{{Short description|Sierra Leonean politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}} thumb|Musa in 2003 '''Sia Mary Musa''' (''nee'' Kaingbanja,<ref name="Obituary">{{cite web |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104002748/http://www.voice-of-binkongoh.info/obituary-mrs-sia-mary-musa/ |archivedate=4 November 2016 |first=Aiah |last=Sodengbe |publisher=Kono District Development Association |title=OBITUARY: MRS. SIA MARY MUSA. |via=Voice of Binkongoh |url=http://www.voice-of-binkongoh.info/obituary-mrs-sia-mary-musa/ |accessdate=2 November 2016}}</ref> died 3 August 2015) was a Sierra Leonean politician and activist from Koidu-Sefadu, Kono District. She was the mayor of Koidu from May 2004 to July 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title=KOIDU NEW SEMBEHUN CITY COUNCIL |url=https://knscc.onlc.eu/ |website=knscc.onlc.eu |access-date=3 August 2025}}</ref>
== Early career == Mary Musa lived and worked in her home city of Koidu,<ref name="Obituary"/> the capital and largest city of the diamond-rich Kono District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone, and the country's fourth largest city. She taught and worked in various schools in the area, including the Jaima Secondary School, Koidu Secondary School, and the United Methodist Church Girls School, of which she was the head teacher for 25 years.<ref name="Obituary"/>
== Exile and return to Koidu == When the Sierra Leone Civil War broke out, Mary Musa went into exile, returning to Koidu when the war was over.<ref name="USAID">{{cite web|author=USAID |title=Sierra Leone Leadership Training Breaks Barriers |url=http://www.usaid.gov/stories/sierraleone/ss_sierraleone_council.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231192024/http://www.usaid.gov/stories/sierraleone/ss_sierraleone_council.html |archivedate=31 December 2006 |accessdate=2 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Large parts of the city's infrastructure had been destroyed in her absence, including some of the school buildings where she had taught, and large scale death had left numerous orphans.<ref name="USAID"/> Musa worked to provide shelter for her own children and several of these orphans, using bricks from the school to build small houses.<ref name="USAID"/> Following her lead, many of the other teachers assisted with this process.<ref name="USAID"/>
== Political career == Despite considerable opposition, in a traditionally male dominated region, Mary Musa went on to become the first female mayor and chairperson of the Koidu council.<ref name="USAID"/> Following her appointment, the United States government's USAID agency trained her with a Nation Building course, as well as leadership training.<ref name="USAID"/>
== Personal life and death == Mary Musa married Mr. S.E.K. Musa, a senior civil servant,<ref name="Obituary"/> before the civil war broke out, but when she returned to the country she discovered that her husband had been killed while she was in exile.<ref name="USAID"/> She and her husband had five children: Sia Mary Sawyer, Kumba Edna Keili, Finda Eileen Mattia, Yei Gladys Musa, and Sahr Edward Musa, as well as several stepchildren and grandchildren.<ref name="Obituary"/>
She died on 3 August 2015, in Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital.<ref name="Obituary"/>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Musa, Mary}} Category:Year of birth missing Category:2015 deaths Category:21st-century mayors of places in Sierra Leone Category:Women mayors of places in Sierra Leone Category:People from Koidu