Freetown, Sierra Leone
Restoring a War-torn People
Sierra Leone is a country scarred by war. The civil war that ravaged the country for more than ten years has left its land, its economy and its people in ruins. Businesses fled the country, leaving no jobs for those left behind. Buildings are riddled with bullet holes. Worst of all, because of the rebels’ use of brutal force, many Sierra Leoneans have been left as amputees. The Lomé Peace Accord was signed in 1999, and Sierra Leone is in the process of healing.
As the rebels tore through the country, many Sierra Leoneans sought safety in the capitol city of Freetown. Paul Kpanabom, along with his wife and four daughters, was among those fleeing to the city. Having already connected with Luke Society, Paul requested money and supplies to provide medical care in the midst of the war. Rather than risk losing the money and supplies through the mail, Dr. Boelens sent the package to Dr. John Boateng in Ghana and asked him to deliver it. Little did he know that it would take Dr. Boateng three days to find Paul in Freetown.
Dr. Boateng traveled by car into Sierra Leone, a long trek through dangerous territory. His arrival in Freetown proved to Dr. Boateng that his task was beyond daunting. The city had swelled past the city limits and beyond the suburbs with interior people fleeing the war. With no street signs, no phone books and no way to contact Paul, Dr. Boateng searched for Paul by word of mouth, asking people if they had heard of Paul Kpanabom. Every “yes” got him only a little closer to delivering the package. By the end of his third day in Freetown, Dr. Boateng was exhausted with his search, but he found Paul in a very small shelter, helping the displaced people.
With the money and supplies he received from Dr. Boateng, Paul started a Luke Society clinic in the Freetown suburb of Portee. “We were limited to Freetown because of security reasons,” said Paul. “We started outreach clinics when the war was nearly over, but even that was a risk because we had to move through the former territories of the rebels.”
Paul focused on rebuilding. A school supported by the Church of Pentecost was demolished during the war, leaving many children without a means of education. In 2001, with the help of the Luke Society, the school was rebuilt and filled with students. The students sitting in the desks came from all over Sierra Leone as displaced people of the war.
The Luke Society and the Church of Pentecost work together to subsidize the children’s tuition. The students also get free health care from the Luke Society clinic. Because one of the Luke Society nurses is the primary teacher at the school, there are .health education classes taught in addition to regular curriculum.
The Church of Pentecost is also involved in the work of the Luke Society clinic. Although the primary use of the clinic is for medical reasons, the clinic also strives to be evangelistic. “Every clinician here is equipped with the word of God, and it should be preached to a patient during screening, while patients are on their beds, and even in our daily morning devotions,” says Paul. “Follow-up visits are made to our patients who are discharged from the hospital after surgery, delivery or other sickness.” The Church of Pentecost is involved in those evangelistic efforts, and the church disciples those who come to the Lord.
“Now that the war is over, we are dealing with people who have been made poorer, people who still have not be able to get the memories of war off their minds, and people who are either infected or affected by HIV/AIDS,” says Paul.
In 2003, post-war poverty in Sierra Leone was listed as one of the United Nation’s Forgotten Crises. Also in 2003, the United Nations ranked Sierra Leone as its least livable country in the world. The war has not only left the people displaced and hopeless, but the economy of the country is struggling as well. “The recovery process is gradual,” says Paul. “Investors have started showing interest in doing business, and the economy is showing sluggish growth.”
Despite the poverty that has taken over the city, Paul continues to see new faces at the clinic. He has noticed that by word of mouth, people seek out the quality health care given by the Luke Society. The patients aren’t only from the suburb of Portee, but from all over Freetown.
To keep track of the needs of the community, Paul schedules regular meetings with the local people. Recently, the community asked for an ante-natal clinic, which would teach pregnant women about correct health practices and give them regular check-ups.
The program was implemented, and now there is a group of women that attend the weekly check-ups, calling themselves “The Belly Women,” which is appropriate for their physical attributes! These Belly Women embrace their pregnancy as a blessing. They are a lively group who incorporate singing and dancing into their learning. They are joyous, not only because of their pregnancy, but also because they are supporting each other in the aftermath of a devastating time in their lives.
As the scars of war begin to fade, the people of Sierra Leone are hoping to restore their country. God continues to use Paul Kpanabom and his staff at the Luke Society as part of His healing process.
*Statistics about Sierra Leone were gathered from the 2003 Human Development Report, United Nations
Laura Eisenga