Br. Gomez and Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs Hon. Moijueh Kaikai during the presentation ceremony. Photo: Edmund Rice Development.

The 2014 Ebola outbreak currently devastating the people of West Africa is one of the largest Ebola outbreaks in history and the first in West Africa, with most recent figures estimating the total numbers of deaths at over 6,000 and with almost 18,000 cases confirmed across eight countries.

Christian Brothers and members of the Edmund Rice Network in West Africa have taken active roles in the Ebola response.

Reflecting on the cardinal principle that ‘Faith without work is dead,’ Brothers in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana and The Gambia and other Edmund Rice people have actively engaged in awareness-raising campaigns, and in providing sanitary materials including chlorine, food items, megaphones, hand sanitisers and buckets. This support has been directed to people directly affected in Bo, Njala, Blama and Hamilton.

Community Youth Counsellors have been trained to provide psychological first aid and counselling as part of the healing process. Sessions were held on dealing with loss, grief and managing stigma and shame both within families and at community levels.

Children who have been affected and separated from their families or orphaned as a result of the Ebola crisis are the most helpless victims of this crisis. In Bo District, in Sierra Leone the number of affected children currently stands at 356, and among these, 28 were documented as orphans and have been placed either in St. Mary Children’s Home or in care of the extended family.

Among other direct actions undertaken by Brothers and the Edmund Rice people are public health education through radio discussions and donation of food items (both to affected families and children in the orphanage) such as rice, cooking oil, onions, salt, magi and tomato paste. Items such as mattresses, second-hand clothing, drinking buckets, beddings, pillows, plates, spoons, cups and bathing soap were also donated.

This support has been made possible by funds donated by Edmund Rice Development from donors and by Misean Cara. The initiatives are in line with our commitment to compliment government’s attempt to promote social justice through access to basic social services such as health, protection and food.

Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs Hon. Moijueh Kaikai was invited to one of the Brothers’ public information sessions in St. Mary Children’s Home in Bo. He described the work carried out by the Brother as “an example for bigger organizations to emulate”. The minister took the opportunity to encourage faith-based organisations to join the fight against Ebola, which has not only obstructed education at all levels, but also continues to create breakdown in social cohesions largely through stigmatisation of survivors.

Click here to read the original article on the Edmund Rice Development website.