WELCOME

Founding Member

 

Felix Sesay

Foday Felix Sesay, originally from Bumbuna, Sierra Leone, is a dedicated psychiatric and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) nurse with over 15 years of clinical experience. Since 2009, he has worked extensively in the United States in both inpatient and outpatient behavioral health settings. He holds a BA (Hons) in Classics and History from the University of Ghana, a BSN (Hons) from Shenandoah University in Virginia, and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from American Public University.

Mr. Sesay is a Board-Certified Registered Nurse whose professional focus lies in substance use disorders. He has worked at leading U.S. healthcare institutions including Virginia Hospital Center, Inova Fairfax Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Medicine Main Campus in Baltimore, Maryland. His deep clinical insight, combined with a passion for improving access to behavioral health care, has made him a driving force behind the creation of Lion Hills Wellness Center.

Currently in its planning phase, the Lion Hills Wellness Center aims to become Sierra Leone’s first integrated inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation facility dedicated to treating substance use disorders. Mr. Sesay brings to this initiative not only his global healthcare perspective but also his commitment to culturally competent and sustainable recovery programs in underserved communities.

​Founding Member

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Amara Nabay

Amara Nabay brings a unique blend of public health expertise, infrastructure management, and a deep-rooted commitment to social impact as one of the founding members of Lion Hills Wellness Center. Currently serving as a Transportation Engineer Level 3 and Maintenance Contract Supervisor for the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA), District 5, Nabay has been a dedicated Consultant Inspector with MDOT-SHA since 2000.

Before relocating to the United States, Nabay held several key roles in Sierra Leone at the Rokel Leaf Tobacco Development Company (RLTDC Ltd), a subsidiary of the Sierra Leone National Development Bank and British American Tobacco. From 1989 to 1995, he served as a Costing and Accounts Clerk, Field Auxiliary Buyer, and eventually as the Training, Research, and Development Manager—positions that sharpened his skills in project coordination, budgeting, and community development.

Nabay holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education from the University of Sierra Leone (1986) and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Walden University. His public health journey includes an internship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the Office of Global Research and International Cooperation in 2011, where he deepened his understanding of global health systems and international collaboration.

With a strong passion for addressing the root causes of addiction, Nabay is particularly focused on the long-term effects of adverse childhood and teenage experiences related to parental alcohol and substance abuse. His vision for Lion Hills Wellness Center is driven by a personal mission to break the generational cycle of addiction and trauma through evidence-based, culturally relevant inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services in Sierra Leone.

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Founding Member

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Dr. Umaru Labay-Kamara​

Dr. Umaru Labay-Kamara is a board-certified psychiatrist with over two decades of clinical and leadership experience in mental health and behavioral medicine. Born and raised in Sierra Leone, Dr. Labay-Kamara brings a deep understanding of the cultural, social, and systemic challenges affecting mental health care in his home country. He is a founding member of Lion Hills Wellness Center, an initiative focused on building Sierra Leone’s first comprehensive inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation facility dedicated to combating substance use disorders, including the growing epidemic of synthetic drug Kush.

Currently based in Maryland, USA, Dr. Labay-Kamara is the President and Medical Director of Axios Behavioral Health and QCI Behavioral Health, where he leads multi-site psychiatric services and telepsychiatry programs. His career spans community psychiatry, program development, mobile treatment services, and integrated care delivery for diverse and underserved populations.

Dr. Labay-Kamara earned his medical degree from the Medical University of Sofia in Bulgaria and completed his psychiatric residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He has also served in key roles at mental health facilities in both Sierra Leone and the United States, including Kissy Mental Hospital and Connaught Hospital in Freetown.

Through his work with Lion Hills Wellness Center, Dr. Labay-Kamara is committed to advancing access to culturally competent mental health care, training a new generation of Sierra Leonean mental health professionals, and helping individuals and families reclaim their lives from addiction.

Founding Member

 

Dr. Leahnata Davies

​Born and raised in Sierra Leone, Dr. Leahnata Davies brings over 20 years of experience in healthcare administration, public health, and education to the planning and development of Lion Hills Wellness Center. With a Ph.D. in Health Care Administration and a Master of Science in Public Health, Dr. Davies has led initiatives across the United States and globally, focusing on strengthening health systems, addressing infectious and chronic diseases, and promoting community-based care. She currently serves as Director of Operations at Newark Community Health Centers and  Community Health Education online adjunct faculty at Southern New Hampshire University. Passionate about expanding access to substance use disorder treatment, she is committed to building a world-class inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation facility in Sierra Leone through Lion Hills Wellness Center.