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The story of Masanga |
Everything started in 1988. Physiotherapist since many years in a medical institution in the Leman region of Switzerland, Harald Pfeiffer spent many months working as a volunteer in the Leprosy Hospital in Masanga, and this, during a sabbatical year that he took. During all of this time, he was confronted daily with total misery, more precisly the sanitary sitation of the people living in the leper colony as well as that of the neighbouring population.
Then, back in Switzerland, pushed by his own humanitarian will, he started to send basic medication. It was at this time that Harald also started organising fundraisers to help the Masanga Leprosy Hospital. Many people encouraged and supported him throughout all of these deeds. Every year, since 1988, Harald went, during his vacations, for about a month to Sierra Leone. He was able to define the help that was needed in the various domains, whether it be sanitary, educational or agricultural. |
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This way, we have allowed children to continue their education and we have financed the various taxes for the students who have been sent abroad. Several agricultural projects have been finalised and small houses for families have been built. With regards to the Leprosy Hospital, we provided two mini-buses and a jeep. These vehicles were brought there through the Sahara. We also sent over some Honda motorcycles in order to facilitate the work of the doctors who regularly go into the bush to care for the sick.
Since 1992, we have sent, by container, tonnes of clothes, bandaging materialsm, foodstuff, bicycles as well as other first necessity items. Being specialised in a medical field, it was important for Harald to directly help the sick. This is why hundreds of people recieved treatment, most of whom required surgery. In Sierra Leone, there is no medical insurance and most people are unable to recieve medical help. Economically speaking, the average monthly salary did not reach Sfr. 45.-. |
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The many trips Harald made to Sierra Leone allowed him to evaluate the situation, to appreciate the work that already had been done and to meet people who were now in better health. Our actions were quite insufficient since hundreds of people came to seek help from Harald on a daily basis, many after a 3 to 4 day journey on foot. Until 1997, we financed about 100 surgical interventions, still the waiting list was long.
This is why the idea of building a hospital followed Harald around, the principal being to have a hospital structure that could offer immediate assistance to sick people. This idea started to become more real when, in 1995, after long negociations, we bought 6 hectares of land close to Makeni. |
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This transaction was able to happen because of the humanitarian goal of our project. All the people involved were aware of the dream of building this hospital. Since then, much work has been done; plans for the infrastructure for how the land will be organised and plans for the construction of the buildings have been created. Work to get drinking water was finished.
And then we created an association called the Swiss Sierra Leone Development Foundation. This was the birth of SSLDF.
With everything that happened up to 1997, we had finally reached a point where we could see a big step forward in the hoizon: the construction and the implementation of a hospital! Click here for more information on the Magbenteh Community Hosptial close to Makeni. |
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