Son Honors Late Mom With Mental Health Charity in Liberia

When Alva Mulbah Wolokolie lost his mother Sienneh in 2023, he knew the best way to honor her memory was to keep her generous spirit alive. So he founded Sienneh's Charity Care, personally funding donations to vulnerable people across Liberia.

This May, during Mental Health Awareness Month, Wolokolie brought 10 bags of rice, five gallons of cooking oil, and margarine to the St. Benedict Menni Mental Health Centre in Monrovia. His donation will feed and support over 23 women and girls receiving treatment at the facility.

Sister Felicia Gbortsu, who oversees patient care at the center, says the timing couldn't be better. Mental health patients face harsh stigma in Liberia, with families and communities often abandoning them or calling them cruel names.

"People do not recognize our patients positively in society," Sister Felicia explained. "They give them names and stigmatize them, so people often do not want to associate with them."

That's why Wolokolie's gesture means so much. It sends a powerful message that people with mental illness deserve dignity and support, not rejection.

Wolokolie funds every donation from his own pocket, with occasional help from his older sister. He's not seeking recognition or outside funding. He simply wants to preserve his mother's legacy of compassion.

"The person in whose memory we established this organization was somebody who loved to give and help others," Wolokolie said. "So it's just to keep that legacy running."

The charity has already made waves beyond mental health care. In November 2023, Wolokolie donated over 100 bars of soap and supplies to new mothers at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital's maternity ward.

The Ripple Effect

Sister Felicia says donations like these reduce the center's operating costs while improving patient welfare. The food items help stretch limited budgets, allowing staff to focus resources on treatment and care instead of basic supplies.

Social worker Jaso Maholo Borbor welcomed the donation as beneficial for both patients and caregivers. The supplies will support meal preparation and hygiene activities throughout the facility.

Mental Health Awareness Month, founded in 1949, aims to promote wellness and fight stigma around mental illness. This year's theme, "More Good Days, Together," encourages communities to improve mental health through advocacy and support systems.

One son's love for his mother is creating more good days for dozens of people who need it most.