. Obituary
Mrs. Adama Jalloh
1934 - 2021
The late Mrs. Adama Jalloh was born at Jenkins Street in Freetown in 1934 to Alhaji Momoh Kargbo, founder of a mosque at Thunder Hill in Kissy, Freetown, and Madam Yainkain Bangura, a businesswoman.
Mrs. Adama Jalloh attended the Amaria Primary School at Foulah Town in Freetown for four years. For each of those years she exhibited early signs of superior intelligence and a lifelong commitment to working hard by consistently ranking first in her class that included a future president of Sierra Leone.
Upon her completion of Class 4, she transferred to St. Anne’s Primary School in Freetown where she continued to excel academically. She easily won admission to St. Joseph’s Secondary School where she later was obliged to end her promising education prematurely in order to start financially supporting her parents and her younger sister’s education. Her first job was a position as a clerk typist at the Sierra Leone Railway. She later joined the Sierra Leone Police force as a civilian employee in the Accounting and Payroll office. By the time she retired in the mid-1980s, she had earned promotions all the way up to the rank of Inspector in the Sierra Leone Police force.
Mrs. Adama Jalloh was a living legend at Jenkins Street for single-handedly raising her children to the highest possible educational levels. She selflessly sacrificed everything - including her own further education, in the single pursuit of the educational advancement of her children. She even typed all the pages of her son, Mohamed Jalloh’s B.Sc (Hons) Econ dissertation at Fourah Bay College while holding down a full-time job and regularly helping her other 5 children with their homework.
Mrs. Adama Jalloh’s selfless investment in her children’s education paid off spectacularly: All of her 7 children attended college: 3 of them obtained PhDs, one has multiple Masters degrees. Six of them have had successful professional careers.
For the past 24 years, Mrs. Adama Jalloh has been enjoying life with her children, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren here in the U.S.A. She spent what sadly turned out to be her last night on earth listening to 3 straight hours of the wide variety of music which she so loved. Playing that very familiar music was her eldest surviving son. Her only daughter was also there. As was one of her many granddaughters. She was at peace. She passed away in her bed early the next morning. May her soul rest in peace.
Photo shows the Jalloh family matriarch, the late Mrs. Adama Jalloh, happily surrounded by her three eldest sons and one of her daughters-in-law and a family friend. From left to right, front row: Dr. Alpha O. Jalloh, Mrs. Adama Jalloh, Dr. Chernor M. Jalloh, Esq., Mohamed A. Jalloh and his lifelong partner of 43 years, Mrs. Bridget A. Jalloh. Also pictured: The late John Musa, Esq., a longtime family friend.
Not in the photo: Mama’s other sons: Dr. Alusine Jalloh, Alhasan Jalloh and his wife, Mrs. Julia Jalloh, Alhaji M. Jalloh, and Mama’s only daughter, Kadijatu Jalloh.
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