Hard-Earned degree made possible by offering

I am a wife and mother in my 40s, with a daughter in high school, and I also care for my niece and my father.

Born in the Bo District of Sierra Leone and a member of the United Methodist Church in Kossoh Town, I entered nursing school and attained a State Enrolled Community Health Nursing Certificate (SECHN). I began work with Kissy Hospital. I sought further studies at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, where I obtained a State Registered Nursing Certificate. I then resumed my duties with Kissy Hospital.

I am matron at the United Methodist Kissy General Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

I travelled as a health worker in the community, helping to inform people about health care, administering vaccinations and referring children at-risk for malnutrition back to the hospital. I enjoyed this kind of work to promote community health.

Even though my life was already hectic, I wanted to pursue further studies for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I hoped to improve at promoting and restoring health, preventing illness and facilitating a better life for those in need. I received a World Communion Scholarship from Global Ministries, in partnership with the Sierra Leone Annual Conference, I left my family and duties in Sierra Leone and traveled to Zimbabwe to pursue further education. 

Your gifts on World Communion Sunday, supports the Ethnic Scholarship which enables The United Methodist Church to equip gifted, qualified students from around the globe to become the world changers God created them to be.

I arrived at Africa University’s main campus in August 5, 2019. I stayed a year on campus until August 2020. Then COVID-19 began to take its toll on Zimbabwe.

Before long, lock-downs became serious, and I wondered when I would see my family again. But fortunately, the chancellor of Africa University arranged for my return home.

In-person classes and online learning have marked differences. The course content was the same in both cases, undiluted. But learning online was difficult for me because my internet access was limited, and I had trouble reaching the virtual library.

Communication with the university administrators from my home country posed another challenge.

I continued third semester classes online. Then my last semester was coupled with a 12-week internship, which we were able to arrange with the University of Sierra Leone Teaching Hospital Complex. I graduated by virtual means on July 3, 2021.

Though I have returned to the same job as hospital matron, I feel my studies have allowed me to approach my work in a different way and to pass on my new perspectives to my colleagues and coworkers. It was not an easy journey for me, but it was a gift from God, and I am thankful for God’s steadfast love and care.

excerpt from a story by Martha Fatoma, World Communion Scholar through Global Ministries

One of six churchwide Special Sundays with offerings of The United Methodist Church, World Communion Sunday calls the church to reach out to all people and model diversity among God’s children. The special offering provides World Communion Scholarships, the Ethnic Scholarship Program and the Ethnic In-Service Training Program.