The Story of Amanita Conteh-Biger

"Brutally kidnapped from her father's home by rebel soldiers. Resettled in Australia as a Refugee. Now helping Mothers and Babies in Sierra Leone."

Aminata Conteh-Biger - Founder & CEO of the Aminata Maternal Foundation, is an author, inspirational speaker, activist, former refugee from Sierra Leone, wife, and mother of two. She is a Special Representative for Australia United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Growing up in Freetown in civil war-ravaged Sierra-Leone, Aminata enjoyed a charmed childhood. She and her siblings were raised in the ‘big yellow house on the hill’ by their beloved father, Pa Conteh.

Family, faith, and education were the focus of the Contehs’ way of life, until 1999 when a devastating civil war changed things forever. Rebel forces stormed Freetown and the Contehs’ home, kidnapping a teenage Aminata from her father’s hands. Held captive for months and subjected to horrors, Aminata was finally freed as part of a negotiated prisoner exchange and released in return for food and medicine.

Not long after her release, the UNHCR recognised that one of Aminata’s captors posed a continued and serious threat to her safety. In 2000, with the support of the UNHCR, Aminata became one of the very first Sierra Leonean refugee women to settle in Australia. Her immeasurable determination and adaptability enabled her to strive to forge her own path and build a successful life in her adopted home - Australia.

Since arriving in Australia, Aminata has previously held careers in fashion as a model, a retail associate, and eventually appointed to the Board of philanthropic clothing label The Social Outfit. However, her innate desire to give back, along with the traumatic birth of her first child - Sarafina in 2012, led to her founding the Aminata Maternal Foundation. Her goal was to reduce the devastating infant and maternal mortality (during birth) in Sierra Leone, which presents as one of the most dangerous places to give birth in the world.

Meal service:          Crumbed Chicken Breast with Seasonal Vegetables and Sauce Napolitaine

Vegetarian Option:  Goats Cheese & Mushroom Filo with Honey Carrot Puree, Cucumber, Pinenuts, Sweet Balsamic