From a Symbolic Number to a Lifeline: The Sierra Leone 117 Call Center

During the 2014 Ebola crisis, Sierra Leone's national 117 emergency line existed in name only — calls were flowing to a single overwhelmed phone, not a functioning response system. SBTS Group, a local Sierra Leone tech and training company, repurposed its own commercial call-center training materials to turn 117 into a real 24/7 triage and reporting operation. They trained 436 agents to intake calls, assign case numbers, and flag priority cases for dispatch. When national payment systems couldn't keep responders paid, SBTS secured a $30,000 salary bridge so trained agents stayed at their posts. After the crisis, the same team trained 330 Ebola survivors in psychosocial support and entrepreneurship to help them rebuild their lives.