1998

Foundation of the association “Bintumani D-SL” in November in Berlin and Freetown.
During the rebel war, berlin-friendly doctors are supported in Freetown. Communication with partners YMCA and the United Christian Council of Sierra Leone (CCSL) is very difficult. Martial law, cut telephone connections, no air connections made us difficult at the beginning of our club life.

The Brookfields Community Clinic and Health Centre in Freetown was also supported by private support, equipment and medicine donations and private funds during the war. At times, this hospital, run by Sierra Leonean Bintumani member Dr. Christian Bell, was the only functioning institution where local doctors could operate together with a team of Doctors Without Borders and continue a gynecology division.

1999
Delivery of a 40-foot container containing medical supplies, clothing and staples worth a total of DM 80,000.
Support was provided by the Brookfields Community Clinic and Health Centre, led by Bintumani member Dr Bell, and the Krootown Bay School For The Poor. Here the construction of a toilet was financed.

2000
Bintumani is building an internet cafe in Freetown. These rooms also provide training in operating systems and application programs.

2002
Continued support for the “Krootown-Bay-School for the Poor”. Cooperation with “Bread for the World”. School meals, teaching materials and the construction of a toilet were financed. The Internet café continued to receive financial support.

2004
The vocational school teacher Norbert Hoffmann (Hans-Böckler-Schule) develops a project in order to implement the curiosity of the trainees with the experience of seniors within the framework of his lessons. Learning about sustainability in the use of resources and living in global contexts was in the foreground.
Active action is intended to expand learning in the classroom.
The topic of work was to create training places for young people in Sierra Leone tools for a metal workshop and mechanical sewing machines for training and livelihood should be collected and shipped.
Cooperation with Werkhaus Anti-Rost and the Hans-Böckler-Schule, Upper Level Center for Construction Engineering.

2005
Dr. Ladipoh and N.Hoffmann visit the partner association “Bintumani SL” in Freetown in October/November 2005
Since the partner association Bintumani SL in Freetown no longer carried out active work due to various difficulties, Bintumani D-SL took over the joint organization in Berlin. All interested people were invited to become members of Bintumani e.V. International.

Visit of the Federal President Horst Köhler:
After the first contact with the Federal President, handing over 10 mechanical sewing machines for his first trip to Africa. This led to an exchange of information on the project between the Federal Presidential Office and the OSZ Bausbautechnik, which led to the visit of the Federal President and his wife to the Hans Böckler School in June 2005.

Two overseas containers are shipped to Sierra Leone. A portable metal workshop in a container, as well as 120 mechanical sewing machines and materials for training.

2006
Bintumani enables our partner M. Kamara from the company to FINIC a four-week stay in Berlin. During his stay in September, M.Kamara visited various training institutions to get ideas for implementation at his training workshop in Freetown. He discusses with us the workshop equipment, which is to be sent to Freetown in 2007. At the general meeting in Berlin in autumn 2006, we thanked the present GTZ employee Martin Brehm for his unselfish commitment and the support of our idea in Freetown.
During his visit to Berlin, we discussed and agreed on further partner projects with the bishop of the United Bretheren Church, Billy Simbo.

The actor and UNICEF ambassador for Sierra Leone, Dieter Pfaff, supports our commitment to Sierra Leone. He handed over his winnings of €20,000.00, in the show “Star Quiz” with Jörg Pilawa in December 2006, to the project.

2007
Work assignment – Trip to Sierra Leone
Five trainees and five senior citizens, led by N.Hoffmann, will travel to Sierra Leone in November 2007 as part of the ENSA programme.
Objectives:

Visit to the training centre of the company FINIC, Mr. M.Kamara
Testing and handover of the well drilling rig to M.Kamara
Get to know the country and culture of Sierra Leone with its different facets
Dr. Ladipoh agrees with the Bishop of the United Brethren in Church (UBC), J. Pessima, for the establishment and support of a training center in Mattru Jong.

2008
Award ingesantiated the project idea and the commitment of the trainees of the Hans Böckler School by the Theodor Heuss Foundation: Democratic Action.
Dr. Ladipoh attended the annual conference of West African surgeons in Freetown (February 2008). He also met representatives of UBC Sierra Leone. It was agreed to support the regional hospital in Mattru Jong (Bonthe District) in the expansion of a basic equipment.
Two overseas containers were shipped to Freetown in October in cooperation with the Piggyback Association of the Johannesstift and The GTZ.

2009
Dr. Wright organizes and performs a pediatric surgical operation in SL with colleagues.

Federal President Horst Köhler awards Norbert Hoffmann the “Cross of Merit on the Ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany” for his social commitment, in particular to the Africa project. In a small ceremony, State Secretary Claudia Zinke presented the certificate to the Senior Study Councillor Norbert Hoffmann in the rooms of the Senator for Education, Youth and Science.

2010
Dr. Wright organizes and conducts a second pediatric surgical operation in SL with colleagues.

2011
The student F. Polte and the vocational school teacher N.Hoffmann travel to Sierra Leone and carry out training during their three-week stay. At Milton Margai College/Freetown, they install a small PC network under the UBUNTU operating system and train the administrators there in network technology. Young female students are explained in a workshop about the possibilities of a business model. The OPEN STREET MAP project opens up the possibility of creating maps for tourism and other economic sectors.
Dr. Ladipoh and Miata Ladipoh visit our partners in Freetown and Mattru Jong and discuss the further joint work.

2011
President Koroma visits Berlin. In this context, Bintumani D-Sl organizes a program item for the President’s wife, Sia Nama Koroma. The children’s hospice Sonnenhof of the Björn Schulz Foundation in Berlin Pankow was visited.

2012
Delivery of a container with various goods worth 70000,00€ to Sierra Leone. Contents: 7000 glasses, a computer room equipment for Milton Margei College and div. clinical devices.
Dr. Wright, with colleagues, organizes and performs a pediatric surgical operation in SL.

2013
During the planning stay in Sierra Leone, Bintumani members Dr. J.Ladipoh and D. Schröder organize the further cooperation with UBC. Bishop Pessima thanked the Bintumani Association for the long-standing support of the hospital and the planned training centre in the Mattru Jong
In a new collaboration with the CVJM Rödinghausen, the Youth Development Project in Sierra Leone is supported in the furnishing of a joinery. With the container delivery (40-foot), the project “women in action” also gets computers and sewing machines for their school in Freetown.

2014
Dr. Wright organizes and performs another pediatric surgical operation in SL with colleagues.

Building an expanded network of many active people and NGOs in the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone this year is joining forces to fight the virus in both Sierra Leone and Germany. In addition to raising funds for the necessary protection measures, it is important to combat hunger and economic decline.

Together with the Sierra Leonean Embassy in Berlin, we have sent protective suits and material for the staff of some hospitals in Sierra Leone as part of the Ebola aid. 2015

The NGO network, which was established in 2014, is able to report its first successes. In the Ebola campaign, 6 of the NGOs raised about €170,000 in donations. Much of it has already been used for protection and life support.

Second meeting of many NGOs with the ambassador, Mr. J. Stevens, in Berlin. As a result, the message is intended to support the commitment of the various NGOs.

Preparations for further container transport with relief supplies for medical assistance and training. Spendenaktion für eine Herzoperation für den neunjährigen Mohamed aus Freetown Oct/Nov. Visit to the existing partnerships in Sierra Leone. Evaluation of the cooperation so far. Establishing new contacts, in particular on deaf schools and institutions for the promotion of decentralised plants for renewable energies.

2016
Preparation of a new project. EDUREC. EDUcation REnewable Energy Center with partners Milton Margai College and barefoot women solar engineers.

March/April 2016 in Sierra Leone: 4 Bintumani members continue the talks on Nov. 2015.

Participation in the Africa Festival “KE NA KO” at Alexanderplatz, Berlin. Bintumani D-SL presented its activities there, in particular the current energy project.

Information event: “Opportunities for an improvement of living conditions in Sierra Leone” on 30.9.2016 in Berlin-Neukölln. With lectures on health by Dr. M.Wright and Dr. J. Ladipoh. Further lectures on renewable energies by Prof. Dr. M. Hartmann, Dr. T. Wolfram, K.Pellmann and N.Hoffmann.

Preparations for the “Meni Curve” project. Equipment of the village with 50 small-home systems as well as a school and an infirmary with renewable solar energy.

October: A container (40feet) is sent on the journey to Freetown, Sierra Leone
Contents: Tools for wood and metalworking, computers and monitors, dressing boxes and workshop equipment for training. Our partners, barefoot women solar engineers, Milton Margai College for Education and Technical, Youth Development Project, Lion for Lion, UBC-Church, are looking forward to the content.

December: The container has arrived at our partner “barefoot women solar enginers”. Club member Dietmar Schröder accompanied the distribution on site.

2017:
Dr. Ladipoh and N.Hoffmann travel to Sierra Leone in January/February.

Our partner “barefoot women solar engineers” install solar systems for 50 houses, a school and the infirmary in Meni Curve, Sierra Leone. The project is financed by the Schmitz Foundation.

Preparations for the project begin
Information and training centre for renewable energies with decentralised small energy plants. EDUREC – EDUCATION RENEWABLE ENERGY CENTER

Another container transport in cooperation with our partner CVJM Rödinghausen is being prepared

Bintumani D-SL receives an award for the KARANA project in Meni Curve

2018:

Dr. Ladipoh and N.Hoffmann travel to Sierra Leone in January.

Our medical team, “Children’s Surgery” travels to Sierra Leone in March. During 2 weeks, more than 100 Indians are relieved of their deformities in operations, some of which are very complicated.

EDUREC continues. The first training facilities for the “Biomass Biogas” module will be installed in Konta Line in March. Engagement Global has been supporting the project since July 2018. The EDUREC network in Berlin organizes curricula and teaching materials for the training centre of barefoot women in Konta LIne.

Engagement Global (bengo/BMZ) approves an initial project application for €50,000 for the EDUREC project. We have to pay 12500.00€ ourselves.

The “North-South Bridges” Foundation approves a project for Meni Curve. The “Karana” monitoring system can be used. This will allow barefoot women to better control the solar systems installed in the 50 houses installed last year and to intervene more quickly in the event of disruption.

Another container, loaded with many relief supplies, arrived in Freetown on 13.11.18.

on 29.11. and 30.11. the first EDUREC workshop took place in Freetown. 30 stakeholders from all over Sierra Leone have been given an overview of the EDUREC concept.
A practical course on the construction and operation of a PV system was conducted by Dr. M. Hartmann.

2019

In February, our pediatric surgeons operated on about 100 children in Freetown

In the spring, the EDUREC room was established at Milton Margai College. N.Hoffmann held a number of workshops on the use of teaching and learning materials.

Oct/Nov 2019:
The first self-built wind turbine in Sierra Leone was built in 5 days by about 35 young men and women. The wind turbine, created in a theoretical and practical workshop, takes its place at a school of our partner YDP (youth development project). It complements the local photovoltaic system in the sense of a hybrid solution.

Febr/March 2020

Once again, our doctors have operated on more than 80 children and adolescents in their pediatric surgery. It was the 11th action since the beginning. Many thanks to the team of 3 pediatric surgeons, a budding pediatric surgeon, an anesthiary nurse, a doctor and a coordinator and dolmescherin. Last is also a member of “Lion for Lion”, our cooperation partner NGO in Sierra Leone.

March to?

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the planned courses on biomass, biogas and “paediatric surgical missions” have been postponed to a possible date.

Jan/Febr. 2021

Dr. Ladipoh discusses with our project partners for the year 2021 how to proceed in the cooperation. Dates, for planned projects: Paediatric surgery, EDUREC workshops Biogas, development of Klin Salone initiatives. And much more.