From L-R Project coordinator , Abdul Charming Kamara , sheik Abdul Rashid Kamara and traditional leaders during the official handing over of the land to the Foundation , Lutti, Kambia district .
By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma
The Abdul Aziz Islamic Foundation For the Poor and Needy, a charitable and non-profitable organization registered in the United States of America has on Friday 10th July ended its final feasibility studies for the construction of a state-of-the-art hospital for the people of Lutti Gbana, Rosinor, and its surroundings in Samu Chiefdom, Kambia district, Northern Sierra Leone.
In his statement , Chairman Kambia District Council , Mohamed Yayah Bangura , welcomed the construction of the hospital for the people of Lutti and its environs adding it would benefit the people living in those river line areas as they are mostly struggling with health issues and other challenges like clean water.
“First of all, we want to register our appreciation to the foundation. Alhamdulillah, we know that they are people that are supporting communities to overcome lots of obstacles especially in Kambia district , Samu Chiefdom to be specific . We have a whole lot of problem in those river line areas. There are so many health issues especially in the dry season. They struggle to get water and their health systems is very , very poor ,’’he said.
He added that the move is timely and as a council they appreciate the kind of support the foundation is bringing to the inhabitants of Samu Chiefdom thus assuring the organization of their support as the project will benefit the people of Kambia district.
In his statement , Chief Administrator Kambia district council, Dr. Edward Alpha said, the move by the Foundation was laudable as they are complementing the efforts of the government and thus the need to support them .
“ This is laudable because Other people have money, but they prefer doing with it the other way , but if this foundation decided to construct a health centre or state of the art peripheral health Unit, its laudable and it will help to a very large extent to address public health services in the district and I think as a council, we would be the greatest beneficiary. What they are doing is what we are supposed to do,’’ he said.
Dr. Alpha expressed optimism and hope for the successful implementation of the project thus calling on other people to emulate such kind gesture.
Head of the delegation Abdul Aziz Foundation in Lutti, Sheik Abdul Rashid Kamara said the organisation stands to help the poor and needy stating that since its inception it has been working on helping the poor and needy there by providing food during the month of Ramadan to hundreds of people in the country, donating carpets to different mosques across the country among many other interventions.
He said the building of the hospital was as a result of a feasibility studies that was done by the foundation adding that among the many challenges the village felt they needed was the need for a good health facility as the nearby health post was a bit far as women struggle whenever they wanted to give birth.
“The building of this hospital will bring a huge smile to all the inhabitants of Lutti Gbana, Rosinor and its environs and I want to urge you people to accept this project , own it , support it as it would be of benefit to and your children . Please take your kids to school , educate them so that they could medical doctors , and nurses and in turn they will be able to work in this hospital’’
Town Chief of Lutti , Pa Adikalie Sankoh on his part express happiness for the project in his community as the township is grappling with so many health challenges adding that whenever pregnant women wanted to deliver they have to go a long distance which sometimes even cause them to give birth in the banks of the river or on their way to the health post.
“I am happy 100% . My people need this hospital , we have a hospital at Rosinor but its too distance . If we have hospital here at Lutti it is really welcoming . We have over one hundred houses here and the surrounding town like Mafisor , Lutti Lol is a large place . The population is over two to three thousand people . we are glad ,we will be having a hospital from the Abdul Aziz Foundation,’’ he said.
Pa Sankoh said the land that would be used for the construction of the state-of-the-art hospital was donated by him and his mother so as to bring development to his community and its environs adding that they have been suffering for too long and the coming in of the foundation will be a saviour to them.
“we plan to hand over the land to the community and the Abdul Aziz Islamic Foundation . As a Town Chief of Lutti that wanted development in my life time that’s why I asked my mother for us to hand over this piece of land for the construction of a health facility,’’
One of the inhabitants of Lutti , N’thuma M. Kamara expressed delight for the construction of a hospital in her home town by the foundation , thus praying for a quick start of the project as women are really suffering whenever they are pregnant and ready to give birth.
“we want sober nurses and doctors to man this hospital when it would have been constructed . It will help so much as inhabitants and people from other surroundings will also enjoy the facility. May God bless the Foundation’’
The final feasibility studies were climaxed with the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the Abdul Aziz Islamic Foundation and the local authorities and the official handing over of the land to the organisation.
