"Two weeks after I graduated from BU, I joined the Peace Corps," Johnson said. "I was most interested in medicine on the public health level. When you use education to increase the health of the population, especially focusing on women who are generally more impoverished, you're better able to help the whole community rise up." Shortly after graduation, Johnson joined forces with a fellow Boston University graduate in the newly formed Circle of Health organization. Four years later, she found herself taking the organization's helm and its greatest challenge.
Kenya RPCV Leilani Johnson spends her time coordinating relief efforts to send American and international medical volunteers into some of the most impoverished, disaster-ridden areas across the globe
COHI helps women in crisis
By Lorraine Romasco/bolton@cnc.com
GateHouse News Service
Posted Mar 02, 2010 @ 12:23 PM
Bolton -
As executive director of Circle of Health International (COHI), Leilani Johnson of Bolton spends her time coordinating relief efforts to send American and international medical volunteers into some of the most impoverished, disaster-ridden areas across the globe. According to its Web site, Circle of Health's mission is to "build the capacity of women's health care providers in crisis settings."
"We try to figure out how we can best help in a disaster situation," Johnson said. "We focus on midwives and maternal health" including prenatal and birthing support as well as securing safe living quarters for women.
Formed in 2004, Circle of Health is still in its infancy, but its positive impact is being felt in Haiti, New Orleans, Sri Lanka, Tibet and at the Israeli-Palestinian border.
Johnson's own background was fitting preparation to championing Circle of Health's cause. She graduated from Pitzer College in California, with a degree in psychology and sociology. Her studies focused on migrant workers who are forced to use community emergency rooms to serve injuries and illnesses that could have been prevented with access to primary health care. From there, Johnson received a master's degree in public health from Boston University where she specialized in international health emergences, women's health and HIV/AIDS.
"Two weeks after I graduated from BU, I joined the Peace Corps," Johnson said. "I was most interested in medicine on the public health level. When you use education to increase the health of the population, especially focusing on women who are generally more impoverished, you're better able to help the whole community rise up."
Shortly after graduation, Johnson joined forces with a fellow Boston University graduate in the newly formed Circle of Health organization. Four years later, she found herself taking the organization's helm and its greatest challenge.
"If anything holds us back," says Johnson, "it's our funding."
Circle of Health receives no federal or state funding. All contributions come from individual donors with the occasional, yet much appreciated, contribution from larger relief organizations. One such partner organization is MADRE, an international women's human rights organization in New York City.
Johnson believes larger partner organizations seek out Circle of Health because "we're smaller and we can respond more quickly. We don't have much money and we don't have our own vehicles but we're able to move quickly."
Circle of Health's bank of volunteers is a 300-medical personnel network of doctors, nurses, midwives, psychologists and public health professionals. Within hours of learning of the Haiti earthquake, Johnson and a small group of medical volunteers were orchestrating plans with their contacts on the ground in the very heart of the disaster.
Within days, Johnson had deployed "four midwife volunteers on the ground in Haiti," she said, "and they weren't just dealing with women's health. They were dealing with a lot of amputations and other trauma-related injuries."
"It's important that our volunteers have some experience in helping with on the ground disasters so they're prepared to deal with what they're going to see and experience," said Johnson.
Many times their work is as much strategic as it is hands-on.
"Gender based violence is rampant is these situations. Things like locating the women's latrines close to the women's quarters so they don't have to go past the officers' tents are critical in reducing rape and violence against the women," Johnson added.
Johnson believes it will take years to rebuild Haiti.
"Haiti was in such a bad situation before the earthquake that it only hurt that country more."
The loss of human life and destruction of their infrastructure has resulted in the disappearance of "entire groups of ministries in the Haitian government," she said.
Johnson knows that this type of work is especially grueling on volunteers. "We take care of them as best we can. In order for us to send in volunteers the logistics need to be secure. We have to be sure they are safe and have food."
Johnson said that the physical and mental well being of their volunteer base is Circle of Health's top priority.
"Every volunteer has access to three board members to discuss any issue as well as counselors experienced in helping volunteers work through the effects of the destruction they see."
Johnson's vision of just how much Circle of Health can help is realistic.
"There are so many aspects of help required in a disaster situation; food, water and sanitation are always thought of first," Johnson noted.
"But women's healthcare is so important. During trauma if a woman is sick the whole family suffers. The food isn't there. The guardianship isn't there. We focus on women's health in crisis situations so they can focus on their families and communities."
For information on how to help visit cohintl.org or join their Facebook page at Circle of Health International.
