The Sierra Leone National Railway Museum Team
The museum is so much more than the exhibits: our people are at the heart of everything we do. Our brilliant on-site team work with stakeholders outside the museum in Freetown plus international support in the UK and beyond. We'd like to introduce some of the current Freetown museum staff below:
Abubakarr Nylender-Kargbo
Coordinator
Abubakarr was born in Freetown in December 1968 and is married with children. He has worked as part of the National Museums team since May 1996, having started his museum career as a clerical officer and worked his way up the ladder, becoming Coordinator of the National Railway Museum in 2012.
As part of his personal development, Abubakarr has obtained a Diploma in Financial Management, Human Resource and Project Planning through IPAM of the University of Sierra Leone. He also undertook the West Africa Museums Programme at Dakar, Senegal and took the Certificate in Monument Conservation at the National Council for Arts and Culture in Banjul, The Gambia, under the Exchange Programme.
Abubakarr has many outside interests, including being a local Councillor and Chief Commissioner for the Boys Scouts Association of Sierra Leone. He also has the Advanced Diploma in Church Administration, for which he studied at the Evangelical Bible College.
Mohamed Jabbie
Senior Tour Guide and
Acting Education & Outreach Officer
Mohamed was born in Kambia District, in a small village called Rowlalol, Monu Chiefdom. He went to school in the village and was due to go to college in Freetown, but was unable to start because of the outbreak of the Rebel War. He worked for the Sierra Fishing Company as Assistant Jetty Master, and then worked as a sea fisherman for three years. On leaving the sea, he became a driver on public transport but did not enjoy this work. In September 2004 Mohamed met with Colonel Davies, who invited him to take up work at the Railway Museum as part of the restoration team.
Mohamed visited the UK National Railway Museum for specialist museum training in 2005 and learned to fire and drive a steam locomotive.
Salifu Mansaray
Clerk
Salifu was born in Kabala, Koindugu District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone in 1984. He went to school at St Edwards Secondary School at King Tom in Freetown. On leaving school he went to Liccsal Business College to study Human Resource Development, in affiliation with the Institute of Commercial Management in England, achieving a diploma. He then went to work at Lapo Micro-finance as entry staff and worked as a volunteer as an office assistant at GTZ (German Technical Corporation).
Salifu moved to the National Railway Museum as Clerk in January 2015, where he is responsible for inventories, financial records and other clerical duties.
Umaru Conteh
Tour Guide
Umaru was born in Freetown but went to school in Tonkolili in the North of Sierra Leone. After finishing school, he moved to Kono, where he was engaged as a Diamond Miner. During the Rebel War it was no longer possible to follow his trade and Umaru had to move back to Freetown in 1996 for his own safety.
He found work as a shop assistant in Freetown, then moved in to building work at the Chinese works in Cline Town.
When Colonel Davies began to develop the Railway Museum, in September 2004 Umaru was very pleased to join the restoration team.
Abdul Koroma
Tour Guide
Abdul was born in Freetown and went to the Methodist Boys’ High School in Kissy. On leaving school he went to work at the Sierra Port Authority as a painter and civil structures worker. In 2003 the work ran out and Abdul was made redundant.
He was happy to join the restoration team at the Railway Museum in September 2004, when Colonel Davies began the development of the Museum.
Ibrahim Kamara
Museum Assistant
Ibrahim was born in Moyiba, Freetown and went straight into an apprenticeship as a carpenter at the age of 15. He worked as a carpenter all over Freetown and then moved to the Railway Museum in 2005 to apply his specialist skills to the restoration of the railway carriages.
Mohamed Turay
Security Guard
Mohamed was born in the Port Loko District, Katicwallah Chiefdom and went to initially went to Sierra Leone Muslim Brotherhood School and subsequently moved to Sierra Leone Grammar School in Freetown. On leaving school Mohamed moved into business. He ran his own business for a short period before taking up work in the construction trade as a craftsman. He came to the Railway Museum as a volunteer in 2008 and then took up formal employment as a Security Guard in 2013.
Santigie Conteh
Volunteer
Santigie was born in the Port Loko District but moved to Freetown in 1967, to work at the National Railway workshop as a Messenger. When the National Workshop closed he was left without work and so he was delighted when Colonel Davies asked him to come and work at the National Railway Museum in September 2004.
Although Santigie officially retired in 2009, he has continued to work at the museum every day as a volunteer.