIVITIES

Today, St. Patrick’s Hospital, Mile Four is divided into different departments/ Units for efficient and effective operational and administrative purposes including:

Community Medicine

This comprises of a Leprosy unit, Leprosy Outreach Clinic and Chest unit

We continue to provide feeding and accommodation in the Leprosy camp for some patients who, due to the stigma they suffer, have not been able to return to their families. After their treatment we have helped people who have been accepted back into their communities to settle in by building homes for them if it is needed.

As part of our occupational therapy for rehabilitated patients, we have a cobbler’s shop managed by a long time patient Mr. Mathew Ivom, who after learning, now makes and mends sandals for other patients.

We also provide farmland for patients who are able to engage in subsistence farming to support whatever aid they receive. We also employ some patients when they are fully recovered and their family members if needed.

The Chest Unit also has both outpatients’ department and admission wards and a laboratory unit. Basically, patients who present with chest infections and suspected tuberculosis are attended to. We are a referral unit for patients from surrounding states.

We also have a counseling unit dedicated to supporting patients through their time of treatment. Most of our supervisors in Community medicine are furnished with motorcycles to aid .

General Out Patient Department

This is usually the first point of call for most of our clients coming into the hospital. We usually have at least two family medicine consultants and other doctors on duty along with the nursing staff, community health workers and other support staff. This is a very important unit that takes record of vital health information of all patients and the history of their illness.

Ante-natal/Child Welfare Clinic

In this unit, there is a staff strength of about 15 people – both medical and paramedical staff. Usually we partner with the State Ministry of health and have a steady supply of relevant vaccines. Our ANC clinic and storage units are also frequently inspected and supervised by WHO, and the State ministry of health. Our staff are also kept up to date on best practices by attending various workshops. We take networking to be a very important part of our responsibilities, so, we constantly network with other relevant NGOs so that intending mothers, mothers and their children have the best information to help them make informed choices.

Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Clinic

This clinic cares for people living with HIV/AIDS. It has a staff strength of about 22, both medical and non medical personnel. Its clinic days are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. It has its own pharmacy and records units.

Labour Ward

This is our busiest section with an average of 10 deliveries daily. This figure is a drop from past years where we recorded an average of 30 deliveries daily. This drop is due primarily to the improved delivery of health care across the state. We are grateful that when there was the need, we provided the needed support to pregnant mothers in the state.

Nursery

Our nursery unit caters to children needing special attention who are born in our facility and those born outside our facility. We are equipped with incubators, oxygen and proper nursery beds for Children.

Children’s Ward

Basically, we admit children between the ages of 3mths to 12years presenting with non surgical issues. We have about 30 beds which during peak season (January to March) are fully occupied daily. Since Ebonyi is endemic to Lassa fever, it is quite common to have cases brought to us. We are fully equipped with nebulizers and oxygen for patients when needed. We are lucky to have a good working relationship with the Alex Ekueme Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (AEFETA) to which we refer surgical and other severe cases should the need arise.

Laboratory

Our laboratory runs a large range of diagnostic and exploratory investigations. These are priced within the reach of the poor people who are our priority. It is run according to the profession’s best ethics and practices. We have an average of 4000 tests run in the lab yearly

Radiology

In the radiology department, we carry out ultrasounds and X-rays. We have a digital X-ray machine that has made diagnosis much easier for our doctors.

Outreach Clinic

Our ANC and child welfare outreach team is composed of Community Health workers, Nurses, Pharmacy technicians and other support staff. They are 9 in number with helpers in most of the villages we visit. We visit six villages around Abakaliki with the farthest being 2 hours 33 minutes away from Mile four hospital and the closest about 35mins away. One the average we see about 150 clients per visit in some centers.

By educating and reeducating our staff about maternal and child health and engaging in outreach, we’re connecting hard-to-reach women and children with the health information and services that save their lives.

Medical Records

We have a medical records unit that is fully automated and connected to the St. Patrick’s Hospital Server with an array of dictated staff that ensures that patients’ data are correctly taken and updated. All the consulting rooms, pharmacy and accounts sections have been connected hopefully other departments will follow.

Auxillary Services

Training Programmes

Training and Mentoring are values we take very seriously, so, we have opened our facility to students of schools of Midwifery within and outside the state, Resident Doctors who are on rural posting to gather the necessary experience they need to complete their training. We conduct information and mentoring workshops for Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) within the State. Our staff are also engaged in periodic training and retraining.

Staff Library

We have a well equipped staff library particularly for medical doctors and nurses who we encourage to constantly read so as to keep themselves up to date in their professions. Other staff members also avail of this facility especially those who are students furthering their studies. It has been our tradition to encourage our staff to continue when the opportunity provides itself, to improve on themselves psychologically, academically and socially. So, it is not out of place to find among our staff those on study leave with or without pay, depending on the circumstances. Our Facility is also used by different research students and groups as a Research facility. Workshops are constantly organized and talk on the MMM core values and the child protection and vulnerable adult policy is a regular part of our morning assembly. In our facility, we have contact persons to whom staff report to when they discover possible abuse within our facility.

School Health Programme

We believe strongly in the maxims: “Prevention is better than cure” and “Catch them young”. We engage each week in the Schools Health programme educating young students on taking better care of their mental health, prevention of prevailing community health challenges and where to seek help should the need arise. We also train students to become elements of change in the society by training them in practical attitudinal behavioral patterns changes.

Sterilizing, Supply & Laundry Services

We have a central sterilizing unit, where every reusable instrument utilized, is sterilized at the end of the day and supplied each morning to the different units. Also, other sensitive items like gloves, gauze, cotton wool, theater gowns, scrubs among others, needed for sensitive procedures must first be sterilized. We also run a laundry service both at maternity and child welfare clinics and at the community medicine section. Here the linens of the hospital are properly laundered and disinfected.

Nutrition/Canteen

We have a nutrition unit where food supplements such as soya beans powder is produced and made available to clients who visit our facility. A canteen is available in the compound that provides hygienically prepared meals for both staff and clients. The health standard is vigorously and frequently inspected and closely monitored to ensure the quality of meals provided to everyone.

Mortuary Services/Tailoring Services

We run mortuary services. The hospital has a sewing room equipped where scrubs, theater gowns, sterile sheets and other bed linens are made to supply the hospital’s need for such items

Hospital Pastoral Care Unit

The hospital pastoral care unit carries out the spiritual and physical needs of our patients. The situation of the country is making more people vulnerable.

Shogunle, Lagos

The MMM project in Shogunle, started in September 2015 when MMM Shogunle community was opened.

BEESAM area is the place where our house and ministry will be situated and the indigenous people there are called Ewu people.

We are engaged in school health programmes, visitation of the sick/ homebound, airport ministry, working with youth at parish level, giving health talks, working towards acquiring the Certificate of Occupancy of the newly acquired property in Lagos where we hope to establish a formal ministry.

We visit the sick and home-bound to be a presence to them and the priests bring communion to those of them who are communicants every first Friday of the month. We visit each school once a month on Wednesdays because that is the mandate from the government. We work with four Government Secondary Schools and one private school. We were told we can only visit on co-curricular days. It is only the private school we visit that we go to on Fridays. We do not visit during holidays, and any other day any of the schools have special activities. Home visitation is done mainly twice a week if sisters are available. Talks in the church are usually on request.

As a result of the prolonged lockdown especially in Lagos state, the schools re-opened later in the year and gatherings of any kind were strictly prohibited. We also go to work in our church clinic and at the moment we go once a week on Tuesdays. We offer hospitality to Sisters and visitors who come into the country and travel out of the country through Lagos.

Torugbene, Delta State

MARY MARTIN PHC TORUGBENE

Mary Martin Primary Health Centre, Torugbene is in Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State under the Catholic Diocese of Bomadi.

It began in October 2016 with the aim of offering accessible, affordable and quality health care to the people of Torugbene and its environs. We offer medical and nursing care to meet the best practice of person-centred care within our reach as much as we can. We engage in a wide range of primary health care activities such as treatment of minor illness, Antenatal and Postnatal care, Immunization, Public health awareness, School health programme, Youth programmes (Boys and Girls forum and reading club.)

We also participate in youth programmes in the local church (altar boys, choir, board of lectors, Catechism). Relaxation and therapeutic Massage, Billing’s natural family planning and family counselling care are also done in the clinic. We also assist in pastoral care of the infirm homebound and elderly. We assist in vocational skill acquisition and preventive health talk on non-communicable diseases in the creeks and diocese.

Programmes:

Clinic Mondays to Fridays 8:30am to 1pm, Saturday’s Statistics reviews and pharmacy stock and disinfection of clinic. Case reviews, health talks, nutrition clinic, Treatment of minor illness referrals, health sensitization and public health awareness talks pre and post counselling and testing HIV / AIDS, antenatal and postnatal care, tuberculosis sensitization and follow-up medication care.

Youth Programmes:

• Reading Club every Tuesday 4pm -5;30PM.
• BOYS FORUM: last Thursday’s time 4-5 pm once a month (last Thursdays of the month) in the clinic.
• GIRLS FORUM: last Fridays, time 4-5 pm once a month (last Thursdays of the month) in the clinic.
• Catechism in the Church 3rd Sundays, 8-8;30AM, children Catechism Saturdays and Sundays 4-5pm.
• SCHOOL HEALTH PROGRAMME: 3RD WEEK A WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY.
• VISITATION AND FOLLOW UP CARE.
• PASTORAL/ PALLIATIVE CARE- HOMEBOUND ELDERLY.
• FAMILY MINISTRY- COUNSELLING/ TALKS AND PRESENCE TO FAMILIES
• HIV/ AIDS COUNSELLING TESTING/ SUPPORT GROUP AND MEDICATION
• TB SENSITIZATION AND MEDICATION

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Angola

Viana, Luanda

MOTHER MARY MARTIN HEALTH CENTER
4ª RUA MULENVOS DE CIMA
VIANA LUANDA

Mother Mary Martin Health Center is a 10-year-old health facility, which is owned and managed by MMM. It is located in an expanding developing urban area. Access is through sandy-muddy potholed unplanned roads holding stagnant water. Infrastructure is limited with no water drainage system.

Domestic waste has improved but we continue to educate the people by giving health talk on waste disposal. Once in a while we see sacks filled with waste at our gate and around the wall of the clinic. The area is socially and politically deprived with a high rate of unemployed youths. Teenage pregnancy is very high with little support from the male partners. New cases of HIV are on the increase. The people in the area belong politically to the opposition party; therefore, general development in this area is limited. Two MMM Sisters; Angela Anigbogu and Stella Nwoye work as administrator and matron respectively.

The health center provides the following services/activities:

Diagnosis: The aim is to get the history and to understand what the problem is in order to treat the ailment. The scan machine has been very helpful in the diagnoses of some illnesses e.g. abdominal ascites, enlarged internal organs, detection of malpresentation of foetus, ectopic pregnancies, and early placenta praevia in pregnant mothers etc. It has helped to reduce maternal mortality rate because of early detection of abnormalities in pregnancies.

Consultations: The Health Centre is a day clinic which runs from Monday to Friday excluding public holidays. The consultations include adults, paediatrics, prenatal, urology and gynaecology cases. The numbers of patients accessing these services are encouraging.

Laboratory tests: The health centre runs basic laboratory tests which are: Rapid and Microscopic tests for Malaria, Widal test for Typhoid, H. Pylori, urines, Hemoglobin and Full Blood Count. Other tests include Glycaemia for blood sugar; faeces for worms, H. Pylori and for salmonella Typhi, Biochemistry such as Cholesterol, HLD Cholesterol, LDL Cholesterol, Triglyceride, uric acid, Urea, Creatinine, electrolytes sedimentation, Total Protein and Bilirubin, GOT and GPT – liver tests which help us to detect early Kidney problems.

Curative care: The aim is to be able to alleviate the pain and suffering of the patients

Medicines: Oral medications and injections (Intramuscular and Intravenous) are being administered to serious cases. The Health Centre runs only one shift from 7.30a.m to 3.30p.m official hour but when there are lots of patients or those for observation, it could extend to 4p.m and beyond. We dispense drugs after diagnosis. Nobody leaves the clinic without drugs for lack of money. We have observation rooms where we observe patients with serious cases, give them some treatment, and then transfer those who need to be transferred to the hospital. We also give Intravenous infusions for severe diarrhoea and vomiting and other serious cases before being transferred to a hospital.

Preventive Care: This is to ensure that we get a healthy mother and baby, and also a healthy environment and community.

Maternal and Child health: Antenatal monitoring- the health center has daily ante-natal and child welfare clinics which include nutrition monitoring and Immunisations.

Health education: We give health talks every day in the Clinic before work starts.

HIV and AIDS Activities a. Voluntary counselling and testing
b. Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT)
c. Support group: This group comprises people living with HIV/AIDS who meet on a monthly basis for health talks and share of experiences. They also receive their medicines.
d. Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) – The government supplies these drugs to the health center from which the patients who are under our care receive. We meet with the patients in the support group every 1st Thursday of the month. This forum gives them the opportunity to talk and share their fears and hopes.

HIV/AIDS

The People living with HIV and Aids (PLWHA) support group continues to meet. They met monthly but because of covid-19 pandemic, and being aware that they are vulnerable to opportunistic infections, we minimised the meeting to three monthly. They go with three months of drugs. They are 128 in number, 93 females and 35 males. The members come from far and near. Many of them now help us in counselling and contacting those who were not present at the last meeting. Alice Gloria da Felicidade Alvaro who is responsible for the HIV/AIDS programme meets with them. She gives a prepared talk on any topic be it health, religion or social. Each member of the group shares how it has been with him/her for the past month. Problems in the families are shared freely. It is an avenue and opportunity to talk about the illness which they don’t share with anybody at home. Some members volunteer to visit those who could not make it to the meeting. At the end of the meeting each person presents her/his card for drugs. We prepare and share local juice from a fruit called (Mukua) which is very nutritious. The staff responsible for the HIV/AIDS programme continues to attend any workshop organised by the ministry of health.

We are offering Catechism classes.

Huambo, Angola

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Health Unit
Location – S. Luis, Huambo

We offer the following Ministries:
Preventive
Curative
Caring for the elderly
Outreach clinic
Vocation Promotion
AMMM ministry
Prison ministry

We offered the following services :

Health Care Education: it is done every day before starting the work and sometimes house by house visit.

General consultations to the patients who come to the clinic

Antenatal care: done to all the pregnant women and to their babies after delivery.

Expanded programme for immunizations, children and adults

Laboratory testing: such as blood slides for malaria, Haemoglobin, ESR, Widal test, VDRL-for syphilis, Urine, Faeces, High vaginal swab, Urethral swab, pregnancy test, HIV Test, Hepatitis B test

Counselling, testing and referrals for HIV and AIDS

ARTs for HIV positive and follow up, every month they come for check up

Assistance with food to the poor, elderly population sporadically. This time we got some funds from Ireland and as we distributed the food to them the number increased from 60 to 150 elderly and poor people.

Mobile clinics and vaccinations to the villages once a month. But during the rainy season we do not go often due to bad roads.

Awareness in schools and churches about MALARIA, COVID-19, STDs, HIV, AIDS and other topics.

Pastoral/ church activities with youth and health commission in the parishes

We also do:

Vocation promotion in the parishes, through the radio and visit homes of those who show interest.

We teach Bible, catechesis, prayer andmorals to the girls who are living with us.

AMMM accompaniment: we are in constant contact with our associates by phone and we visit them once a month and be present when making their covenant or renewal of covenant

Our Prison Ministry has been impacted by the Pandemic: We stopped for the moment due to the pandemic situation. We used to go to the prison three times a month, to be present, to listen to them, give catechesis on Saturday and to have mass together on Sundays. Sometimes we share some food with them.

{tab title=”Republic of Benin”}

Republic of Benin

Zaffe

We are engaged in Health Care Provision; mother and child health care, immunization, GOPD, Natural family planning and outreach services.

There are four MMM Sisters in Zaffe Mission
• Sr Elizabeth Ogar is the Matron
• Sr Celine Anikwem is the Administrator
• Sr Brigid Egbuna is the in-charge of the pharmacy
• Sr Keresifon Ekanem is in-charge of the outreach program and also works in the maternity ward when there is need.

We work with a Team of 26 Staff; doctor, nurses, midwife, auxiliary nurses, drivers and gardeners/cleaners.

We offer 24 hours service in our Clinic including GOPD, dispensary, maternity, laboratory, echography services etc.

We carry out outreach services (Sensitization Programme) in villages and churches where we give health education to people in our catchment area.

We partner with the government who supply us with vaccines, malaria test kits and some drugs. The government also organizes workshops/update courses for our staff. We in turn supply them with statistics and refer patients to the government hospital for further treatment. We also partner with the Catholic Diocese of Dassa-Zoume and other faith based hospitals in our diocese. Other Health Centres refer patients/Clients to us for Echography and Laboratory services.

Zaffe is a poor village and our ministry is donor dependent.
The people’s main source of livelihood is from sale of farm produce and cotton. The men are polygamous and most times, the women are left to cater for the children with meager income. This makes it difficult for them to afford medical care. They often resort to taking herbal medicine when they are sick which often leads to complications.

Many patients come to us and we do not turn anyone away. Some of the patients, when referred, refuse to go because they cannot afford the treatment in the government hospitals or other faith based hospitals.

Another thing we would like to share about Zaffe is that different religions coexist peacefully and this is a great blessing because we are able to go about our daily activities in peace.

{/tabs}

{tab title=”Kenya”}

Kenya

Eldoret

St Mary’s Medical centre is an integrated faith based health facility in the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret established by the Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM) in 2000 by Sr. Patricia Hoey. The health facility was established with the aim of providing basic quality care as there were little medical services available to the residents of Kapsoya, Chepkoilel and their environs at that time. The entry points were the churches, schools and door to door VCT. The Medical Centre was registered with MOH in November 2002.

The facility is community focused offering a range of services:

• Curative and diagnostic services, treatment of common medical ailments-Daily
• Mother and child health (MCH), PMTCT and health education – daily Monday to Friday.
• Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) for HIV infection – Monday to Friday
• Comprehensive Care Clinic – every Thursday and when necessary, and patient follow up when need arises.
• Tuberculosis testing and treatment – every Monday and when necessary.
• Diabetic, Hypertension Clinic – 1st and 3rd Friday of each month.
• Breast and cervical cancer screening – attended as they come and during medical camps.
• Palliative care (Home Based Care) in our communities – home visits twice in a week/when called upon or when need arises. These include wound care, counseling, Direct Observation Treatment(DOT) daily to clients whose drug adherence is poor, B/P and Blood sugar check to bedridden clients, making sure the client is comfortable through total pain relief, family support, assisting with basic needs ,spiritual care and referrals.
• Diabetes and Hypertension screening – quarterly

St. Mary’s Medical Centre also provide rehabilitative services under the Outreach Department which continues to center around the following:

• Caring for orphans and vulnerable children especially the ones with Downs syndrome, by providing school fees, food and psychological support.
• Care for vulnerable adults by providing basic needs.
• Life skills to youth in and out of school on sexuality with emphasis on behavioral change.
• Health Education on nutrition/food security.
• Health education on communicable diseases and illnesses
• Education awareness on and sensitization on issues of environmental sanitation.
• Education on HIV/AID
• Education of immunization and Antenatal care
• Illiteracy among the residents.
• Alcoholism and drug dependency.
• Unemployment
• Laziness and low esteem among the residents
• Robbery, rape and single motherhood/prostitution.
• COVID – 19 Awareness and prevention; washing of hands with soap and water regularly, wearing a mask properly and keeping social distance

St. Mary’s also works together with the St. Patrick’s on child Safeguarding and protection:

• Training church leaders on Child Safeguarding Policy, Abuses and their responsibility.
• Different groups in the church on its Child Policy and on abuses.
• With children on the different types of abuses, a child’s rights and child’s responsibility.
• Celebrates together the day of the African Child.
• The MMM sisters help in giving out Holy Communion to the faithful in the church and in the homes to those who cannot come to the church.
• Choir practice and singing in the church
• Legion of Mary program
• Youth programme in the church
• Working and praying together with small Christian communities.

Location: St. Mary’s Medical Centre Kapsoya is situated in Kapsoya Estate next to Kapsoya secondary school along ElgeyoMarakwet Road 5 km from Eldoret town – Ainapkoi Constituency of UasinGishu County – Kenya. Kapsoya location has approximately 38, 421 people.

St. Mary’s is surrounded by slums, squatters and brewers. Generally, people of St Mary’s catchment area are petty traders, casual laborers and some have no income at all. Most people have no meaningful regular source of income. For these people to access medical care when they are ill or support for their family with the basic needs becomes extremely difficult

Teenagers, especially girls, need a lot of support. They are more vulnerable to early pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Many of the families that we care for live in a one roomed rented mud house. Children of all ages share the same sleeping space.

We would like to continue with this good work in Eldoret as many people appreciate the quality services given over the years by MMMs. It has been a challenging year due to Covid-19; we learnt that as we care for others, we have also to care for ourselves as staff so that we can continue the good work.

Riara, Nairobi

The community is engaged in the three ministries namely; Riara Ministry-Kibera, Vocation animation and study. There are five sisters in the community two are working in partnership with Mirror of Hope Community Based Organisation, three are studying and one sister is responsible for vocation promotion.

Riara Ministry: This is a new initiative and the first of its kind in the Congregation that MMMs are working in collaboration with one of the AMMMs, who runs a community based organisation called Mirror of Hope CBO in one of the urban slums in Kenya. There are two sisters working in this Project.

Mirror of Hope CBO office is located in Kibera. The organization is currently running the following programs for women and youth in the community namely:

• Student Sponsorship Program for secondary school and their level education
• School Holiday Mentorship Program
• Women Empowerment ;setting up of small business, Savings & Loan
• Computer Training in graphics and designs
• Music Training
• Urban Agriculture

Mirror of Hope CBO office is located in Kibera. The organization is currently running the following programs for women and youth in the community namely:

• Empowering youth on different hands on skills i.e. recycling materials and crafts
• Give guidance & counselling, moral support and spiritual nourishment to beneficiaries of MOH programs
• Home visitation to beneficiaries
• Health Awareness talk to the women and youth
• Advocacy ; safeguarding children & protection training to staff and MOH beneficiaries, counter human trafficking etc.

Vocation Animation: One of the sisters is responsible for vocation promotion in Kenya. She is supported by the sisters in the community and in the country. She is also in touch with other MMM sisters in the congregation who sometimes refer prospective candidates to her that contact them through the internet. There is a vibrant network of vocation animators in Kenya (Kenya Association of Vocation Animators) which she works in collaboration with for vocation promotion in schools, higher institutions and parishes.

Working with Mirror of Hope CBO which deals with young people is a good opportunity for her to attract vocation as well as impact meaningfully in the lives of the youth. COVID- 19 pandemic has affected vocation drive, she was unable to move around for vocation promotion and to visit prospective candidates.

Study: There are three sisters on full time studies and one sister on part time study, doing an on-line course in counselling psychology in Riara Community. One sister is doing Nursing at Daystar University Nairobi, another in Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) studying Social works and lastly a sister studying Religious Formation at Tangaza, who is finishing her program this year. Their studies are going well in spite of the challenges of the pandemic.

Mukuru

MMM Mukuru Health Centre offers a wide range of services both at the facility level and at the Community. They are as follows below:

Maternal child health:

Antenatal clinic for pregnant mothers (ANC). All mothers are encouraged to do HIV tests and if any of the mothers is positive, they are immediately transferred to the PMTCT clinic to be managed properly to ensure that the baby is given birth to as HIV negative.

• Prevention of Mother to Child transmission (PMTCT)
• Post-natal clinic for mothers who have given birth
• Child welfare clinic (CWC) – For weighing and immunization of babies

All the above are carried out by registered nurses and are supported by Community Health Volunteers (CHVs)

Outpatient Department(OPD):

We have consultation rooms where clients are being seen after which prescriptions are made according to the illness. These services are carried out by Clinical officers.

Labratory:

We have a routine laboratory with proper equipment where tests are carried out as required. We also run a TB lab where tuberculosis tests for clients who present with the symptoms are carried out. In doing this, we have a Biosafety machine to process sputum and this has made our work easy over the years. These are done by professional staff who are qualified as Laboratory Technicians.

TB/HIV Departments :

This is where clients who are infected with either TB or HIV are attended to and put on treatment.

We do the Direct Observation Therapy (DOT) for TB clients to ensure that drugs are well taken by the clients. We provide milk and food baskets for clients who are on intensive care, this will enable them take their drugs with ease and reduce the pill burden.

HIV clients are also on food baskets especially those who are needy and cannot afford a meal. Food helps them to take their medication without reactions. They also often suffer from the lack of a balanced diet. There is a daily adherence counselling session for all clients present so as to encourage them to live positively and not default in taking their medication.

Both HIV and TB clients undergo regular psychosocial support to help them accept their status and leave a positive life. We also have support groups in which they belong to and participate monthly with other members. In that forum, they are able to share their experiences and learn from each other regarding coping mechanisms amidst other things.

We have weekly workshops in households and schools on Counter Human Trafficking (CHT). The outcome of this is that when community members suspect any trafficked child, they refer them to our facility and then we do a follow up to rescue the child and where possible, reintegrate the victim back to his or her family.

HTS Centre:

We run a HIV Testing and Counselling (HTS) Centre where clients walk in and request voluntarily to be tested for HIV and if positive, they are counselled and put on care and treatment.

Pharmacy:

We have a Pharmacy dispensary where medication is dispensed according to prescription for clients. This is handled by a certified pharmacist.

We run a health record unit where we collect data daily for analysis which helps for managerial decisions for the growth of the facility. The data collected feeds into the agenda of interventions to be conducted in every department at the facility and health zones at the wider community.

Social office:

It is engaged in listening to all clients that present with psychosocial challenges which includes cases of HIV and GBV. Thereafter the clients are referred to the various departments or institutions that can help deal with their issues or further manage them. We also work with communities to empower them to make informed decisions about their lives in the footsteps of Paul Freire, where we encourage communities to come up with initiatives that will help them solve the challenges that they have as far as health and development is concerned. It will be good to note here that survivors of GBV and victims of human trafficking are given priority at our facility and when we rescue them, they are put in safe houses as we follow up on counselling sessions for them as well as legal interventions as the case may be.

Community engagement:

We engage the youth around our catchment area on sanitation and hygiene. One of the activities we carry out with them is monthly clean up inside the slum as well as garbage collection from household after which the youth in turn separate what needs to be disposed from what can be recycled and then it is sold out to buyers and income is gotten to do small businesses to fend for themselves. This is really thriving.

We also engage and work with community health volunteers and village elders in the different interventions at community level because they are the gatekeepers and we can always get valid information from them as to how to work better and breach gaps where needed. We do a lot of outreaches on HIV/TB/GBV/CHT interventions as well as, these are done in households.

We also go to schools for health programs and our talks are on different messages according to the trends. Through the school health program, we get connected with young girls who have dropped out of school due to pregnancy, and so we are able to help them with counselling sessions and safe spaces until they give birth.

We have a program called WE MEN CARE. This is to bring men on board to be champions of safe health care. We do this by encouraging the pregnant mothers to come with their spouses so that as the mothers are being attended to, we can engage the men by educating them on how to take care of their wives during and after pregnancy amidst other things. We also use that opportunity to carry out HIV testing for the couples present.

Specialized Ministry, Rwanda: Sr. Martine Makanga MMM

Although part of the Nairobi community (Prof Saitoti Rd), I am now responding to Christ’s healing mission in Rwanda since January 2021 employed by the Ministry of Health. My mission is three-fold:

• 1. Senior consultant pediatric surgeon. There are only 2 other young pediatric surgeons,
• 2. Trainer of future pediatric surgeons. I take residents in pediatric surgery for 3 months rotation.
• 3. On behalf of MOH, preparing a 5-years’ curriculum to form pediatric surgeons. The curriculum is to be presented to MOH and approved by the University Senate. In this I collaborate with one of the Senior Pediatric Surgeon from CHK (Kigali Teaching Hospital)

Rwanda has a population of 13.1M. It has four referral hospitals (King Faisal, the Rwanda Military Hospital, Kigali University Teaching Hospital and Butare University Teaching Hospital) and also the Ndera Neuropsychiatric Hospital.

My work base is at the Military or Kanombe Hospital which receives referrals from 10 Districts from the east of the country.

It is a challenging mission. Workwise It can be very demanding with sometimes long days in theatre. But I am free at week-end to rest, pray and do personal house work.

But what moves me and gives me energy?

• Between 2001-08, I taught some 600 medical students in Butare and today they come to greet me (behind their masks): they are now in charge of departments and are specialized in different specialties ( pediatrics, internal medicine, ENT, gynecology obstetrics, surgery…… Some stand out for their motivation and compassion.
• Distressed parents from far away bring very sick babies or toddlers. There is a high incidence of congenital malformations and anomalies probably linked to stress and trauma. But it is so rewarding after a successful surgery to share the relief and joy of the parents.
• The support of the staff who give their best and feel part of the ‘miracle’ when they see a child recover.

B. Free Pediatric Surgical Camp in Pointe-Noire – Rep of Congo)
For the past few years, I have been invited yearly for 2 weeks to my archdiocese of origin of Pointe-Noire to operate freely some 100 very poor children aged 0 to 15. The camp is organized by the Diocesan Caritas, local medical teams and the petroleum company Chevron who pays for the anesthetics, all needed drugs and my fare to the Rep of Congo. At the end there is a thanksgiving Mass with the Archbishop. This is always a wonderful experience. The poor indeed hear the Good News.

{tab title=”Malawi”}

Malawi

Kasina

In Kasina we run an integrated ministry which includes a Health Centre with maternity services and PHC outreach and development programme in 72 villages in our catchment area.
We offer the following services:

• Disease prevention: Insecticide Treated mosquito Nets (ITN) distribution, Intermittent malaria prophylactic treatment (IPT), etc
• Growth monitoring
• Childhood immunisation
• Nutrition supplementation (iron and vitamin A)
• Nutrition rehabilitation services
• Outreach services / mobile clinics
• Antenatal care and normal delivery, promotion of breast feeding etc
• Curative outpatient services
• Curative inpatient services
• Treatment of measles, cholera, malaria, acute respiratory infections (ARI), diarrhoeal diseases, acute ear, eye and skin infections, wounds.
• Pre-referral services for complications of delivery
• HIV /AIDS Services (HTC, Treatment of opportunistic infections, PMTCT, ART, Teens Club, HCC, Exposed infants clinic, MIP, support group )
• Ambulance services
• Syndromic management of sexually transmitted diseases.
• Follow up in the continuation phase of tuberculosis treatment
• Home Based and Palliative Care (HBPC) services
• Laboratory services
• Collection, aggregation and use of health management information
• Cervical cancer screening
• Monthly Epilepsy clinic
• Monthly Hypertensive clinic
• Youth friendly programme
• Meetings and support for women’s development in villages
• Reaching out to Chiefs and Group Village Heads and involving them in development and health issues that concern their people.

The Bishop of Dedza Diocese is the proprietor and legal holder of Kasina Health Centre. In accordance with the Constitution of the Diocesan Health Commission, KHC is governed by the Diocesan Health Commission Board, whose members are appointed by the Bishop.

Kasina Health Centre (KHC) started providing health services in 1946 under the administration of the Missionary Sisters of Africa. In 2005 the administration and day-to-day management of KHC with its PHC/Outreach programme was entrusted to the Congregation of the Medical Missionaries of Mary. MMM added the Outreach Development Programme to their services in 2008. In 2007 KHC built and opened an HIV Testing and Counselling Centre. PMTCT services commenced in 2008.

In 2011 an ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) clinic was started for the provision of ARVs. In 2014, Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) Clinic for screening for cervical cancer was initiated.

Kasina Health Centre provides a 24 hour service, 7 days a week.

 

Health Service Delivery area

The District Health Office allocates the health service delivery areas of all health facilities in the district. The catchment population for KHC according to its health profile is 35,863 people, 4.6% of the district population.
The Health Centre is situated in Dedza District, one of the mountainous areas of the country, bordering Mozambique. It is 40 Km. north of Dedza Town, the district’s capital, where the District Hospital is situated. Dedza District Hospital and Nkhoma Mission Hospital, 12 Km. north of Kasina, are the referral hospitals for KHC.

Our Health Centre was chosen as one of the rapid Covid19 testing Centers in Dedza district.. During our palliative home visits, we discovered that one of the villages in our catchment area were having a number of individuals suffering from leprosy. We organized a workshop on leprosy for the staff in conjunction with the District Health Officer and we intend to do more awareness on leprosy in the villages in our catchment when we have the means.
We are really doing our best in providing health care to the people in our catchment area however, we are limited in many areas due to financial constraints. Most of the people have no ability to pay for care.

Lilongwe

In our mission Lilongwe; the sisters are all engaged in extraordinary Eucharistic ministry- Distribution of Holy Eucharist during mass and teaching children catechism.

In the ministry, we are all engaged in health care with specific services:

• General OPD.
• Laboratory service.
• AnteNatal (ANC)
• HIV counselling and testing. (HTC)
• Outreach programs
• Under five clinic
• Physiotherapy for physically challenged children in collaboration with St. John of God.
• Palliative home base care;

Home based care: Visiting, health educating, providing health foods and supplements, clothing and shelter where needed for homebound sick, physically challenged children and frail elderly on a weekly basis.

Counselling in the facility for support group members who access the facility services.

Meeting with support groups in the six outstations of St Kizito Chigoneka Parish counselling and health educating them, helping them with income generation programs in the form of rotatory loaning system. Passing on the skills of complementary care. Total number of beneficiaries’ 102.

We are working with home based care volunteers 73 volunteers, in the six out stations. We help by orienting them and facilitating them to knowing and practicing National Palliative Care Policies. They are also beneficiaries of the rotatory loan system. We organize workshops for their capacity building.

In the facility, the unit provides aromatherapy, hand sanitizer plus cream for preventive measures in the presence COVID-19. Dietary management for poor nourished patients.

The unity is very much involved in effective wound management and passing on complementary therapy skills to the staff.

In the parish, working with pious societies like St Vincent De Paul and Divine Mercy groups/individuals in caring for the destitutes, hungry and poor of the outstations.

The unit advocates for the adoption of the poor by those who can. Two clients are already adopted. 3 new houses built and 3 repaired.

The unit cooperates with individuals like Christina Lymn, an Irish woman who built two houses for two clients and supported one of the two with income generating activity. Miss Maja Lopert, an Austrian, who sponsors the upkeep of all our needy clients.

St Kizito Integrated Health Centre provides staff and transport for the Programme.

The Programme is registered with Palliative Care Association of Malawi (PACAM) and a member of National Task Force.

The sister responsible for the unit is Sr. Chinyere Anyaorah

{tab title=”South Sudan”}

South Sudan

MEDICAL MISSIONARIES OF MARY HEALING CENTRE WAU, SOUTH SUDAN

The Medical Missionaries of Mary Healing Centre (MMM HC) is a corporate ministry. All four sisters in the mission work in this project which has different activities. There is the clinic which takes care of minor illnesses as well as preventive care, especially health education. It is an expanded program on immunization, antenatal care to pregnant women, social and sustainable development and the administration of the facility.

Who is involved?

The Medical Missionaries of Mary sisters in Wau work in collaboration with the state ministry of health who supplies vaccines for immunization of children. We collaborate with UNICEF, OXFAM, and the directorate of water utility, they have been supporting the MMM HC with personal protective equipment during this pandemic. They continue to supply face masks, chlorine and soap. We collaborate with the Catholic facilities by sharing information and sometimes medication nearing expiry. The health coordination office of the Catholic Diocese of Wau has been of great support too through Action medeor as we receive donations of medicines for the facility. The health coordination office also writes projects to support staff welfare by paying the stipends for some medical and paramedics of the Catholic facilities of which MMM HC has also benefited.

The MMM HC is located at a place called Eastern Bank some three kilometers away from Wau town across the Jur River. This area has a population of over twenty-five thousand people (25,000) who are mostly returnees from some war torn states within South Sudan. The MMM HC operates five times a week while field work under the social department is done twice a week and this takes care of some elderly people in the catchment, malnourished and sick children and demonstrates gardening to improve nutrition.

This community is still a long way from understanding that illness is a natural cause and improved hygiene will lead to improved general well being of a person. The community is slow to embrace some services offered like expanded programs on immunization and the need for pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics.

{tab title=”Tanzania”}

Tanzania

Nangwa

The Medical Missionaries of Mary came to Nangwa in Hanang District, Manyara Region in 1985.

Our present ministries are as follows:

1. Outpatient Dispensary – which has a lab and pharmacy and ultrasound services.
Presently 3 sisters are working there with 15 lay staff, one who will be retiring in June 2021. We provide treatment 6 days a week.
2. RCH ( Reproductive Child Health ) Services- Antenatal and child welfare clinics are held 4 days each week at the dispensary. This is a free service in collaboration with the government who provides vaccines and a fridge. We also go to 6 villages on a monthly basis. Three to six staff are involved depending on the size of the clinic. We collaborate with government staff on two of our mobile clinics. HPV vaccine is provided by the government for 14 year old girls to prevent cancer of the cervix and we take part in Vitamin A and deworming campaigns, normally held twice a year.
3. Social/ Economic/ Pastoral Activities- Donors have provided money for poor and handicapped children and for widows. An income generating project for a group of widows to raise pigs has been started and the pig house is almost built. Malnourished children are given food supplements and we have also helped TB patients with food.

Ngaramtoni

CAPACITAR – Trauma Healing and Transformation Ministry: Sr. Genevieve van Waesberge MMM

CAPACITAR is an International network of solidarity to promote the wellness and healing of persons and communities. It began ‘spontaneously ‘in Nicaragua when Patricia Cane facilitated an Arts festival with people traumatized by the on-going conflict – many of them had lost family members or friends or had themselves received death threats. In the evenings, Patricia used movements and other modalities for her own self-care; seeing this, the people asked her to teach them what she was practicing. After a few days feeling better, able to sleep, they exclaimed: “ Patricia what you taught us is ‘CAPACITAR’’! Capacitar being a Spanish verb meaning to empower, to give life. This led Patricia to study psychology and do a PhD in Multicultural Wellness.

In 2005, I was in Butare, Rwanda, responsible for a Center for Traumatized Women. A Maryknoll sister gave me Patricia Cane’s book ‘Healing and Transformation’ saying: ‘This will help your clients!’. She introduced me to Costasia Mbogoma, a Tanzanian teacher who had earlier followed a Capacitar session with Patricia Cane in Ngaramtonis. Costasia came to Rwanda and gave a workshop to our staff. Everyone was excited. I then invited Patricia Cane who came from the USA to train us as Trainers for two years. She brought with her Antoinette, a Rwandan sister who had found great healing through the Capacitar workshops. End of 2009, as I was leaving Rwanda to return to Tanzania, Patricia asked me if I could be available as an international Trainer for East, Central and West Africa.

Since 2006, I have facilitated workshops in 13 countries: Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, Uganda, Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania and in France.

Participants have been many and varied: traumatized women, widows, children, teachers, prisoners,religious and priests, OSB &,Cistercians, survivors of the 1997 Buta Massacre in Burundi, refugees, internally displaced, HRD, WLUM activists (women living under Moslem law), UN staff and soldiers in Burundi and South Sudan, police and soldiers, female and male former child soldiers, survivors of LRA abductions, kidnappings and of torture, mental health, medical and paramedical staff, university students and lecturers.

2020-21. Due to Covid-19, I cancelled invitations from Nigeria, Gabon, Eastern Cameroun, C.A.R, DRC, Kenya. I went only once to Goma in DRC to mentor Trainers and in Tanzania, I facilitated 4 workshops with ICOF (Inter-congregational On-going Formation Program organized by SMA, MAfr and CSSp). There were 40 male and female missionaries from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Liberia, Mauritania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda, Canada, Poland and the Philippines

Pharmacy Training Centre: Sr. Zita Ekocha MMM

A proposed training course for pharmaceutical assistants in Arusha, Tanzania is another innovative project of MMM. The need is great. Tanzania is a young country with a growing population. The 2012 census gave 44.9 million and the projected 2019 figure is nearly 61 million. Training in all aspects of health care is among the Government´s priorities and, of course, is of special interest to MMM.

Since 2008, MMM Sister Zita Ekeocha has been involved in a joint Purdue University/ Kilamanjaro School of Pharmacy project to train to certificate level pharmaceutical personnel. The programme is officially known as “Capacity Building Program in Biotechnology Innovation and Regulatory Science (BIRS) in Africa. Since 2014 it has been also offering courses at degree level. Eamonn Brehony, MMM Associate, is

Due to strong culture and beliefs some ethnic groups in the Arusha and Manyara Regions do not attend modern medical services. These groups make use of local herbs as first line treatment measures before seeking modern medical care. While this has been the pattern in the past, things are changing. With increasing education and urbanisation more people are using pharmaceutical products to treat illnesses. However there are challenges with the increasing use of ‘western medicine’. Unqualified personnel issue drugs, especially antibiotics, without knowing much about these drugs. There is a high percentage of counterfeit drugs. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends proactive measures to ensure the provision of safe and effective medicines in sub-Saharan Africa. The WHO advocacy provides guidelines for scaling up training for health care workers. Furthermore, it emphasizes quality, not just quantity, of the training modules to be employed in the effort to build competencies for these professionals. It is in this context that this project is being planned – a context of increasing use of ‘western medicine’ by an increasingly urban population but without sufficiently qualified dispensers of drugs.

In 2019 MMM carried out a needs assessment survey around Arusha. It became clear that training in pharmaceutical services was needed, starting at the lowest level, the training of pharmaceutical assistants. Soon the Government will make it mandatory for all pharmacies to have at least one trained staff at this level in order to be registered. By training pharmaceutical assistants we are also addressing other development goals

Youth unemployment has become a concern in Tanzania with nearly 2.4 million unemployed people – most of them young – representing 10.7% of the population and the situation is more critical among urban youth. The lack of sufficient employment opportunities for young women further complicates the situation . Experience has shown that this type of training is often undertaken by women, aiding their empowerment.

This project is the first step in a much bigger scheme! We carry forward following our dreams to improve and implant good health care in Tanzania. We are exploring with other organizations, universities and the church authorities ways to follow on from the basic level into higher academic qualifications and perhaps initiate a pilot project for the production of quality drugs for Tanzania. This bigger project will be Tanzanian owned and controlled, important for long term sustainability.

{tab title=”Uganda”}

Uganda

Kampala

We collaborate with the Good Samaritans and a volunteer from local Government Council 1, by giving health/ life skills talks to youth in parish and schools as well as visiting the elderly. We take the elderly and children with disabilities to hospitals for medical care and rehabilitation centers respectively. We got funds from MMM Small Projects for nutrition supplements to 23 families. Michael’s House is supporting us to bring hope to the destitute elderly by paying for their medical care, providing food supplements and starting Income Generating Activities. We had initiated literacy classes to disadvantaged young women but covid-19 made us stop them for now.

Location: This ministry is located in Mawanga Village, Makindye Division, Kampala District in the Central Region of Uganda. According to the Catholic Church, it is based in Munyonyo Uganda Martyrs’ Minor Basilica of Kampala Archdiocese.

• We meet with the Good Samaritan representative and a volunteer from the Local Government council one, weekly to plan the activities and to evaluate the previous week.
• If there is any person with a difficulty, we listen to her/his story, this usually revives that person.
• We take the elderly to hospital for medical care according to their date of review. And if there is any new one identified, she joins in the next trip.
• If an elderly has a specific problem, for example with eyes or fracture, a special trip is fixed by both the Good Samaritan representative and MMM and we take her to a health facility where she can get such care.
• We take children with disabilities to the rehabilitation center according to their appointment dates. And any person that has a specific need, such as a stroke, we bring her/him to the same centre.
• We do home visits to the elderly twice a week and if there is any emergency, the leader of the Good Samaritan informs us over the phone and we respond accordingly.
• The youth talks in the parish and those in schools have been put on hold since Covid-19 Pandemic set in.
• We purchase food supplements, keep it at the office of Good Samaritans and then supply it monthly.
• We give talks/ life skills to the elderly once a month, on the day of food supplements’ distribution.
• We help support the elderly to start income generating activities to generate income and start saving.
• We ensure that each beneficiary signs forms; for accepting her photo to be taken and be sent to the donors, that she has accepted to be taken to hospital and that she has been given a once off fund to start an IGA (this fund is from Michael’s House)
• We keep documents safely and write reports to the donor(s) whenever necessary

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{tab title=”Brazil”}

Brazil

There are five Sisters in Brazil and along with their nine Associate members they are engaged in a variety of ministries. Now, we have closed a corporate ministry, Project Consolation, and are researching a new beginning in another part of the country. It is hampered by the pandemic, so the following is what is happening now.

1. Family Ministry
2. Youth & Vocation Animation
3. AMMM
4. Pastoral Health
5. Prison Ministry
6. Counselling
7. Women group apostolate

There are nine lay associates in Brazil, seven in Capim Grosso and one Cabaceiras do Paraguaçu and one here in Salvador. Most of them are engaged in parish ministries.

Here their main ministries are: Pastoral da familia (family parish group) – this is a group where the couples come together and share their struggles and strengths in living together.

• Listening and counselling to families who have special needs children . One associate is volunteering in a project that supports families who have children with special needs.
• Prayer ministry- some took more seriously the ministry of prayer specially for the people who lost their relatives due to the pandemic.
• Empowerment of parish leaders- one is directly engaged in helping to organize the Tuesday workshops on various themes for parishioners and teachers who are accompanying the young people.
• Engagement in the youth ministry – this involves: local fundraising for participation in workshops organized by the Marist Brothers. These workshops give skills on engaging with the youth as well as listening and accompanying the young people, referrals to spiritual and psychological accompaniment and coordinating the team.
• Vocation animation ministry – there are some also who are engaged in inviting some young women to participate in our virtual “come and see” meetings.

{tab title=”The USA”}

USA

Our Sisters in the USA are mostly elderly now and many are living in assisted living facilities. However age has not dimmed their enthusiasm for mission. Read below the contribution of some of our MMM Sisters and Associates.

Sister Anne Marie Hubbard MMM
Initially I said well I have no ministry, but then on further reflection, I definitely do here in Youville Assisted living. It is one of support, listening, walking with, and of course praying. My praying has become somewhat different, and I find myself when saying the Office to have a long list of things to pray for. The Lord must say, is she finished yet? So, my ministry is different, but it is most real.

Sister Margaret Anne Meyer MMM
Since I came to Somerville, I continue to go with Nina on vocation work. Since last March we have had Monthly meetings by Zoom with a group called “Fiat” run by Sister Marian Bartho, a Sister of St. Joseph. There are about 7 congregations involved and 10-12 young women either attending the Boston Universities or in business in the Boston area. We take different topics of religious life each month from October to May. We have told Sr. Marian that we are not recruiting for MMM but would like to be part of the program to encourage other young women to join a congregation.
I belong to a Parish Vocation Ministry and we used to meet monthly but have stopped during Covid. One of the priests in St. Louis and Zelie Martin (name of our new parish grouping) invited me.
I joined the United States Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking last October and I find myself engaged in a lot of advocacy work ending child pornography by trying to get the EARN-IT ACT passed.
working on the elimination of child forced labor regarding the chocolate industry, working to pass the Equality Act Based on the Nordic Model of decriminalizing the woman and criminalizing the buyer and or trafficker. I attend many zoom meetings in these areas every month and notify Congress members.
I belong to the Boston Sisters against trafficking. We are 5 members from different Congregations.
We have monthly zoom meetings and prepared two prayer vigils this year. I volunteer one day a week in the Visiting Nurse Association on Highland Residence.
I forgot to say that I think my main ministry is prayer. There is so much going on in the world and I lift all the suffering people to God.

Sister Kathie Shea MMM
I have two public ministries:

• one is working in our Mission Development Office in business administration/finance in collaboration with the Mission Development Director and staff. Within the US I also participate, as possible, in making MMM known by participating mission appeals/awareness

My second ministry is as the Area Business Administrator for the Area of the Americas in collaboration with the Area Leader and her team. I am in regular contact with the local business administrators in Brazil, Honduras, the US, and those living by themselves ensuring that accounts are kept up to date and budgets are prepared and presented to the appropriate persons within MMM. Over the years I have introduced and taught some of our sisters how to better keep their accounts and financial records.

In both ministries I am in regular contact with our Central Business Administration. These 2 ministries while of a financial nature I feel can best be summed up by saying my ministries involve accountability and collaboration within MMM.
A not so public ministry, but a conviction I have, is to put a “face” on the Area of the Americas and MMM through our Area Facebook. I endeavor to regularly keep our Facebook up to date and relevant. I enjoy immensely taking photos and some of my photos have facilitated our communications department in Ireland in their ministry/work. Thus, this ministry can best be summed up as public relations for MMM.

Sister Bernadette Kenny MMM
Head Start Board Monthly Meeting /Visits
Food Bank Weekly Meeting / Distribution monthly
First Communion Instruction – weekly
Church Transport- Weekly
Eucharist Visitation. 5 families- weekly
SUPPORT RELATIONSHIPS
MMM Telephone Calls 7x per week
Families in Crisis. 3
Physician visits model wholistic care.
Social visits Graduation, Showers etc
RESEARCH
Zoom Meetings with other Religious women
Cultivation of Resilience both Theory and Practice.

Sister Nina Underwood MMM
I continue to be involved in vocation ministry and also attend the “Fiat” monthly/ by monthly meetings, Also, I respond to letters from women who express a desire to know more about MMM and a missionary vocation. I am also involved in a limited way (since Covid) with our parish here in Somerville.
Volunteering at the VNA (Visiting Nurses Association) across the street at least one day a week. This involves everything from feeding patients to helping the staff in whatever way they need assistance, games with residents, walks, etc.
Outreach to my family (Siblings) who have serious health concerns at the present time. I am the HCP for two of them. Driving sisters to Doctor appointments when needed, community responsibilities etc.etc.
God gives me many opportunities to serve. I consider it a privilege to assist the elderly and my sisters.

Sister Joanne Bierl MMM
The two ministries that take most of my time are that of Area Leader and MDO director. It is being the public face of MMM to the world of Religious life in LCWR and all the organizations we collaborate with and with our partners, friends, and vendors, etc. I had been volunteering as English instructor for migrants working with Aquinas Literacy Services (Sponsored ministry of the Dominican Sisters) but had to discontinue because of time constraints and travel schedule.

Pat Adams AMMM
Development and coordination of a parish-based outreach program for those in need in our local community, to include basic necessities of: hot and cold meals, clothing, toiletries, shower and laundry access, haircuts, drop in center, emergency shelter, transportation to medical appointments, assistance with paperwork for medical insurance, disability and housing, adult mentoring, life skills classes.

Marianne Grisez AMMM
As far as what I have been doing
I am part of Secular Franciscans at Mission San Luis Rey –
– donate to food bank and support their ministries
@ St. Thomas More my parish,
I am on Social Justice comm.
1. We are part of national Faith in Action and our local group SDOP – San Diego Organizing Project.
– help to sponsor and support asylum seekers upon arrival.
– advocate for affordable housing and other political actions to benefit the common good.
3. work with other local denominations who support refugees who have settled here – such as Jewish family services, Episcopal church.
4. work with Pax Christi to – study Fratelli Tutti and support the efforts to fight racism in our county.
5. support local group homes for those who are escaping human trafficking and child abuse.

Connie Saldivar AMMM
My husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 7 years ago.
Accepting the condition is not always easy.
Here in Chicago there was a need to have a support group in Spanish. Two other ladies and I started a support group in May 2020.
The name of the group in Spanish is ANCLA which means “Anchor”
A – Animo – Encouragement
N – Nostalgia – Nostalgia
C – Cariño – Loving
L – Luz – Light
A – Amistad – Friendship.
As an AMMM I am happy to share the Healing Charism in this support group to the Spanish community here in Chicago.
Thank you MMM for your guidance and support

{/tabs}