Mohamed Census Jalloh
Name: Mohamed Census Jalloh
Nationality: Sierra Leonean
Address: 1H Gooding Lane off Wilkinson Road, Freetown
Date of Birth: 12th December 1985
Place of Birth: Matotoka, Margay Village Tenneh Chiefdom Tonkolili District
Marital status: Single with two (2) children
Language spoken: Temneh, Krio and English
Playing position: Midfielder
Educational background: Primary
MY LIFE HISTORY OF MY AMPUTATION
In December 1998 the Rebels attacked our town. My parents, two elder brothers and myself ran away to hide in the bush. We hid in the bush for five months as the Rebels had captured all the towns and villages. Finally my parents asked my brothers and me to go and find food for us to eat. We decided to go back to our village and get some fruits and rice. A group of us — including my elder brother’s wife and son – went to my old village.
To get to the village we had to climb over a fallen tree in the road. Everyone climbed over it without a problem but when I was climbing over I heard an explosion and this scared me. Thinking the Rebels were attacking I ran into the bush to hide and it was after wandering in the forest that I stepped on a land mine. I was able to run on my stump for ten or more kilometers before I could no longer run and the pain became overwhelming. I crawled for many more miles
After three days I found my way to a house. The people of the house put me in a hammock and carried me to the town of pat Fu mayehpa where we fortunately met with ECOMOG soldiers who transported me to Yele and from there a medical land rover took me and my brother to Bo government hospital where I received medical care from MSF. I was in Bo for 6 months and had two operations. When we were discharged the doctor recommended that we go to Freetown but my brother and I wanted to find our parents and we made our way back to our village.
We could not find our parents and it eventually came to be known to us that our parents died from hunger, hiding the bush. I automatically felt isolated, and three weeks after this discovery my elder brother died from a head ache, leaving me with my second elder brother who also has trouble walking as he has polio.
In April 2000 Dr. Sesay heard about me and he came to my village. He took me to Freetown and went with me to Handicap International for a prosthetic leg which I can use to walk. I also had a 3rd operation. I thank God for saving me from death at that time, but my living condition is not too easy for me right now. I have hope through Salone Flying Stars that I can improve my living conditions.
