The ceremonial handover of the new nursing school in Mongo Bendugu marks an important milestone for healthcare in Falaba District, Sierra Leone. The school is intended to train urgently needed healthcare professionals and retain them in the region in the long term. At the same time, Grünhelme’s next healthcare project is already underway in the community of Tuba.
By Joschka Blaich (project leader Sierra Leone)
Mongo Bendugu, September 29, 2026 – In a ceremony, our third volunteer team handed over the keys to the new nursing school to our partners in Falaba District. The joy was palpable. In keeping with West African tradition, the handover was accompanied by the sound of drums and colorful clothing. It was a dignified yet joyful setting for this important milestone in healthcare for the region.
The newly opened nursing school is much more than just a new building. It is intended to train urgently needed healthcare professionals and help retain them in the district in the long term.
Why the Nursing School Is So Important
Sierra Leone continues to have very high infant and maternal mortality rates. This problem is particularly severe in rural regions such as Falaba District.
Weak infrastructure further exacerbates the already difficult healthcare situation in the region. To this day, there is no district hospital. As a result, complex medical cases have to be treated outside the district. The long distances between the individual communities and existing healthcare facilities make access to medical care even more difficult.
There are a total of 50 peripheral health facilities in Falaba District. These are smaller local health stations that provide basic medical care in the communities. Unlike a district hospital, however, they cannot provide comprehensive treatment for complex medical cases. Many of the facilities are severely understaffed, and the few staff members work under difficult conditions. There is a particularly serious shortage of qualified nursing staff and specialists in maternal and child health. As a result, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers often do not receive the medical assistance they need in time.
Health Stations Need Staff
As Grünhelme, we have already implemented four of the 50 health stations as so-called community projects. Another facility is currently being built in the community of Tuba.
As part of these community projects, our approach always includes not only the construction of the health facility itself, but also new accommodation for the nursing staff. This is intended to create as much of an incentive as possible to staff the completed facilities with qualified professionals.
The conditions on the ground make working in healthcare difficult. For example, running water is still uncommon in rural areas. Compared with the sanitation facilities available to the local community, having a shower and a toilet with running water can already make a significant difference. Nevertheless, the incentives for a trained nurse to leave behind the advantages of city life and work in a small, remote community remain limited.
Anyone who chooses to do so must be prepared to live and work far away from their own family, away from paved roads, and often without a stable internet connection. This is precisely where the nursing school comes in.
The idea is to primarily train people from Falaba District who are already familiar with rural life and at home in the region. After completing their training, they are expected to work in the health stations in their home region. In this way, the school creates the conditions needed to train urgently required medical personnel locally and retain them in the district in the long term.
Current Health Station in Tuba
Education Creates Opportunities
The handover of the keys therefore represents much more than the opening of a building. It is an important step towards more accessible and sustainable healthcare in Falaba District.
At the same time, the school gives young people from the district the opportunity to pursue professional training in a remote region. Their knowledge and work will then be put to use exactly where medical personnel are most urgently needed: in the district’s rural communities.
This is where the concept’s great potential lies—a concept that is well received in Falaba District. As early as the beginning of this year, it was agreed that, at the request of Danielle Lavalie, the District Health Officer, Grünhelme would jointly implement another healthcare project after the successful completion of the nursing school.
The Next Project: Tuba
Tuba is a small community located approximately two hours from Mongo Bendugu, depending on the weather and road conditions. This is where the next peripheral health station is being built. Before construction could begin, however, the team and materials first had to be transported to Tuba. This move took place during the rainy season, and the extremely poor road conditions put even our trusty Land Cruiser to the test. A two-hour journey quickly turned into four hours on the muddy roads. In the end, we made it. “No problem,” as they say locally—even when things do not always go according to plan.
The entire equipment has now arrived in Tuba, and the team house has been set up. Our new and highly motivated team is already on site, and its progress is clearly visible.
After just three weeks, the foundations for both buildings—the future health station and the accommodation for the female nurses—have been completed. The walls have already been built up to the level of the plinth. Shelters for producing bricks have also been constructed, and the first roof trusses have been assembled.
Working Together for Sustainable Healthcare
None of this would be possible without the support of the staff working locally and the volunteers.
Over the past nine months, Lars, Peter, Jules, Phillip, Henrike, and Patrick have worked on both projects with great commitment and enthusiasm. Together, they have made a small but important contribution to sustainably improving healthcare in Falaba District.
While the keys have now been handed over to new occupants in Mongo Bendugu, work continues in Tuba.
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