Dear Rick’s Heart Foundation,
Spring is such a wonderful time of year. It makes me think of new beginnings, with new challenges and new growth.
Here at KBNF, we came into 2026 running. We had just celebrated our 25th anniversary with a gala event and a commemorative book, and were full on into a neurosurgery mission with two other medical charities who came to help with doctors, nurses, anaesthesiologists and support teams. (Last month’s newsletter gave details on that.)
For a quick update on personnel: Rose has moved on to the Medical Missions Director role, and I am now the Executive Director. Rose performed magnificently on the February mission. She is currently planning two smaller missions for later in the year, during which West African neurosurgeons will visit Liberia to perform surgeries and provide training to local neurosurgeons. The budget for each of these missions will be approximately $30,000, and we are seeking donors to support one or both. Prof. Femi Bankole from LUTH in Nigeria and Dr. Harry Akoto of KBTH in Ghana are each planning to bring some of their nurses to spend a week in neurosurgery.
The warehouse in Ladner has been very busy. The team worked diligently to have a load ready to go before Christmas. That load arrived in Liberia last week and was unloaded on Saturday, April 4.
The next week, nine clinics and hospitals came by to get new supplies. More will continue to stop by. We ask that each hospital and clinic provide us with a list of their desires, so we can try to meet their most pressing needs. Helen Charles, KBNF’s Country Coordinator, and Jerry Varney are working hard to ensure that everything is directed to the best use.
Since Christmas, we have shipped two more containers to Liberia. We also have a third container almost ready to ship. Health Partners International Canada (HPIC), a medication-distributing charity that has supported us tremendously in the last couple of years, has put together another container for us. This container will ship out in the next couple of weeks. HPIC has paid for everything except the port fees for the last three containers they’ve shipped. For this one, they are covering the cost of the pallets (10 pallets at around $900 each.) We will pay for the freight and port costs, but it is a fraction of the value we are getting. We are thrilled to be partnering with them.
Our port costs in Liberia are about US$2,500, and shipping a container from our warehouse here costs about CDN$25,000. You can see that we would be thrilled to have many people support us with monthly giving. It makes budget planning much easier.
Since we support five countries in West Africa, you might be wondering why so many loads go to Liberia? The reason is that we have a daughter foundation and our own tax number in Liberia, which allows us to obtain duty-free entry without relying on another entity. We also have our own warehouse, which allows us to store items and serve 40-50 hospitals and clinics in Liberia, an exceptionally under-resourced country.
When we ship to Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia, we need to sort and package with one facility in mind. That means, for example, that we send fewer of the same items, because one hospital—even a large one—cannot use as many syringes as 45 hospitals and clinics can. However, we also support these other countries and are putting together loads for Nigeria and Ghana now. We hope to get those shipments out in the next couple of months.
We have expanded our staff in Liberia by bringing on two part-time nurses. Jerry Varney is helping Helen at the warehouse with distribution, contacting people, and organizing the warehouse. Jomah Darius Lombeh (who is also studying to be a doctor) is helping Nurse Teinein Bernard as she supports Dr. Alvin Nah Doe. He is helping her organize the items needed for surgery and keeping an inventory of the medications needed for neurosurgeries. We are also building stronger relationships with business and government contacts in Liberia who are helping us with costs there. We hope to expand these relationships.
Volunteering
Our Volunteer Saturday on March 21 was a huge success! We had over 28 volunteers, including seven first-timers, with ages ranging from middle school to retirement. Our volunteers also got to experience loading a container, an unusual occurrence for a Volunteer Saturday. Most volunteers that day had never attended a container loading, so they enjoyed seeing that part of the shipping process.
With such a large group, we were also able to sort and pack the majority of the last load of medical supplies we’d received, while a large number of linens (mainly patient gowns) were sorted, folded and packed. Linens are always in short supply, so being able to get a large amount ready to ship was incredibly helpful.
Our next Volunteer Saturdays are coming up on:
- April 25
- May 23
We also have a Volunteer evening on Mondays from 6– 9 pm for those who cannot come during the day. Contact Courtney@kbnf.org to check on what is happening.
UBc - kbnc
Marj and I recently joined the Korle-Bu Neuroscience Club at UBC (UBC-KBNC), for an evening of preparing Baby Boxes to send. The students had collected all the items needed for about 50 Baby Boxes. They provided detailed instructions for preparing the boxes, and everything was laid out for easy collection. Pizza and treats were also provided. It was a fun time, and we are so grateful for these students’ enthusiasm and energy. In about two hours, they had put together all the Baby Boxes. What a difference these will make for moms and babies in West Africa. Thank you, UBC-KBNC!
As the weather improves, and if you are thinking of spring cleaning, please remember the Discovery Storehouse Thrift Store at Suite 105, 20551 Langley Bypass in Langley. They are always looking for gently used items and are planning a Grand Opening in the next few weeks. Keep your eyes open for more news on this celebration.
Thanks for all your support!
With love,
Shirley
Executive Director
