SAJCF embarked on empowering and training medical health personnel working within rural communities; with the aim of contributing to the improvement of the health system in the country. This work started in 2007 when the Foundation started training medical and health personnel in the area of Maternal and Child Health, especially those working in rural communities. Notably, it is in rural communities that the blight scourge of curable and preventable diseases continues to negatively impact on the lives of the poor and needy. To date the Foundation has trained 398 health professional including 75 Traditional Births Attendants (TBAs), 75 Village Health Workers (VHWs), 148 Midwives on the use of the Partograph and on other emergency delivery methods, 50 Health Providers on Emergency Maternal and Child Issues and 50 Auxiliaries and Community Nurse Attendants.

The training provided was sponsored by institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank and facilitated by Community Health Nurses (CHNs) mostly, with support from National Nutrition Agency (NaNA), Food and Nutrition Department of the Department of State for Agriculture, and National Environmental Agency when required.

SAJCF has also run a Health Awareness Campaign to, as part of its training programme; to sensitise Traditional Leaders, Women and Youth Kafo (Group) Leaders, and other influential persons in the operational area in order to guarantee support for the Community Health Personnel’s activities. The campaign covers Health and Nutrition issues and discussed the importance of the TBAs and VHWs.

The Foundation has also fully sponsored three Community Health Nurses (CHN), in 2010, to study a two year nursing qualification at the Nursing School in Mansokonko in the Lower River Division of the country. The three CHN’s have now graduated from their studies and have been employed by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.