By Naneka A. Hoffman
The second batch of four healthcare workers, undergoing training as hearing instrument specialists in Lusaka, Zambia, return to Liberia after completing their 11-month program.
Their graduation occurred recently at Starkey, Lusaka, bringing the total number of hearing instrument specialists in Liberia to eight. The program costs US$160,000 and covers tuition, accommodation, travel, laptops, and monthly allowances.
The initiative is sponsored by Church Aid Incorporated, the relief arm of the New Water in the Desert Apostolic Pentecostal Church, in collaboration with its international partner, the Starkey Foundation, and local partners.
Earlier this year, Church Aid also sent four nurses from government-run hospitals across Liberia to Zambia for specialized training in hearing healthcare.
The nurses who recently returned from Zambia include Blessing Acquire from the Government Hospital in Grand Bassa County; Georgia A. Gray from the Redemption Hospital in Montserrado County; Naomi Smith from C.B. Dunbar Hospital in Bong County, and Vanja Mama Kowula from C.H. Rennie Hospital in Margibi County.
During a Thanksgiving Praise Service at the New Water in the Desert Apostolic Pentecostal Church International in Brewerville, the nurses expressed gratitude for the opportunity.
Georgia A. Gray praised Bishop Kortu Brown for his visionary leadership, which she says elevates healthcare in Liberia. Blessing Acquire shared her surprise at being selected for the program, noting that she had never heard of such training in Liberia before.
She expressed deep gratitude to Church Aid and Bishop Kortu Brown and promised to serve the Liberian people with dedication.
Naomi Smith and Vanja Mama Kowula also expressed appreciation to Church Aid, the New Water in the Desert Church, and their international partners, particularly Bishop Kortu Brown, whom they described as a father figure whose contributions to the country are far-reaching.
This initiative builds on previous efforts, as Church Aid has already trained four nurses in the past. The first group of trained hearing healthcare specialists included P. Magdalene Konneh from the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Hannah H. Newah from the Government Hospital in Tubmanburg, Bomi County, Mr. D. Iben Porkpah, and Mr. Moses Biman Jr. from Curran Lutheran Hospital in Zorzor, Lofa County.
During the Thanksgiving service, Bishop Kortu K. Brown, the general overseer of the New Water in the Desert Apostolic Pentecostal Church and head of Church Aid Incorporated, announced that the 2024 graduates would be assigned to major hospitals in Montserrado, Margibi, Bong, and Grand Bassa counties.
He thanked the organization’s dedicated partners from Africa and North America for their continued support in promoting hearing care in Liberia and beyond.
He also revealed that applications for the third batch of candidates for training in Zambia are ongoing. The team is working with hospitals in Nimba, Maryland, Grand Cape Mount, and Montserrado counties to identify candidates for the 2025 training.
He emphasized the importance of taking Liberia’s healthcare to the next level and revealed plans for screenings in Montserrado County to assist people suffering from hearing impairments.
In collaboration with international partners, Church Aid plans to train 20 more nurses in 2025, who will be assigned to government hospitals across Liberia to address the growing demand for hearing healthcare. Currently, Liberia has only one specialized hearing healthcare doctor at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Sinkor, which has spurred Church Aid and its partners to take action and help support the government’s efforts in expanding hearing care services across the country. Editing by Jonathan Browne
