Murray Town Maternity Ward Reopens After Major Renovation by Sudu

Side view of the renovated Murray Town Maternity Ward

On November 15, 2025, the Murray Town community in Freetown celebrated a pivotal moment in its ongoing efforts to improve its maternal and child healthcare. Sudu, an NGO that works with children, alongside key donors, MusCare and Friends of Sierra Leone, officially handed over the newly rehabilitated Murray Town Maternity Ward to the community and the Community Health Worker. The ceremony marks the culmination of a community-driven project aimed at creating a safe, functional, and hopeful environment for the more than 1,000 mothers and newborns who rely on the facility each year. This project directly addresses the critical need for improved maternal health infrastructure in a country with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.

The renovation arrives at a critical time for Sierra Leone, a country that continues to face one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Each year, the Murray Town facility receives more than 1,000 mothers and babies, despite previously operating in unsafe and deteriorated conditions.

The handover ceremony held on November 15, 2025, represented a significant achievement in collaborative, community-focused development. The event brought together key project partners, government officials, and local stakeholders to formally commission the upgraded facility. The extensive rehabilitation work, fully funded by a generous donation from MusCare, has transformed the center’s infrastructure. In addition, essential new equipment, including modern delivery and postnatal beds, were also procured with financial support from Friends of Sierra Leone.

In attendance were distinguished guests from a range of organizations committed to public health and social welfare in Sierra Leone, including other stakeholders and Community Health Workers from the community, who were present to formally accept the facility. The work of Sudu as the on-the-ground implementing partner was central to coordinating these efforts and ensuring the project met the community’s specific needs.

Before the renovation, the maternity ward was in such a poor condition that pregnant women were often forced to leave their community in search of safer care. Many described the situation as frightening and stressful especially for women in labour who had to travel long distances to give birth.

Sudu has worked in Murray Town since 2019, supporting foster families and training local households. After witnessing the state of the maternity centre, the organisation realised that improving the facility was essential to protecting children and mothers from the very start of life.

With funding from MusCare, Sudu began a full rehabilitation of the building, repairing the structure and creating a safer, cleaner space for childbirth. Friends of Sierra Leone supported the project further by providing new equipment, including modern delivery beds and postnatal beds items the centre had gone without for years.

Government officials, community leaders, health workers and partners attended the handover ceremony, marking the end of months of work and the beginning of a new chapter for maternal health in the area. Community Health Workers, midwives and nurses expressed relief and gratitude, saying the updated space will allow them to provide better and more dignified care.

New modern delivery beds at the Murray Town Maternity

The journey to this moment began earlier this year when Sudu, MusCare, and the community set a fundraising target of $7,450. Work officially kicked off after a small ceremony on September 20, 2025, which brought together Sudu staff, local authorities and facility heads. Their collaboration made the project possible and now serves as an example of what community-led development can achieve.