In order to tackle the chronic shortage of qualified medical staff in Kambia and Sierra Leone, The Kambia Appeal runs a Scholarship Programme to fund health sector training courses for local people in Kambia who would not otherwise have the chance to further their medical careers.
Cheltenham scholars Bai Sanko and Michael Bangura, now newly qualified CHOs with new medical reference books funded by The Martin Smith Foundation.
Currently, we are funding scholarships for the Community Health Officer (CHO) qualification that is offered at N’Jallah University in Bo in Sierra Leone. In exchange for bursaries covering tuition fees, accommodation and living allowances, scholars agree to work for the health services in Kambia for a minimum of three years once qualified.
CHOs act as paramedics in charge of rural health clinics and carry out life-saving medical interventions and basic surgery. More skilled than trained nurses, CHOs are doctors in all but name. As well as providing clinical care for the local populations, CHOs are responsible for training health centre staff, including auxiliary midwives and health volunteers in the area, such as Traditional Birth Attendants. There should be over 30 CHOs working in the Kambia district, one at each of health centres, but at the moment there are only six.
It costs The Kambia Appeal £4,500 to support one student through the three-year course (£1,500 per year).
The Kambia Appeal would like to thank the following for their financial support of the Scholarship Programme:
- The Martin Smith Foundation
- The Kambia Appeal Golf Days players and participants
- Individual donors
We are also sponsoring the Laboratory Technician from the Kambia Hospital, Mr Francis Pieh, through a three-year diploma in Laboratory Skills at the university in Freetown.
Our next scholarship project is to provide bursaries for 10 students to study for the State Enrolled Community Health Nurse (SECHN) qualification.
