The Journey
Key milestones
Land Acquisition
Chief Balansama Marah gives land to Sarah Marah and Dorcas Kargbo to farm and to one day build a clinic.
Clinic Founded
Dorcas Kamanda joins forces with Hope and Les Law to establish a non-profit organization, and NarSarah Clinic opens in Kabala.
Marie Stopes BlueStar Award
Eight years after launch, NarSarah Clinic receives the Marie Stopes Award for excellence in healthcare.
Response to Ebola
Clinic staff collaborate with local and government officials to provide Ebola training and education in the community and surrounding villages.
Zero Maternal Deaths
2 decades of quality patient-centric healthcare, with dedicated staff and zero maternal deaths.
Our story
Pa Farandugu
Named Abu Bockarie Kargbo at birth and later changed by the British army to Abu Bockarie Farandugu (the name of his village), Pa Farandugu was a highly decorated soldier who fought in WWII on the side of the British and was promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) — the equivalent of Sergeant Major in the US Army.
Upon returning from war and unable to gain employment because of his lack of education, he encouraged his village to start a school to educate all children including girls. It was met with opposition, so he left his village in the North and went to the Southern part of the country where he enrolled all his children in school. He later moved back to the North.
Dorcas Kumba Kargbo
Kumba was born to Muslim parents, and despite their beliefs, her father, Pa Farandugu, chose to enroll her in Christian schools.
While in elementary school, she discovered a story from the Bible about a woman who dedicated her life to helping the poor. This inspired Kumba to adopt the name Dorcas, symbolizing her newfound mission.
Thanks to her father's forward-thinking vision, Dorcas began her educational journey in Kabala after their return to the North. She subsequently attended the Harford School for Girls in Moyamba. Pa Farandugu aspired for each of his children to make a difference in the world, and Dorcas was resolute in fulfilling that dream.
Nar Sarah
Sarah Marah, known as Nar Sarah, was the first wife of Pa Farandugu and a hardworking Muslim Koranko woman. Although she never received a formal education, she was determined to provide for her children through her small peanut farming business.
Her nephew served as chief, which gave him and the other male members of the family automatic claims to land, while Nar Sarah and other women had to be granted permission.
In 1966, while returning home from Harford, Dorcas and her mother visited her nephew, Chief Balansama Marah to request land for Nar Sarah to farm. They expressed the hope that this land could eventually be used to establish a clinic. The chief agreed to their request, and that land would later become the site of the NarSarah clinic.
Hope and Les
Following their wedding in Colorado in June 1965, Hope and Les Law traveled to Sierra Leone in August, where they worked at the Harford School. It was there that they met many brilliant and inspirational students, including Dorcas.
The Laws were deeply impressed by Dorcas's ambition to establish a clinic in her hometown, demonstrating a passion for healthcare from a young age.
After her graduation, with the blessing of Pa Farandugu and Nar Sarah, the Laws extended an invitation for Dorcas to join them in the United States. Seizing this opportunity, she pursued both her bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing.
Daniel Kamanda
While in the United States, Dorcas met a fellow Sierra Leonean, Daniel Kamanda, a Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois. Daniel had been selected to pursue his doctoral degree in education through a collaborative partnership with Njala University College based on funding from USAID.
Dorcas and Daniel were married in 1975. It was Daniel who named the nonprofit Christ is the Answer (CITA), and he served as the first Chairman of the Board.
Theresa and Peacemaker Kargbo
While CITA began raising funds internationally, Peacemaker and Theresa Kargbo, Dorcas' younger siblings and trained healthcare providers, began treating patients in a small 2-room building. The civil war had ended, leaving behind broken infrastructure and even fewer resources. Yet, both siblings served the community tirelessly.