Mattru Jong
| Mattru Jong, Sierra Leone | |
|---|---|
 Mattru Jong, Sierra Leone
|
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| Coordinates: 7°36′N 12°10′W / 7.600°N 12.167°WCoordinates: 7°36′N 12°10′W / 7.600°N 12.167°W | |
| Country |
 Sierra Leone
|
| Province | Southern Province |
| District | Bonthe District |
| Chiefdom | Jong Chiefdom |
| Government | |
| • Paramount Chief | Alie Badara Sheriff |
| • District Council Chairman | Moses Probyn (PMDC) |
| Population (2014) | |
| • Total | about 10,000 [2] |
| Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) |
Mattru Jong commonly known as Mattru (sometimes spelled Matru) is the capital of Bonthe District in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone. Mattru Jung is located on the mainland of Bonthe District, along the Jong River, 52 miles southwest of Bo. The town is the seat of Mongerewa Jong Chiefdom, and is the home of Mongerewa Jong Paramount Chief Alie Badara Sheriff III. The town's current estimated population is about 10,000 people. In 2010 it was 8,199, and in the 2004 census the town had a population of 7,647.
The main industries in Mattru Jong are fishing, rice-growing, cassava-farming, and palm oil production. The town is largely inhabited by the native Sherbro and Mende people. The town has several secondary schools, a major hospital and a police station, operated by the Sierra Leone Police Force.
The name Mattru Jong is said to be derived from the Mende words "Mo-Tewoo," meaning "Place of the Buffalos." According to legend a hunter from Senehun, a village on the bank of the Jong river, canoed across the river in search of game. He was successful in capturing and slaughtering a large buffalo on the opposite side of the river. As more hunters found out about the location and its plentiful supply of buffalo, people began to settle there, rather than return across the river to Senehun.
Mattru Hospital was founded as a dispensary in 1950 by missionary nurses from the United Brethren in Christ (UBC). By 1959 the dispensary had become a 15-bed hospital. The hospital continued to grow in capacity during the 1960s and 1970s, and by 1981 Mattru Hospital had grown to 69 beds, with pediatrics, obstetrics, surgical, and outpatient units, and x-ray and laboratory facilities.
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