By: Emmanuel Mbowa
Freetown, 27th February 2026 — After more than three decades of service to Sierra Leone’s education sector, Mabel Anthonia French now finds herself in urgent need of public support.
French, who worked with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) as a teacher and later as Secretary General at the Mattru Jong and Bonthe branch offices, was involved in a motorcycle accident in 2023 while on her way to work. The crash left her with a broken pelvic bone and calf, injuries that doctors say require a hip replacement surgery.
“Since I had the accident in 2023, I have been staying at home and cannot move,” she explained. “I reached out to the Ministry and the Teaching Service Commission through my boss, but I haven’t had any help. Here I am, still in this condition.”
Despite being physically challenged even before the accident, French remained committed to education from 1994 until her injury. Today, she is confined to a wheelchair and struggling to meet her children’s higher education needs. She is appealing for an electronic wheelchair as a temporary measure while hoping for surgical intervention.
“With my heavy responsibilities and current condition, I appeal to the nation to help me get medical treatment, as I can no longer provide for my children’s education,” she said.
Her plea highlights the plight of a dedicated public servant who gave her career to education but now faces hardship alone. French’s appeal is a call for solidarity and compassion from the nation she served.
