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BEFORE During the Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002), the hospital was looted, burned, and left in ruins as violence swept through the region. Burned, Destroyed Buildings Only Shells Left Standing Volunteers Worked Tirelessly to Rebuild After After the war, Mission of Hope worked with local leaders and international partners to rebuild the Archer-Hatfield Memorial Hospital, transforming ruins into a functioning center of care. State of the Art Surgical Center Restored Patient Wards Modern Airy Buildings Fresh Water Wells Solar Electric Power Hatfield Archer Memorial Hospital 2004 Rotifunk Hospital aka Hatfield Archer Memorial Hospital boys retrieving fresh water from deep water well in Rotifunk, Sierra Leone solar power for Rotifunk Hospital

Archer-Hatfield Memorial Hospital  in Rotifunk, Sierra Leone. Click the image for a bigger view. Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons. 

A Hospital That Endured War—and Was Rebuilt to Serve

Founded in 1891 by pioneering medical missionary Dr. Marietta Hatfield, the Archer-Hatfield Memorial Hospital has served the people of Rotifunk and the surrounding Bumpeh Chiefdom for more than a century. Located beyond the end of the road and accessible only by ferry, the hospital has long been the primary source of medical care for tens of thousands of people in one of Sierra Leone’s most remote regions. For generations, families have relied on the hospital for maternity care, emergency treatment, and essential health services that would otherwise be out of reach.

During the Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002), the hospital was devastated. Buildings were burned and looted, equipment was destroyed, and vital systems such as electricity, clean water, and sanitation collapsed. Medical services were severely disrupted, and the damaged structures stood for years as a stark reminder of the conflict’s toll on community health and stability.

Rebuilding began after the war through the combined efforts of local hospital staff, faith-based partners, and international supporters — including Haugesund Rotifunk, a Norwegian-based philanthropic organization that took on the enormous task of helping rebuild the hospital campus. Reconstruction was not a single project but a gradual process: restoring wards, rebuilding staff housing, replacing essential equipment, and re-establishing reliable power and water.

A critical next chapter began in 2013, when Mission of Hope: Rotifunk Hospital, a Wilmington, North Carolina–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was formed to provide long-term support to the hospital. Working in partnership with hospital leadership, the United Methodist Church, and Haugesund Rotifunk, Mission of Hope has helped sustain operations, fund infrastructure and equipment, and expand maternal and child health programs. Its ongoing role ensures that progress made through reconstruction is maintained and strengthened over time.

Today, the Archer-Hatfield Memorial Hospital once again functions as a vital healthcare center for the region. Expanded maternity services, improved facilities, 

and community outreach reflect both the resilience of the people of Rotifunk and the enduring commitment of partners near and far. The transformation shown above tells a deeper story — not only of rebuilding structures, but of restoring hope, dignity, and lifesaving care to a community that depends on this hospital every day.