Mrs. Bambeh Kumalah

Madam Bambeh Kumalah also known as Na (meaning mother) was born to the late Lansana and Saio Kumalah in a small town called Kumalah in Koinadugu district, the northern part of Sierra
Leone, on the 7th of November 1938, and was the third of six children. Madam Bambeh Kumalah was survived by five children, fifteen grandchildren, her sister Manteneh Kumalah, brother Dr.Lans Ahmed Kumalah, and a host of nieces and nephews. After God, Madam Bambeh's greatest priority in life was her children. As a single mother in her prime, she poured every ounce of strength, love, and determination into raising them. With unshakable faith and grace, she walked a path that many would find difficult, yet she did it with resilience, purpose, and a smile that lit up even the hardest of days. A successful businesswoman in Sierra Leone, Madam Bambeh thrived in the precious jewelry trade. She also worked diligently in farming andharvesting, proudly running her own table at the marketplace. Every coin she earned, every harvest she gathered, was used to provide for her children. She traveled far and wide marketing food items within and outside of Sierra Leone building meaningful connections and lifelong relationships everywhere she went. Despite the challenges of raising seven children on her own, she never once let them feel lack. She taught her children through action more than words the value of hard work, the strength found in perseverance, and the beauty of finding joy in the small, everyday things. Her life was a living testimony to the power of faith and the will to overcome. In 2001, Madam Bambeh relocated to the United Kingdom, where she spent twelve glorious years surrounded by family and new beginnings. In 2013, she moved once more this time to the United States where she lived for another thirteen meaningful and impactful years. Always adventurous, always joyful, she traveled across continents with pride, holding three passports and countless memories of the lives she touched. She was a devout Christian, whose love for singing traditional Christian songs brought warmth to those around her. Her faith carried her through every hardship especially the health struggles she faced in her later years. Yet through it all, she remained courageous and fiercely independent. Life gave her obstacles, but she turned them into steppingstones. Your legacy lives on in the lives you touched, in the changes you made, and in the inspiration, you continue to be even when you're gone.

As we say goodbye today, let us not just mourn Bambeh Kumalah's passing, but celebrate her incredible life. Let us honor her memory by embodying the values she held dear – resilience, compassion, and a steadfast belief in the power of education and community to change the world. Bambeh Kumalah, thank you for inspiring us all to be better, to do better, to love better. Your light will continue to guide us, always. As her family fondly says, "She made lemonade without even having lemons." On June 26, 2025, the Lord gently called her home. Though our hearts are heavy with grief, we celebrate the incredible woman she was strong, faithful, loving, and full of wisdom. Madam Bambeh Kumalah is gravely missed, but her legacy lives on in every life she nurtured, every lesson she taught, and every prayer she whispered for the ones she loved. Rest peacefully, our beloved matriarch. You have run your race, and Heaven rejoices in your return. A godmother. A nurturer. A healer. A storyteller.