From Liberia with love

Imogen Ward, Merlin’s Marketing & Communications Director, joined the international health charity Merlin 10 years ago this month. Here she documents what Merlin means to her and how a recent trip to Liberia helped her love her job that little bit more…

I have a confession - I am a bit of a fraud. I have been Merlin’s Marketing and Communications Director for a decade but my trips to actually see our medical experts in action have been well, patchy. I’ve had my reasons – two in fact! And, the speed with which Merlin has grown since it was founded in 1993, has kept me more than a little busy at our London HQ expanding our fundraising operations and boosting Merlin’s profile.

But I haven’t gone as often as I should.

Off to Liberia

So, when we decided to take our inspirational founder Dr Chris Besse out to see Merlin’s work in Liberia – one of the 17 countries where Merlin works - I knew that I had to go with him.

Our programme in Liberia was established in 1997 when Chris was still Merlin’s first Chief Executive and although he was instrumental in securing the funding and planning for the operation, he never actually visited it.

It is a country with a troubled past. When I joined Merlin in 2003, the atrocities of the 14 year civil war were coming to a terrible, tragic climax and my first ‘Merlin summer’ saw me leading an emergency appeal for a country that the world really seemed to have forgotten.

I’ll never forget the voices of our team down the line from the capital city, Monrovia, bravely trying to keep our mission alive as bullets flew around them and crazed boy soldiers and rebels terrorised the streets. All of this memorably summed up in this iconic ‘Merlin shot’ from the time.

It was the first of many WOW moments. Suddenly, I really understood what Merlin was all about. Not complex theories about international development, not a faceless aid agency. Merlin is about people. People helping people.

So a trip with our founder to Liberia was always going to be pretty special.

Turning a corner

Thankfully, Liberia is now a very different place. Ok it still has some of the huge issues that brought us here in 1997. Too many people still die from malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. And, a shockingly high rate of women still die during childbirth or of pregnancy related complications. Babies and toddlers don’t reach their 5th birthday, their little lives being cut short by common childhood diseases such as measles. And it still has a depressingly high level of violence against woman – often rape – which brings with it a multitude of health related consequences.

But its changed radically, emanating a spirit of optimism and stability. You may have heard the brilliant series of BBC Radio 4 reports from Liberia over the past 12 months. They document excellently how this small West African country is slowly emerging from the horrors of war with ambitions of self-reliance. Like so many states in Africa it’s a proud country with enormous amounts of natural resources and potential. It doesn’t want to rely on international aid agencies for health, education and livelihood. And thanks to the excellent leadership of its president, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, slowly it’s getting there.

Helping Liberia reach its potential

Merlin forms an important chapter in Liberia’s recent history because, thanks to our donors and supporters, we have led the rebuilding and strengthening of its entire health service. Whether at the ‘frontline’ giving vaccinations to babies or behind the scenes, planning services with the Ministry of Health, or as with many of Merlin’s country programmes, training health workers. Merlin has been there for Liberia.

And this means that thanks to Merlin, young men like Macaulay, are now part of Liberia’s health workforce. Mac grew up in a country at war and as a little boy he used to run alongside the Merlin trucks waving as we whizzed around delivering emergency medical aid. He is now a trained anaesthetist working in Buchanan Hospital serving his community.

It means that a little clinic called Ceegbah in a remote part of Liberia now has a maternity ward and birthing suite where first time mum, Henrietta, delivered her beautiful baby boy Solomon safely with the help of Merlin trained midwives.

And it means that when Alice brings her baby girl Peace to a clinic to be vaccinated it’s Merlin that’s supported the staff and helped ensure she comes regularly for medical check-ups.

10 years on...

This month I join the Merlin “10 year club”. Something that I am very proud of. And Liberia reminded me why.

Why I’ve put up with long, unsociable hours and often made very difficult and challenging choices. Why sometimes I’ve missed school assemblies and weekends with my family,

Because Merlin not only saves and changes lives, it helps shape the destiny of a country to make it thrive. And how awesome is that?!

As Chris recently said “Human beings are the reason for Merlin’s work and always will be.” I knew that back in 2003 of course. I just needed Liberia to give me that little nudge.

Happy birthday Merlin. I am proud to have played a small part in your journey.