MTHE Bids Farewell to Three Students Awarded Medical Scholarships to Cuba

Three Sierra Leonean students have won Cuban government medical scholarships. MTHE and Cuba's embassy hosted a farewell ceremony, honouring the three winners who will depart soon.

The farewell ceremony took place on 15 September 2026 at the Cuban Embassy, Aberdeen. Those present included Cuban Ambassador to Sierra Leone Norma Sanchez Aguila; Acting Director of Research, Planning and Development Idrissa Sannoh; Executive Secretary at the Cuban Embassy Abubakarr Kamara; President of the Sierra Leone Community in Cuba Mamakoh Kamara; plus parents and the awardees.

Ambassador Aguila told the students that discipline, focus, and commitment would shape their success. She stressed the value of learning Spanish early, building strong ties with professors, and remembering they carry Sierra Leone's name throughout their stay.

She said Cuba has long offered medical scholarships to Sierra Leone, with students completing a six-year medical programme and later pursuing specialisation. The scheme, she added, aims to build Sierra Leonean medical professionals who will return home and strengthen the health sector. The embassy, she assured them, will keep supporting them.

Executive Secretary Abubakarr Kamara called for unity, warning against divisions and conflicts inside the Sierra Leonean student community. He also told them to brace for the challenges of adapting to life in Cuba, especially the Spanish language and unfamiliar living conditions.

President of the Sierra Leone Community in Cuba, Mamakoh Kamara, described Cuba as a conducive place to study despite its economic hardships. She asked the students to stay focused, respectful and cooperative, and to seize the academic and cultural opportunities before them.

Acting Director of Research, Planning and Development Idrissa Sannoh pushed the students towards excellence, urging them to specialise in fields Sierra Leone urgently needs. He noted the country's shortage of medical professionals and called on them to return with skills that would strengthen national healthcare delivery.

Awardee Isha Sesay thanked the organisers and pledged hard work towards becoming a medical doctor, with plans to specialise in orthopaedics.

The three students will leave for Cuba soon to begin their studies.

The scholarships support President Dr. Julius Maada Bio's Human Capital Development agenda, secured through the leadership of Minister of Technical and Higher Education Dr. Ramatulai Wurie. The initiative is expected to strengthen Sierra Leone's medical workforce and improve its capacity to deliver quality healthcare.