Archippus with his bicycle and prosthesis
Archippus Tehelleh Sesay’s story is unique, and nothing short of extraordinary. Born in 1980 in a village called Kama-gbay-kay-bay located in Bombali district in Northern part of Sierra Leone, Archippus grew up in harsh conditions with poor parents. He was bitten by a snake in 1989, which resulted in the amputation of his left leg below the knee. It was not until 1993 that he was fitted for prosthesis. Coping and adapting to the school environment was difficult for Archippus, but his inner strength and strong will to complete his education kept him motivated and pushed him through. He ultimately graduated from the University of Makeni in 2010 with a diploma in Human Resource Management.
Archippus was fitted with a more comfortable prosthetic leg with help from Prosthetics Outreach Foundation. In his motivation to help other amputees, he began volunteering with POF in 2007 at Makeni Government Hospital. At first, he assisted with interviewing, writing short patient stories, and taking photographs. The initial work he did helped show the progress amputees made following a quality prosthetic fitting. His communication skills and strong work ethic were made visible through his performance. POF invited Archippus to join the component development team upon his graduation from college.
Archippus has received training from POF’s program director Raymond Pye and consultant Mr. Edward Pennington Ridge to refine component designs and manufacturing methods. In doing so, Archippus has ensured very low-cost but highly durable prosthetics for Sierra Leone. As an amputee himself, Archippus has a unique and valuable perspective to evaluate components. Presently, Archippus is the local component technician responsible for designing and locally producing rehabilitation components. These include cosmetic foot shells, flexible foot keels and M1 Knees.
The work Archippus has done for our organization and the many amputees of Sierra Leone is a testament to his character and dedication. He is a great asset to his community and a wonderful example of how a sustainable program can be achieved in Sierra Leone.
Donate today and help Archippus continue doing the work he loves. Your gift will assist the development of POF’s program in Sierra Leone.
Archippus at work
Archippus displaying his work
