Rebecca Tida Sessay, Project Co-ordinator, Street Child Makeni
Rebecca leads the team and all aspects of Street Child Makeni. She also assists with counselling and
over-sees the family tracing and re-unification process in particular. Prior to the launch of Street Child
Makeni, Rebecca worked on HANCI’s Girl Mother project, also in Makeni. Before joining HANCI she was
a school teacher.
“I love talking to the children and helping to solve their problems.”
Salim Alim, Psycho-social counsellor, Street Child Makeni
Salim leads the counselling work with the children, organising group sessions as well as 1:1 for the children
with particular needs. Salim joined Street Child Makeni from HANCI’s highly successful Street Boys project in
Bo, the second town of Sierra Leone.
“I love it when through counselling, the children arrive at a solution to a problem, on their
own.”
Marie Conteh, Trauma Healer
Marie works very closely with Salim Alim, however with a special focus on the girls. Marie joined HANCI
in 2009 in December specifically to work on the Street Child Makeni project. She brings with her especially
valuable experience of working with street girls at the Christian Children’s Fund.
“I like individual counselling with the children as you get to know the child. It boosts the
confidence of the child.”
Samson Tholley, Family Tracing & Re-unification Officer, Street Child Makeni
Samson specialises in tracing the families of the children and then all aspects of the re-unification and
reconciliation process. Like Marie, Samson joined HANCI in December 2009 specifically to join Street
Child Makeni - in large part because of previous experience he had gained working with street children in
Makeni.
“Some stories move you deeply, doing this work affects you deeply and moves you to
help the community.”
Aminata Kamara, Nurse, Street Child Makeni
Aminata is the chief nurse in the clinic at the Children’s Centre where she serves not only Street Child
Makeni but also the boys and girls of HANCI’s two other programmes in Makeni. Aminata was hired
after a long search for a suitably motivated and qualified individual to really drive improvements in the
clinic, a major over-haul of which is planned for the middle of 2009. She joins from the Government
Hospital in Makeni after studying at School of Medicine in Freetown.
"Many of the street children contract Malaria and they come here to the clinic for treatment."
Adama Koroma, Cook, Street Child Makeni
Adama has arguably the projects mostimportant mostdemanding role – preparing food for 120
children two or three times a day! (and remember for many food is the main reason they come to the
Centre!). Adama’s culinary skills were well known to HANCI prior to her joining Street Child Makeni as
she has previously also cooked for HANCI in Freetown and Makeni.
Jospeh Kargbo, Cleaner
Joseph helps in all matters with the boys and with domestic work in the kitchen. He was offered this
role formally in early February after providing outstanding assistance to the project from its inception
as a volunteer.
Saidu Thoronka, HANCI Northern Region Co-ordinator, Street Child Makeni
Saidu over-sees all of HANCI’s work in the Northern Province, including Street Child Makeni. As such
he is always on hand to assist Rebecca in any matter.
Kelfa Kargbo, HANCI-SL Operations Director
Kelfa is in charge of all of HANCI’s nation-wide operations. In terms of Street Child Makeni he
provides technical input and training; conducts monthly monitoring visits; gives advice on any
significant matters which are escalated to him and acts as the key contact for the Street Child of
Sierra Leone in London.
"We work in collaboration with the community who know their people much more than we do. They know who are suffering much more than we do as outsiders."
(Click here to listen or read Kelfa Kargbo, Operations Director of HANCi-SL discussing HANCI’s street-child experience)
Dr Roland Kargbo, HANCI–SL Director
Dr Roland founded HANCI in 1994, in the midst of Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war. ‘Doc’ as he is
affectionately known across the organisation takes final responsibility for all matters connected with
Street Child Makeni and provides wise counsel to the project team.
"The time is very suitable for a street children's project in Makeni because most of the street children there have not been on the streets for very long, so it is much easier to integrate them into their families."
