BHI Builds Hope in Kono

Build Health International (BHI), in partnership with Partners In Health (PIH) and the Government of Sierra Leone, has officially opened the Maternal Center of Excellence (MCOE) in Kono District, a landmark health facility designed to improve maternal and child health outcomes across the country.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by His Excellency the President, the Vice President, Members of Parliament, senior government officials, and development partners. The facility, which combines world-class design with local craftsmanship, symbolizes BHI’s commitment to ensuring dignified healthcare infrastructure in resource-limited settings.

Speaking at the event, Jim Ansara, Managing Director of Build Health International, described the project as a model of collaborative and inclusive development.

“This project reflects the very best of what Build Health International and Partners In Health stand for,” he stated. “At BHI, we believe that every person, no matter where they are born, deserves access to dignified, high-quality healthcare, and the infrastructure delivering that care must reflect the same dignity.”

Ansara paid tribute to the late Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners In Health, whose vision of health equity inspired the project. He emphasized that the Center represents a declaration that “every life matters equally.”

The Maternal Center of Excellence was constructed through extensive community involvement and technical collaboration, training hundreds of local workers in new skills. Notably, two-thirds of the construction workforce were women, demonstrating BHI’s dedication to empowerment and inclusion.

One of them, Diana “Success” Komba, a Lead Field Technician with BHI and native of Koidu, shared her journey from selling cassava salad to helping build one of Sierra Leone’s most advanced health facilities.

“Mothers have been building this Center for mothers,” she expressed. “Every wall, every corridor, every detail carries that legacy.”

Ansara reaffirmed BHI’s long-term partnership with Sierra Leone and called for continued investment in health infrastructure across the region.

“Here in Sierra Leone, we have found partners who are bold, visionary, and deeply committed to change,” he noted. “What we have achieved in Kono can be replicated across West Africa.”

Operating in more than 70 countries, Build Health International specializes in designing and constructing resilient healthcare infrastructure that strengthens systems and uplifts communities. The new Maternal Center of Excellence, he said, is “a testament to what can be achieved through trust, collaboration, and shared purpose.”