Dear John,

Our team in Sierra Leone has been collaborating with local health workers in rural communities for many years. 

Through our ‘Mama en Pikin Welbodi Project’ (meaning ‘Mother and child health project’ in Krio) we have been focusing on supporting the health and nutrition of pregnant women, mothers and children under five for the past year.

Below, we hear from a Midwife Sister who has been working with our local team.

Adama Kanu works as a Midwife Sister at Mapaki Primary Healthcare Unit in northern Sierra Leone. This health centre serves several rural settlements, including many remote villages that can be difficult to reach. Most people in the area depend on agriculture and forest products for a living.

Adama tells us: “I have worked at Mapaki for a year and a half. My experience has been positive, despite the many challenges we face. The local community engages well with us and, so far, all of the deliveries I’ve overseen have been successful.”

As the conversation turns to the challenges that Adama and her colleagues face, their achievements seem even more impressive.

Adama explains: “This is actually the first Primary Healthcare Unit established in Sierra Leone, back in 1978, but it is so underdeveloped. The structure is in need of repair, there is insufficient space for patients, and the centre is underequipped. 

We have been using the same beds on the wards since 1978. We only have one bed in our delivery room, so mothers sometimes have to give birth on our general wards, which are less sanitary.”

We collaborate with local health workers to reach and support people living in remote communities

As one of the health facilities that Health Poverty Action has worked with over several years, staff at Mapaki Primary Healthcare Unit are grateful for the support that our local team provides.

Adama is keen to share her appreciation for our team and their support:

“Health Poverty Action has done good work in this community. We appreciate your hard-working staff and the many benefits they have brought. From providing training around emergency obstetric care to equipping Community Health Workers to undertake outreach, they’ve made a great difference.

We still need more help to develop this facility though. I would like to thank the donors who have made this great work possible and ask that you continue to support healthcare workers like us.”

Alongside health workers and community members, we are continuing to support rural families’ health and nutrition through this project. You can read more about the work we’re doing with our partners in Sierra Leone here.

Once again, on behalf of all the communities we work with, thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely,

Siaffa Bunduka
Supporter Engagement Manager