For years, mothers and children in Wai community, Pujehun district, southern Sierra Leone, faced a punishing reality. Vital medical care was often too distant, too expensive, or simply unavailable.
That reality changed on March 28, 2026, with the official commissioning of a new, NLe1.8 million (nearly $80,000) ultra-modern health centre through a partnership between Orange Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Health.
The ten-room facility is an upgrade from a maternal and child health post to a fully equipped community health centre (CHC), strategically designed to tackle critical gaps in rural healthcare. Its most vital feature is a dedicated labour ward and essential medical infrastructure, explicitly aimed at expanding access to life-saving services.
The project, which began in April 2025, is expected to transform healthcare for Wai and its surrounding communities, directly addressing the urgent need to reduce preventable illnesses and lower maternal and child mortality rates in the district.
Orange Sierra Leone CEO Aicha Toure said the facility will focus on comprehensive services, including maternal and child healthcare, outpatient consultations, and emergency care.
“This aligns with the Orange Foundation’s maternal mortality reduction programme, ensuring targeted interventions for expectant mothers,” she said.
Paramount Chief Mustapha Jeangay Massaquoi III expressed profound appreciation, assuring stakeholders that the chiefdom would take ownership to ensure proper maintenance and sustainability of the facility.
Deputy Minister of Health 1, Dr. Charles Senesie, commended the initiative, noting that the upgrade significantly enhances the centre’s capacity to deliver essential services and save lives.
The community also received a boost from philanthropist Salim Feika, who donated two large waste disposal containers, chairs, and a motorbike to aid sanitation management and emergency response capabilities.
Thanks to this intervention, the Wai Community Health Centre is poised to make a meaningful contribution to strengthening public health outcomes and giving rural families a new lease on life.
