Earlier this year, with the support of Resurge Africa, three Sierra Leonean nurse candidates started their SRN training at Njala University in Bo, Sierra Leone. Foday Koroma,  Fatmata Jalloh and Augustine Kamara are now four months further down the line.

On the 27th July 2015, Augustine Kamara writes:

“Greetings, I am Mr. Augustine kamara, Trainee State Registered Nursing in Sierra Leone , four months back I traveled from my home Makeni city to Bo city with the purpose of going through the State Registered Nursing Programme at Njala University and becoming a well trained and qualified State Registered Nurse (SRN),This is indeed a great opportunity and I thank Resurge Africa charity and partners for their assistance, I should have started this course eleven  months back but due to the present Ebola outbreak in the country, His Excellency the president Dr. Ernest  Bai Koroma and the World Health Organisation (WHO) decided that all schools, colleges and universities across the country should be closed as this is one of the preventive measures to be put in place for combating the disease.

when the confirm Ebola cases has decreased, His Excellency the president permits learning institution to reopen again on the 16th April 2015, but before this could happen we have lost one academic year and the educational system has been depreciated, Notwithstanding, the government and the ministry of education have put modalities in place to restructure the educational system in the country.

 As a State Registered Nurse Trainee, I am really enjoying the course even though there are a lot of challenges. Four weeks back I have been posted by the University to Bo city government hospital for practical training on nursing procedures, I really enjoyed the practical training on the procedures of nursing at the hospital, I have returned from the hospital to continue my theoretical classes.

State Registered Nursing training at Njala University involves two exams each academic year, presently I am preparing for the first exams which will commence on the first week of next month.

The course has been a challenge on several issues however  I thank God  for the grace to persevere, my family and Resurge Africa  team for their assistance, May GOD continue to bless Resurge Africa members and partners.”

Fatmata and Foday add:

“As a State Registered Nurse Trainee, we are expected to be computer literate. But to my disadvantage I don’t know how to use a computer and cannot afford to buy one and am facing challenges in school to do my research and project writings. I have been posted by the University to a surgical clinic in BO city a few weeks ago. I happen to learn about various surgeries which I have never witness during my course as a State Enrolled Community Health Nurse (SECHN) and even during my working experience at the Holy Spirit Hospital

I really enjoyed the practical training. I have returned from the hospital postings to continue my theoretical classes. We are suppose to start our first semester exams on the first week of August.”

I thank you for providing such a wonderful opportunity of capacity and human resources training, I promise to give back more to Holy Spirit Hospital and its wider Sierra Leone community at large.”    Fatmata Jalloh

“As a state registered nurse trainee, I am really enjoying the course even though there are a lot of challenges. Four weeks back I have been posted by the university to mercy hospital manage by the united Methodist church organisation Bo city for my first practical training on nursing procedures and for me I was refreshing on what I have been doing because nothing was strange during the practical training, I have returned from the hospital to continue my theoretical classes.

State registered nursing training at Njala University involves two exams each academic year, presently I am preparing for the first semester exams which will commence on the first week of August.

The course has been a challenge on several issues but however, I thank God for his grace upon my life to persevere, My family, the Resurge Africa team and the holy spirit hospital for their assistance, May God continue to bless Resurge Africa team and partners.” Foday Koroma