Sierra Leone

SHGO Meets with First Lady of Sierra LeoneDr. David A. Jordan (President/CEO), SHGO Staff, and Pastor Michael Kanu of Zion Ministries, had the honor of meeting with First Lady Sia Nyama Koroma in Freetown, Sierra Leone in January 2012. At the meeting, SHGO and Zion Ministries introduced a proposal in which the Community Health and Education Campus in Bandawa (funded by Consigli Construction Co., Inc and Seven Hills Global Outreach, and managed by Zion Ministries) could be used as a model for nationwide replication, and as part of a national effort to provide healthcare access, quality education, and other programs. This initiative, titled “The First Lady Rural Health and Education Initiative,” will be housed under the Office of the First Lady, and used as a national framework for the addition of 10–12 Clinic-School Campuses. Her Excellency Madam Koroma was excited by the concept, and appreciative of the important work of Seven Hills Global Outreach, staff and supporters, Zion Ministries, and the diaspora community. SHGO and Zion Ministries look forward to continued collaboration with the President and First Lady as they strive to extend essential services to the people of Sierra Leone. Improving access to healthcare for pregnant women and their children in Sierra Leone is critical. The country is currently working to recover from a brutal, 11-year civil war. Sierra Leone has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world; according to Amnesty International, 1 in 8 women die in childbirth.

SHGO’s partnership in Sierra Leone is focused on reducing maternal and infant mortality through clinic care and health outreach initiatives. To foster holistic community health, SHGO also supports educational and other social services such as local schools, a nutrition and feeding center, a community water well, community meeting space, and more. A primary school and health clinic campus was constructed in the rural village of Bandawa, ready to serve hundreds of women and children who would otherwise lack access to these essential services. The facilities are located on a campus funded by corporate partner Consigli Construction Co., Inc., with plans to expand service provision far into the future.
SHGO’s partner in Sierra Leone is Zion Ministries. Based in the city of Bo, Zion Ministries assists communities in the region through economic and educational development, maternal/child healthcare and spiritual growth.
Please visit photo galleries of SHGO’s recent trips to Sierra Leone: (January 2010); (June 2010);(November 2010); and (May 2011). Also, a short video on SHGO’s Sierra Leone partnership is available here.