The years between 1932 and 1962 are of great importance to Rotifunk Hospital, as it was during this time period it grew from one ward with three beds to a thriving regional mission hospital. It covered every department from maternity, surgery, pharmacy, general medicine, laboratory, and outpatient clinics. The hospital was so well equipped that patients from across the nation, as well as patients from outside the nation, came to Rotifunk to make use of the competent doctors and nurses, who were missionaries from both the US, UK and Europe. When the Civil war broke out in the 1990s much of the country’s roads, schools, and hospitals, including Rotifunk Hospital were burnt down and destroyed.

 

In 2000, due to the condition the hospital was left in after the war, the organization, along with Chief Charles Caulker, took it upon themselves to rebuild the hospital. In 2002 FNSL received a donation of 50 to 60 ton with hospital equipment from the Norwegian government, a cooperation that was broadcasted on the Norwegian national news. Due to this broadcast, the foundation was contacted by the Norwegian doctor Martin Thormodsen, which led to the creation of the co-organization Haugesund-Rotifunk. 

 

Throughout the process of supervising this wonderful project Alton flew back and forth between Norway and Sierra Leone making sure that everything from hiring workers, organizing transportation of equipment, for both the building process and the hospital itself, and managing salaries for workers and employees through the organization and through donations made to both Norway-Sierra Leone and Haugesund-Rotifunk. After all the hard work, we can now, ten years later be proud to introduce a very successful and well-administrated hospital. Upon its reopening on May 24th, 2014 the organization handed over a newly renovated, clean and well-prepared hospital to the United Methodist Church (UMC), as it was UMC who in the past owned and ran the once successful hospital.

 

The foundation would like to give a heartfelt and special thanks to all of our contributors, especially Lions Arendal, whom they shared this journey with from the very beginning.