Mattru Jong
Encyclopedia
Mattru Jong commonly known as Mattru (sometimes spelled Matru) is a major fishing town on the mainland of Bonthe District
in the Southern Province
of Sierra Leone
. It is located along the Jong River, 52 miles southwest of Bo
. It is the seat of the Jong Chiefdom
, and home of Paramount Chief Alie Badara Sheriff III. The town's estimated population in 2010 is 8,199. In 2004 the town had a population of 7,647. The main industries in Mattru Jong are fishing, rice-growing, cassava-farming, and palm oil production. The town is largely inhabited by the native
Sherbro
and Mende people
. The town has several secondary schools, a major hospital and a police station
, operated by the Sierra Leone Police
Force.
words "Mo-Tewoo," meaning "Place of the Buffalos." According to legend a hunter from Senehun, a village on the bank of the Jong river, canoed across the river in search of game. He was successful in capturing and slaughtering a large buffalo on the opposite side of the river. As more hunters found out about the location and its plentiful supply of buffalo, people began to settle there, rather than return across the river to Senehun.
in 1950 by missionary nurses from the United Brethren in Christ
(UBC). By 1959 the dispensary had become a 15-bed hospital. The hospital continued to grow in capacity during the 1960s and 1970s, and by 1981 Mattru Hospital had grown to 69 beds, with pediatrics, obstetrics, surgical, and outpatient units, and x-ray and laboratory facilities.
In 1994 the hospital was shut down because of the threat of civil war
violence, and international personnel working in the hospital were evacuated from the country. The hospital was destroyed by Revolutionary United Front
(RUF) rebels during the war.
After the war, Mattru Hospital was rebuilt and reopened by Doctors Without Borders
in 2001. They turned the hospital over to the UBC's Sierra Leone Conference in 2002.
In October 2009 the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) provided funding through the office of Sierra Leone's First Lady, Sia Nyama Koroma
to refurbish and "re-brand" the hospital as a "centre of excellence."
On March 31, 2010 President Ernest Bai Koroma
visited Mattru Jong Hospital in order to assess its preparedness for the planned April 27, 2010 rollout of free medical services for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children under the age of five. Staffing, electricity supply and confusion over the hospital's funding status (as a part mission-, part government-run entity) were seen as the major challenges to the hospital's effectiveness.
rebels fighting in the Sierra Leone Civil War
captured Mattru Jong at the end of January, 1995. They faced little military resistance as the Sierra Leone Army (SLA) had already withdrawn from the town. Earlier in January the RUF had briefly taken over the Sierra Rutile Company mine in Imperi Chiefdom, Bonthe District, about 10 miles north west of Mattru Jong, but it was recaptured by the end of January. Most of the RUF forces who captured Mattru Jong entered from the direction of Imperi Chiefdom but some may have come from Sumbaya, Lugbu Chiefdom, Bo District
, about fifteen miles east of Mattru Jong. Upon settling in Mattru Jong, the RUF set up its own governing structures in the town. The RUF stole medical supplies from the hospital and used it as a training base. Another base known as "Camp Lion" was set up at Gambia Palm Oil Plantation, nine miles from Mattru Jong. The RUF remained in Mattru Jong for eight months until it was recaptured by the SLA in October, 1995.
(now owned by and renamed Airtel). A Western Union
branch is located in the town.
, Madam
Sia Nyama Koroma
once in 2009 and once in 2010. In February 2009 Madam Koroma addressed supporters of the All People’s Congress (APC) at the compound of Late Paramount Chief Goba in Mattru Jong. According to a statement released by her office, some of the issues faced by people in Bonthe district that she had identified during her visit included "improper health care delivery, poor infrastructure, poor water and sanitation and inadequate means to transport their agricultural produce from place to place". In February 2010 it was reported that Madam Koroma would be visiting Bonthe District, including Mattru Jong, as part of an effort to investigate the district's health care needs, especially those of women. A meeting with the board of Mattru Jong Hospital was scheduled and Madam Koroma was also expected to give the keynote speech at a graduation ceremony for nurses who had been trained at the hospital.
, a memoir of the author's experiences during the Sierra Leone Civil War
. Beah and his brother were visiting Mattru Jong with a group of friends when he learned that his home village of Mogbwemo had been attacked by rebels. Beah and his friends remained in Mattru Jong until the rebels arrived there about one month later.
Bonthe District
Bonthe District comprises several islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the southwestern coast of Sierra Leone and a mainland area. Its capital is the town of Mattru Jong and the largest town in the district is Bonthe, on Sherbro Island and the town of Masabendu....
in the Southern Province
Southern Province, Sierra Leone
The Southern Province is one of three provinces of Sierra Leone. It covers an area of 19,694 km² and has a population of 1,377,067 . It consists of four districts . Its capital and administrative center is Bo, which is also the second largest and second most populated city in Sierra Leone...
of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. It is located along the Jong River, 52 miles southwest of Bo
Bo, Sierra Leone
Bo is the second largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the Southern Province. It lies about 164 miles south-east of Freetown and had a population 149,957 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate is 231,494 . The city serve as the capital and administrative center of Bo District...
. It is the seat of the Jong Chiefdom
Chiefdoms of Sierra Leone
||The Chiefdoms of Sierra Leone are the third-level units of administration in Sierra Leone. The districts of Sierra Leone are divided into chiefdoms.-Bombali District:*Bombali Shebora - Makeni*Makari Gbanti - Masongbon...
, and home of Paramount Chief Alie Badara Sheriff III. The town's estimated population in 2010 is 8,199. In 2004 the town had a population of 7,647. The main industries in Mattru Jong are fishing, rice-growing, cassava-farming, and palm oil production. The town is largely inhabited by the native
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
Sherbro
Sherbro people
The Sherbro people are a native people of Sierra Leone, who speak the Sherbro language; they make up 3% of Sierra Leone's population or about 201,000. They are also known as the Bullom people...
and Mende people
Mende people
The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...
. The town has several secondary schools, a major hospital and a police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
, operated by the Sierra Leone Police
Sierra Leone Police
The Sierra Leone Police locally known as Salone Police is the national police force of the Republic of Sierra Leone, responsible for law enforcement and crime investigation throughout Sierra Leone...
Force.
Name and founding legend
The name Mattru Jong is said to be derived from the MendeMende
Mende may refer to the African ethnic group and its language, various individuals and places.Ethnic group* Mende people* Mende language* Mende syllabary People:...
words "Mo-Tewoo," meaning "Place of the Buffalos." According to legend a hunter from Senehun, a village on the bank of the Jong river, canoed across the river in search of game. He was successful in capturing and slaughtering a large buffalo on the opposite side of the river. As more hunters found out about the location and its plentiful supply of buffalo, people began to settle there, rather than return across the river to Senehun.
Hospital
Mattru Hospital was founded as a dispensaryDispensary
A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital or other organization that dispenses medications and medical supplies. In a traditional dispensary set-up a pharmacist dispenses medication as per prescription or order form....
in 1950 by missionary nurses from the United Brethren in Christ
Church of the United Brethren in Christ
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Huntington, Indiana. It is a Protestant denomination of episcopal structure, Arminian theology, with roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communities of 18th century Pennsylvania, as well as close...
(UBC). By 1959 the dispensary had become a 15-bed hospital. The hospital continued to grow in capacity during the 1960s and 1970s, and by 1981 Mattru Hospital had grown to 69 beds, with pediatrics, obstetrics, surgical, and outpatient units, and x-ray and laboratory facilities.
In 1994 the hospital was shut down because of the threat of civil war
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
violence, and international personnel working in the hospital were evacuated from the country. The hospital was destroyed by Revolutionary United Front
Revolutionary United Front
The Revolutionary United Front was a rebel army that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later developed into a political party, which existed until 2007...
(RUF) rebels during the war.
After the war, Mattru Hospital was rebuilt and reopened by Doctors Without Borders
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
in 2001. They turned the hospital over to the UBC's Sierra Leone Conference in 2002.
In October 2009 the United Nations Population Fund
United Nations Population Fund
The United Nations Population Fund is a UN organization. The work of the UNFPA involves promotion of the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. This is done through major national and demographic surveys and with population censuses...
(UNFPA) provided funding through the office of Sierra Leone's First Lady, Sia Nyama Koroma
Sia Koroma
Sia Nyama Koroma is a Sierra Leonean biochemist and psychiatric nurse. She is the wife of Sierra Leone's president Ernest Bai Koroma and the daughter of former Sierra Leone's attorney general Abu Aiah Koroma...
to refurbish and "re-brand" the hospital as a "centre of excellence."
On March 31, 2010 President Ernest Bai Koroma
Ernest Bai Koroma
Ernest Bai Koroma is the fourth and current President of Sierra Leone. He was sworn in as President on 17 September 2007 at the State House in the capital Freetown, shortly after being declared the winner of a tense run-off in the 2007 Sierra Leone presidential election with 54.6% of the vote over...
visited Mattru Jong Hospital in order to assess its preparedness for the planned April 27, 2010 rollout of free medical services for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children under the age of five. Staffing, electricity supply and confusion over the hospital's funding status (as a part mission-, part government-run entity) were seen as the major challenges to the hospital's effectiveness.
Civil war
RUFRevolutionary United Front
The Revolutionary United Front was a rebel army that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later developed into a political party, which existed until 2007...
rebels fighting in the Sierra Leone Civil War
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
captured Mattru Jong at the end of January, 1995. They faced little military resistance as the Sierra Leone Army (SLA) had already withdrawn from the town. Earlier in January the RUF had briefly taken over the Sierra Rutile Company mine in Imperi Chiefdom, Bonthe District, about 10 miles north west of Mattru Jong, but it was recaptured by the end of January. Most of the RUF forces who captured Mattru Jong entered from the direction of Imperi Chiefdom but some may have come from Sumbaya, Lugbu Chiefdom, Bo District
Bo District
Bo District is the second most populous district in Sierra Leone and is located in the Southern Province of the country. Its capital and largest city is the city of Bo, which is the second largest city in Sierra Leone. The other major towns in the district include Baoma, Bumpeh, Serabu, Sumbuya,...
, about fifteen miles east of Mattru Jong. Upon settling in Mattru Jong, the RUF set up its own governing structures in the town. The RUF stole medical supplies from the hospital and used it as a training base. Another base known as "Camp Lion" was set up at Gambia Palm Oil Plantation, nine miles from Mattru Jong. The RUF remained in Mattru Jong for eight months until it was recaptured by the SLA in October, 1995.
Communications
Mobile phone company Airtel provides coverage of the Mattru Jong area. The service was launched in 2006 by CeltelCeltel
Celtel was a telecommunications company that operated in several African countries. It was founded by Sudanese-born Mo Ibrahim.-History:Originally known as "MSI Cellular Investments", the company began operating in 1998...
(now owned by and renamed Airtel). A Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
branch is located in the town.
Visits by First Lady
Mattru Jong has been visited by Sierra Leone's First LadyFirst Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
, Madam
Madam
Madam, or madame, is a polite title used for women which, in English, is the equivalent of Mrs. or Ms., and is often found abbreviated as "ma'am", and less frequently as "ma'm". It is derived from the French madame, which means "my lady", the feminine form of lord; the plural of ma dame in this...
Sia Nyama Koroma
Sia Koroma
Sia Nyama Koroma is a Sierra Leonean biochemist and psychiatric nurse. She is the wife of Sierra Leone's president Ernest Bai Koroma and the daughter of former Sierra Leone's attorney general Abu Aiah Koroma...
once in 2009 and once in 2010. In February 2009 Madam Koroma addressed supporters of the All People’s Congress (APC) at the compound of Late Paramount Chief Goba in Mattru Jong. According to a statement released by her office, some of the issues faced by people in Bonthe district that she had identified during her visit included "improper health care delivery, poor infrastructure, poor water and sanitation and inadequate means to transport their agricultural produce from place to place". In February 2010 it was reported that Madam Koroma would be visiting Bonthe District, including Mattru Jong, as part of an effort to investigate the district's health care needs, especially those of women. A meeting with the board of Mattru Jong Hospital was scheduled and Madam Koroma was also expected to give the keynote speech at a graduation ceremony for nurses who had been trained at the hospital.
A Long Way Gone
The town was featured prominently in the book A Long Way Gone by Ishmael BeahIshmael Beah
Ishmael Beah is a former Sierra Leonean child soldier and the author of the published memoir, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier.-Early years:...
, a memoir of the author's experiences during the Sierra Leone Civil War
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
. Beah and his brother were visiting Mattru Jong with a group of friends when he learned that his home village of Mogbwemo had been attacked by rebels. Beah and his friends remained in Mattru Jong until the rebels arrived there about one month later.