Krasnodar Doctor Recounts Humanitarian Mission to Sierra Leone

Anastasia Kalita works as a neonatologist at the Regional Clinical Hospital No. 2 in Krasnodar in the neonatal intensive care unit. At 25, she became a participant in a humanitarian mission to West Africa. She spent three weeks in Sierra Leone and helped hundreds of people. Anastasia told 93.RU about how the trip went and what challenges she faced.

Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa, bordering Guinea and Liberia. The population is about 8 million people. According to the UN Human Development Index in 2025, Sierra Leone ranks 185th out of 193 countries. The unemployment rate exceeds 50%. Average life expectancy is 55 years. The main part of the population is employed in agriculture and the service sector.

— How did you become a participant in the humanitarian mission?

— The dream to go to a remote continent to help, to save people, appeared in me long before medical university. And work and university instilled in me the confidence that I can do it. Therefore, when such an opportunity arose, I almost without hesitation sent an application to participate in the humanitarian-medical mission of Ekaterina Glock, a midwife known worldwide.

It didn«t take long to persuade the management. The chief doctor approved this idea, saying it was a wonderful experience.

— What documents and vaccinations were required for the trip?

— First of all, it«s a question of personal safety, so before going to an area endemic for yellow fever, I needed to get vaccinated. We also prepared documents proving that I am indeed a certified doctor, so that the government of Sierra Leone would issue me a work permit.

Every year the mission grows, and if the first consisted of only three people, then the fourth humanitarian mission included 13 specialists. This includes a surgeon, oncologist, dentist, gynecologist, midwife, neonatologist, and so on. Our mission is growing, more and more specialists are joining.

— Were you prepared for what you would see? What surprised you?

— For such a trip, you definitely need to prepare, and the footage I saw initially, of course, instilled some fear, some uncertainty, but I overcame all worries. Conditions differ, starting from natural ones and ending with hospital equipment.

Actually, it«s an incredibly beautiful country on the Atlantic coast. I was surprised by how warm it is there. Regarding wildlife, there were huge spiders that frightened us, but in hotels we slept in special nets so that no one could get to us at night. We also used protection against malaria mosquitoes.

As for hospital conditions, yes, there are colossal differences. First of all, our tools were hands, eyes, and clinical thinking; we had to rely not on technology, but on our own knowledge and experience.

— How did you reach your patients? Which «call» do you remember most?

— During the project, we visited four cities, one island, and several villages. There were hard-to-reach places where we had to travel by special off-road vehicles. Also, the local Ministry of Health allocated a whole bus for our team and suitcases with humanitarian aid.

To the island, we sailed for two hours on a boat, from which we simultaneously bailed out water. These are indescribable emotions, more thrilling than any extreme attractions.

During the trip, we provided aid to 716 patients. Probably one of the most memorable cases: when our team of gynecologists discovered a woman in serious condition during a round. At night, we transported her by boat for several hours, although every minute counted, and the patient needed emergency surgery. We definitely have several saved lives on our account, and that is something that will never be forgotten.

— What are the medical conditions there, you say you needed to perform emergency surgery—where did the operations take place?

— We worked based in hospitals. That is, in certain cities they have clinics, hospitals where patients are brought. Yes, of course, these are unusual conditions for us, but nevertheless we had the opportunity to provide aid right in the hospital, including operating rooms.

Motherhood and birth, it«s the same on any continent, it»s physiology. But for example, in Sierra Leone there were no ventilators, while at the moment this is an integral part of caring for premature newborns.

As part of the humanitarian mission, we brought clothing, shoes, toys for children for the population, but also medical equipment—ultrasound machines, CT scanners, and so on. We left the equipment behind.

— How did you communicate with patients, were there any problems with mutual understanding?

— In Sierra Leone, the main language is English, as well as the interethnic Creole. There was a language barrier, but we managed to overcome it with sign language, and local doctors helped us. By the way, there were many medics who received education in Russia, they also spoke Russian. So we found a common language quite quickly and provided aid in teamwork.

— Did you need to explain some basic things to locals in terms of hygiene?

— Our dentists even brought a huge brush from Orenburg and taught the local population how to brush teeth correctly, conducted master classes, after which they gave each person a personal toothbrush for oral hygiene.

— Was there free time, did you manage to see the country? In some photos from the trip you have braids, did they braid them there?

— There was free time when we first arrived and documentation was being processed. Government representatives welcomed us pleasantly, took us to beaches of incredible beauty. We also managed to visit a chimpanzee park. We got acquainted with local culture, people; it«s an incredibly kind people with great strength of spirit.

Otherwise, actually, the schedule was quite tight, every two or three days we moved to another city. As a rule, we entered the hospital at 08:00 and stayed there until the end, as long as our help was needed, as long as the queue in the hospital didn«t end, we remained at our workplaces.

— Were the queues large for medical aid?

— Yes, the queues were incredible, especially in the first days when we came on duty at the hospital. Huge crowds of people were waiting for us, because for some it was an opportunity to receive medical aid for the first time in their lives. In the country, medical aid is free for pregnant women and children under five, and beyond that—it«s paid. So when we said we would help for free, there were a huge number of willing people.

— Was your work in West Africa paid?

— This is a volunteer project, so there was no talk of any salary. Moreover, we bought most of the humanitarian aid ourselves. Caring people also helped us, buying medicines, clothing, equipment and sending them to us.

— In the future, would you like to return to this country?

— Yes, I think that soon Sierra Leone must definitely become a tourist country that will welcome guests, because the views, the nature they have is just incredible. Everyone should visit there.

As for medical work, I would like to return with more experience and bring more equipment, technology, and aid. The coolest thing is that our mission is open to new specialists. You can apply and go as a volunteer doctor, or you can participate in purchasing humanitarian aid. For 2026, coordination is already underway for the next countries.

The International Mission of Ekaterina Glock is a humanitarian project aimed at developing cooperation between Russia and African countries and BRICS+, training medical specialists, and providing aid to those in need. The trip to Sierra Leone took place from 6 to 26 December. According to the plan until 2028, participants of the humanitarian mission will also visit Guinea, Congo, Senegal, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Rwanda, and other countries.