Changes at COHI: Sera Bonds, Leilani Johnson and Middle East Coordinators

It is with a warm and light heart that I take a moment to introduce you all to COHI's new Executive Director, Leilani Johnson, MPH. Volunteering and/or working with COHI since our incorporation in January 2004, Leilani demonstrated her commitment to the organization, its mission, and beneficiaries from the very beginning.  She is currently based in Boston, allowing COHI to have the stateside presence it needs to enable the organization to make it through these strained economic times.

COHI Founder Sera Bonds with Naz

I became a mother in the Fall of 2009 and my priorities have simply shifted. I find myself relishing the tasks my days now offer with laundry, seemingly endless nursing sessions, new teeth, and mobility! To say I am enjoying myself falls far short of the experience, in spite of my sleepless nights. I love being a mother, and it is with this level of satisfaction that I initiate this transition at COHI and the role that I play there.

It was never my intention to stay at the helm at COHI for longer than five years, and the time has arrived for me to move aside so that fresh leadership can guide this organization where it needs to go. It’s been my pride and joy to serve at the helm as we worked together to grow COHI into an organization that could stand on her own feet, and now it is time for me to move aside so that she can do so uninhibited by her founder. I will serve as the President of the Board of Directors for the next two years to ensure that the institutional memory I still house will be safely transferred, but I will be gently weaning myself from COHI’s everyday happenings.

I am incredibly proud of what COHI has achieved to date: over 1 million women in crisis settings served through safe motherhood, HIV/AIDS, and gender-based violence related activities. COHI found an unmet need in supporting the capacity development of midwives in Tibet, Sri Lanka, Palestine, Tanzania, Sudan, and Israel, as well as supporting the women displaced by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina in Louisiana, USA. COHI continues to inspire people around the world to host fundraisers, volunteer their time and services, and expand to new communities requesting COHI's assistance. This simply would not have happened without the support of countless people and organizations. I thank you for all you've done to make this dream of mine a reality.

I cannot think of a more competent, committed, and responsible professional to turn COHI over to than Leilani. With her endless amount of vision and pragmatism she will provide the leadership COHI needs at this critical time in its evolution. She also brings her easy laughter, perspective, and a gentle good nature that make working alongside her a pleasure.

Again, thank you for your belief that a small organization such as COHI does indeed deserve a seat at the table, that the women COHI serves deserve a champion, and that that champion could and should be COHI.

Warmly, from this new, humbled mother of two: baby Naz, and COHI,

Sera Bonds, MPH
Founder, Circle of Health International
28 Homa Umigdal
Be'ersheba, Israel
Israel mobile: 972-52-604-2561
Israel home: 001-512-535-4728
U.S. mobile: 001-512-517-3220
sera[at]cohintl.org
www.cohintl.org

Dear COHI community,

COHI Executive Director Leilani Johnson

While I transition into Sera Bonds’ position as Executive Director of Circle of Health International, I’d like to share with you a bit about my history with COHI and how I hope to continue the success that COHI has made in the past. Even before COHI’s existence, I have marveled at Sera’s ability to move an audience, to allow us to re-think our positions, and to push our bodies, physically and mentally, to try to do the “right” thing. In 2003, thoughts of COHI grew as Sera and I met and partook in a class, Complex Humanitarian Emergencies in Crisis Settings at Boston University’s School of Public Health. It was her recognition of the lack of women’s health services in emergencies that led her to dream of, and eventually form, COHI.

In 2004, from my one-room home in Mombasa, Kenya, I yearned to be physically there with Sera during the beginning stages of COHI, even contemplating leaving my post as a Peace Corps Volunteer during the post-tsunami work COHI carried out in Sri Lanka. I tried to do what I could while in Kenya on my own projects and when I returned to the USA, I knew that a large part of my time would be devoted to COHI in any way I could help.

Since then I’ve had a fantastic experience watching COHI grow and flourish as we produce outcomes beyond everyone’s expectations given the funds and resources with which we work. I’ve seen, first hand, the way women smile when talking about how COHI has changed their worldview, as well as seen men tear up while discussing and advocating for the need to keep women a priority in crisis settings. From this point, I’m energized to see the future of COHI and how it flourishes and grows. The commitment COHI has to women in crisis is unlike any other organization and we have quite a role to fill as supporters of this mission. I can only foresee greater stability in the projects we have established and possibly even more expansion in the future should opportunity arise.

As Sera and I make this transition, I ask for your patience and understanding as Sera hands over not only the physical information that goes with COHI, but also helps me with the institutional knowledge that I plan on understanding fully.

I cannot explain how meaningful an opportunity this is for me, and I plan not to disappoint. While I may not have the midwifery background that Sera has, my international health background, meticulous attention to detail and ability to foster relationships will keep COHI not only in a secure position during my time, but also will allow COHI to stretch and reach for more goals, strengthening COHI’s position in the international and maternal health fields.

This past winter I received a book from my uncle entitled something like, “How to be Rich by 30.” While nobody in the public health field ever sets out to get rich monetarily, it is in the work that we do that we start to feel “rich.” From my work with COHI, I’ve already felt so much richness from the work we do and cannot wait to keep getting “richer”.

Please feel free to email (leilani[at]cohintl.org), call (512.517.3220) or schedule to meet with me for any questions, concerns, ideas, musings, wants, needs or anything else you might need. I'm here for you and want to make sure that COHI continues to thrive given the environment in which we find ourselves.

Finally, a great standing ovation for all the work Sera has put into COHI. She has literally put her heart, soul, body, and mind into this organization and I am so very proud of her for all she has accomplished in five very short years! Thank you, Sera, for all you have given to the women of the world. We are in awe of you.

With aloha,

Leilani

Israel / Palestine Coexistence Project Aisha Saifi and Gomer Ben Moshe Named Project Coordinators   Please welcome Aisha Saifi and Gomer Ben Moshe as our Palestinian and Israeli coordinators for COHI's coexistence project. Both Gomer and Aisha transition into their roles after years of volunteering with COHI and we're so very lucky to have their commitment, skills, dedication, and leadership. We look forward to continued success in our coexistence project and cannot wait to see the wonderful outcomes of this program. Aisha Saifi, named Co-Coordinator of the COHI Coexistence project Aisha Saifi holds a B.S. in Nursing as well as a Diploma in Midwifery from Bethlehem University in Palestine. She currently works in a maternity hospital after spending nearly two decades working and raising awareness for various nonprofits and associations in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. She comes to COHI because she has always believed in empowering women and believes that her work in changing the social environment is an indicator of helping her to better know herself and further develop her own ideals. She states, “COHI is a place where I can transform my conscience into my consciousness and help me realize the necessity of struggling in this part of the world for a greater good.” Aisha is the proud mother of four children. Gomer Ben Moshe, named Co-Coordinator of the COHI Coexistence project Gomer Ben Moshe is the Israeli Project Coordinator. She worked as a midwife in a hospital delivery room for many years, and now spends most of her time working for COHI in Israel. She also works as an independent midwife and teaches women's health issues at the Haifa University. She attained a BA of Nursing is from "Haddash", Jerusalem, then worked on a surgery ward in the Tel Aviv medical center for 3 years. She then went on to get her midwifery diploma and recently, her Masters degree in women's studies from Lesley University. One of Gomer's main interests are grief and loss during pregnancy and childbirth, in which she tries to support women and their families as well as health staff.

In closing, please do feel free to email, call, Skype, or schedule a meeting with me as I would love to get to know better the COHI community made up of fellow health professionals, donors, volunteers, supporters and, of course, friends.

Leilani Johnson
Circle of Health International
Executive Director
90 Coventry Wood Road
Bolton, MA 01740-1123, USA
leilani[at]cohintl.org
www.cohintl.org
512.517.3220
Skype: leilanijohnson

Circle of Health International is a 501c3 nonprofit organization supporting the empowerment of conflict- and disaster-affected women through the provision of women's health initiatives. Learn more and get involved at www.cohintl.org.