Beyond Borders: How Mentorship at BHI Transcends Continents
This post is one of a short series that highlights several of the people who make up Build Health International’s (BHI) global health workforce.
Known as Build Health International’s flagship project, the Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais (HUM), fundamentally shifted delivery of critical and accessible healthcare. Since its opening in 2013, several expansions and significant renovations have taken place at HUM. From an oncology unit to a biosafety lab that studies infectious disease, HUM is a beacon of health equity, delivering high-quality and state-of-the-art care to the patients who need it most.
In addition to enhancing clinical care in Mirebalais and throughout Haiti, HUM has been a training ground for another form of equity; the team who drives much of its construction. Several team members who have spent the past decade training with Build Health International are now transferring their valuable skills, knowledge, and lessons learned to others. From Haiti to Sierra Leone, this is how BHI is strengthening health systems by equipping a talented team that builds health equity every day.
A little over a year ago, Abijah Offre was balancing a busy schedule. In addition to working on solar panel and network installations at Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais in Haiti, he spent time practicing English with his fellow teammates and was taking an advanced course on electrical systems. Around the same time, he and his wife welcomed their first child, which harkened an exciting new role of parenthood at home.
While he has undertaken more responsibilities, Abijah, who works as an IT technician and electrician at BHI, has remained motivated. He spoke of working toward a longer term goal of independent working styles. “I’m studying right now so that hopefully I can oversee and maintain the [hospital] network systems myself,” he recalls.
Abijah has remained eager and motivated. His professional career has been defined by learning. After graduating from Centre de Technologie Moderne d’Haiti in 2017, he began his journey with Build Health International under the mentorship of electricians Jose Mataix and Jimmy Forest with a specific focus on enhancing his understanding around electrical systems and installation. Abijah’s first project was working at St. Boniface Hospital, located in Fond Des Blancs, on designing and building a massive solar expansion, which led to an 800-panel installation on the hospital’s roof.
Following the completion of his official internship in 2019, BHI supported Abijah to find work in Port-Au-Prince (PAP) at a hydraulic forms and solar installation and maintenance firm. However, due to increasing security concerns, life in PAP proved to be more precarious than expected.
Abijah returned to work with Build Health International, though this time, his work brought him to Mirebalais and HUM. It was there he began his first forays into internet technology systems. Under the mentorship of BHI’s Special Projects and Technician Andrew Jones, Abijah worked in HUM’s emergency room department. There, he learned how to properly hang Ethernet wires in a congested emergency room, as well as fasten wall mounted server rack frames and land cables so that hospital IT staff could easily install networking equipment. First, he completed all of this work with remote support; then, on his own. He has never looked back.
Building a workforce requires dedication, mentorship, and training, all of which serve as investments in the people who make the institutions, infrastructure, and communities. Abijah is one of 11 million young people in Haiti, who make up 55% of the population. Limited professional opportunities drive much of the country’s talent away from the country’s industry and service sectors.
Healthcare and construction remain two key areas where both BHI, as well as its local partner, Zanmi Lasante (Partners In Health), have spent decades working to support local communities through economic development, including healthcare and construction jobs. To retain workers, the provision of extensive training opportunities has led to established career paths for team members like Abijah and others based in Mirebalais, Fonds Des Blancs, and project locations throughout Haiti and elsewhere.
As one of BHI’s technicians, Abijah’s role is paramount to healthcare system strengthening and infrastructure building. Strong electrical systems and information technology networks allow hospital operations to run smoothly, from keeping the lights on to maintaining digitalization of health records and patient data. The recent construction of an advanced diagnostics center at HUM, which is set to open in 2024, will feature data systems and electrical installation upgrades that Abijah has managed, aiding the transformation of preventive care.
This past October, Abijah’s electrical and internet technology expertise brought him to Sierra Leone, his first international trip outside of Haiti. There, he spent several months in Kono, a district located four hours from the country’s capital of Freetown, and met with and trained local BHI team members at the worksite of the Maternal Center of Excellence (MCOE), a maternal and newborn health center. His daily roles ranged from electrical and IT maintenance, including two Starlink installations, to teaching local site workers on how to use a drone to collect key data about site conditions. “I taught four people, Isatu, Alpha, Fanta, and Desmond,” he reflects. “They were very intelligent, and they learned very fast, and they made wonderful work [happen.]”
However, he did recall the learning curve on electrical systems, observing important differences with voltage systems. While North American systems utilize 110 volts, Sierra Leone uses European systems, which are around 240 volts. The discrepancy impacts how electrical systems are maintained and operated. “It’s a new challenge for me and for BHI,” he remarks. “I learned new things that gave me more experience and more skills.”
Since returning to Haiti in December, Abijah remarks that Sierra Leone left a valuable impression on him in more ways than one. “I became a teacher, but I tried to learn something from the students.” His work going forward will be to continue to train and equip other team members at Build Health International. He also is planning a return to school for an advanced degree. In the meantime, Abijah hopes to make another trip to Sierra Leone in the future to serve as a teacher and a student once more.
Rosanna Niosi serves as Build Health International’s Communications and Marketing Manger. She writes about accessibility, innovation, and occupational health in global health systems.
