Breaking Ground!!!

2021-04-20 · announcement · John · 3:51 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Global development (also: Books & writing, Nerdfighteria) · mode: Announcements · tags: fundraising ask, self promotion, civic or action cta

In three parts John announces that Partners In Health will break ground next week on the Maternal Center of Excellence in Sierra Leone after over $20 million raised, reports he finished recording The Anthropocene Reviewed audiobook and answers questions about signing and a virtual tour, and praises things Nerdfighteria makes.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Groundbreaking of the Maternal Center of Excellence, $20 million raised, early results at Koidu, the April 29 celebration livestream and the donation ask; start of the audiobook part

★★★ Next week (week of 26 April 2021) Partners In Health and the Sierra Leonean government will officially break ground on the Maternal Center of Excellence and the expansion of Koidu Government Hospital, a huge step against maternal mortality. — 00:00:00 · Partners In Health, Maternal Center of Excellence, Koidu Government Hospital, Sierra Leone, maternal death
★★ Despite the challenges of the last 15 months, the Maternal Center of Excellence is on schedule thanks to the Ministry of Health, colleagues at PIH and thousands of donors. — 00:00:00 · Maternal Center of Excellence, Partners In Health
★★★ John assumed the pandemic would delay the MCOE for months or years, but donations grew every month and, with Partners In Health, over $20 million has been raised. — 00:00:29 · COVID-19 pandemic, Maternal Center of Excellence, Partners In Health
★★★ John says the MCOE will dramatically change the quality of care available to women and children in the region. — 00:00:29 · Maternal Center of Excellence
★★★ In the region the MCOE will serve, one out of every 20 women can expect to die in childbirth. — 00:00:29 · maternal death, Sierra Leone
★★★ Change is already happening: in the last year neonatal mortality at Koidu Government Hospital fell by 50% thanks to a new infant care unit. — 00:00:29 · Koidu Government Hospital
★★ John recommends PIH Sierra Leone's annual report, which covers the infant care unit and a baby, Naphtal, whose parents named him after his doctor in thanks for his survival. — 00:00:29 · Partners In Health, Sierra Leone
★★ The mental health clinic is growing, as is a new clinic for adolescent care. — 00:01:16 · Koidu Government Hospital
★★ John says the MCOE should dramatically accelerate this progress. (hedged) — 00:01:16 · Maternal Center of Excellence
★★ As a teaching hospital, the MCOE will train the next generation of Sierra Leonean health care workers. — 00:01:16 · Maternal Center of Excellence, Sierra Leone · also in: Risk Is a Privilege
★★ There is a very long way to go in strengthening Sierra Leone's health care system, but this is a big milestone. — 00:01:16 · Sierra Leone
★★★ The groundbreaking will be celebrated on April 29 at 6 p.m. Eastern with a livestream featuring friends from PIH Sierra Leone; John hopes viewers join. — 00:01:16 · Partners In Health, Sierra Leone
★★ John will do a livestream later that afternoon going through the financial and fundraising side in detail. — 00:01:46
★★★ There is still a funding gap, so John asks those able to donate to the project at PIH.org/hankandjohn. — 00:01:46 · Partners In Health
★★★ John just finished recording The Anthropocene Reviewed audiobook, which was fun; he found only one typo. — 00:01:46 · The Anthropocene Reviewed (book)

00:02:15 — Audiobook questions: music, signing, signed copies abroad, a virtual tour, May 18 release

★ Asked whether the audiobook will have music, John says not much: mostly his voice playing its only note. (playful) — 00:02:15
★★ The audiobook will not be signed: John has not yet figured out how to autograph sound waves. (playful) — 00:02:15
★★ Every pre-order of the US and Canadian hardcover will be signed, and some signed copies will be available at UK bookstores. — 00:02:15 · United States, Canada, United Kingdom
★★ If someone abroad manages to order the US edition, John thinks it will be signed but can't promise, given international copyright and shipping. (hedged) — 00:02:44 · United States
★★★ There will be a virtual tour: reviewing the Anthropocene together with special guests, talking about love, loss and this weird moment, and supporting independent bookstores. — 00:02:44
★★ John will announce the tour dates when he has them, this week (week of 19 April 2021) or next. — 00:02:44
★★ The book and audiobook come out on May 18 and are available for pre-order now. — 00:02:44 · The Anthropocene Reviewed (book)

00:03:13 — Nerdfighteria is amazing: the $20 million, the self-talk poem, a random Vlogbrothers video website, the vision board and sign-off

★★★ Nerdfighteria is amazing: the driving force behind raising over $20 million for a maternal and infant care center at Koidu, and for the things it makes all the time. — 00:03:13 · Nerdfighteria, Koidu Government Hospital
★★ On the nerdfighter subreddit John found his positive self-talk arranged as a poem. — 00:03:13 · Reddit
★★ Alexandre Daly's website sends you to a random Vlogbrothers video out of the 1,923 uploaded so far; clicking it brought John lovely memories. — 00:03:13 · Vlogbrothers
★ John reads a line on his 2021 vision board about the long, strange trip so far and toasts to much, much more. (playful) — 00:03:42

In the description and comments

★★ The description asks those able to donate $2,000 or more to the PIH project to join the matching fund. — video description · Partners In Health

Threads in this video

repeated · John: Partners In Health will break ground on the Maternal Center of Excellence in spring 2021 (2020) — Next week (week of 26 April 2021) Partners In Health and the Sierra Leonean government will officially break ground on the Maternal Center of Excellence and the expansion of Koidu Government Hospital, a huge step against maternal mortality. (00:00:00)
milestone · Maternal Center of Excellence: the brothers' Partners In Health project in Sierra Leone (2019) — John assumed the pandemic would delay the MCOE for months or years, but donations grew every month and, with Partners In Health, over $20 million has been raised. (00:00:29)
result reported · John asks viewers to donate to Partners In Health at pih.org/hankandjohn (2019) — John assumed the pandemic would delay the MCOE for months or years, but donations grew every month and, with Partners In Health, over $20 million has been raised. (00:00:29)
repeated · John: the Maternal Center of Excellence will dramatically change the quality of care for women and children in its region (2020) — John says the MCOE will dramatically change the quality of care available to women and children in the region. (00:00:29)
came true · John: Koidu Government Hospital's special baby care unit will open later in July 2020 (2020) — Change is already happening: in the last year neonatal mortality at Koidu Government Hospital fell by 50% thanks to a new infant care unit. (00:00:29)
predicted · John: the Maternal Center of Excellence should dramatically accelerate progress in care at Koidu (2020) — John says the MCOE should dramatically accelerate this progress. (00:01:16)
predicted · John: as a teaching hospital the Maternal Center of Excellence will train the next generation of Sierra Leonean health care workers (2019) — As a teaching hospital, the MCOE will train the next generation of Sierra Leonean health care workers. (00:01:16)
promised · John (with PIH Sierra Leone): celebrate the Maternal Center of Excellence groundbreaking with a livestream on April 29, 2021 (2021) — The groundbreaking will be celebrated on April 29 at 6 p.m. Eastern with a livestream featuring friends from PIH Sierra Leone; John hopes viewers join. (00:01:16)
thanks · John asks viewers to donate to Partners In Health at pih.org/hankandjohn (2019) — John thanks everyone who worked so hard and gave so generously to reach this moment. (00:01:46)
promised · John: do a livestream on the financial and fundraising side of the PIH project the afternoon of April 20, 2021 (2021) — John will do a livestream later that afternoon going through the financial and fundraising side in detail. (00:01:46)
reminder · John asks viewers to donate to Partners In Health at pih.org/hankandjohn (2019) — There is still a funding gap, so John asks those able to donate to the project at PIH.org/hankandjohn. (00:01:46)
reminder · John asks would-be donors of $2,000 or more to join the PIH Sierra Leone matching team by email (2019) — The description asks those able to donate $2,000 or more to the PIH project to join the matching fund. (video description)
kept · John: narrate The Anthropocene Reviewed audiobook (2020) — John just finished recording The Anthropocene Reviewed audiobook, which was fun; he found only one typo. (00:01:46)
milestone · The Anthropocene Reviewed book: announcement and publication (2020) — John just finished recording The Anthropocene Reviewed audiobook, which was fun; he found only one typo. (00:01:46)
promised · John: announce The Anthropocene Reviewed virtual tour dates within two weeks (2021) — John will announce the tour dates when he has them, this week (week of 19 April 2021) or next. (00:02:44)
came true · John: as Sierra Leoneans trust mental health care, demand for its services will keep rising (2019) — The mental health clinic is growing, as is a new clinic for adolescent care. (00:01:16)
progress update · John (with Hank): follow the PIH Sierra Leone project for five years with video, photo and audio updates (2019) — Despite the challenges of the last 15 months, the Maternal Center of Excellence is on schedule thanks to the Ministry of Health, colleagues at PIH and thousands of donors. (00:00:00)
milestone · Partners In Health maternal health project in Liberia funded by DFTBA profit (2019) — Next week (week of 26 April 2021) Partners In Health and the Sierra Leonean government will officially break ground on the Maternal Center of Excellence and the expansion of Koidu Government Hospital, a huge step against maternal mortality. (00:00:00)
repeated · John: copies of The Anthropocene Reviewed book ordered outside the US and Canada will probably not be signed (2020) — If someone abroad manages to order the US edition, John thinks it will be signed but can't promise, given international copyright and shipping. (00:02:44)
proposed · The Anthropocene Reviewed virtual book tour (2021) — There will be a virtual tour: reviewing the Anthropocene together with special guests, talking about love, loss and this weird moment, and supporting independent bookstores. (00:02:44)
milestone · John's weekly 2021 vision board (2021) — John reads a line on his 2021 vision board about the long, strange trip so far and toasts to much, much more. (00:03:42)

Where the stories that moved here went next

John asks viewers to donate to Partners In Health at pih.org/hankandjohn (2019) — reported back; last: thanks, 2026-08-28
John: the Maternal Center of Excellence should dramatically accelerate progress in care at Koidu (2020) — came true
John: as a teaching hospital the Maternal Center of Excellence will train the next generation of Sierra Leonean health care workers (2019) — came true
John: Koidu Government Hospital's special baby care unit will open later in July 2020 (2020) — came true; last: recalled, 2023-05-02
John: as Sierra Leoneans trust mental health care, demand for its services will keep rising (2019) — came true
John (with PIH Sierra Leone): celebrate the Maternal Center of Excellence groundbreaking with a livestream on April 29, 2021 (2021) — the project it belongs to reported its result; last: promised, 2021-04-20
John: do a livestream on the financial and fundraising side of the PIH project the afternoon of April 20, 2021 (2021) — the project it belongs to reported its result; last: promised, 2021-04-20
John: announce The Anthropocene Reviewed virtual tour dates within two weeks (2021) — kept

Mentioned

Central: Maternal Center of Excellence · maternal death · Partners In Health

Also: People: Chris Hemsworth

Organizations: Koidu Government Hospital · Reddit

Concepts: audiobook · independent bookstore · Self-talk · vision board

Places: Canada · Sierra Leone · United Kingdom · United States

Events: COVID-19 pandemic

Only in the description or credits: Alexandre Daly · child mortality · Ministry of Health and Sanitation (Sierra Leone) · The Anthropocene Reviewed (book)

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