Our response to the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone. Schools for Salone EBOLA REPORT

Transcription

1 Our response to the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone Schools for Salone EBOLA REPORT

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION... 2 Early on Support... 3 First response... 3 providing rice... 3 delivering sanitation supplies... 3 Supporting Quarantined Villages... 4 Kalia Support... 4 Radio Distribution... 5 Supporting Community Radio & Health Education... 6 financial snapshot... 7

3 INTRODUCTION From June of 2014 through early 2015, Schools for Salone focused a significant portion of our efforts on providing support for Ebola relief by distributing rice, sanitation supplies, radios, and learning materials to support national education efforts and health education. The communities where we work were disproportionately at risk during the Ebola crisis. Families had no buffer against crises like the Ebola outbreak, and as a result were incredibly susceptible to compounding devastation including lack of access to adequate healthcare, food insecurity, isolation, and lack of education opportunities. Because of the prompt, tenacious response of our partners in Sierra Leone, Programme for Children, there were NO suspected cases or deaths from Ebola in ANY of the communities we work with. One of our teachers from a community three miles from our school in Sembehun, did contract Ebola when his village of Benduma was saveagely affected. However, his life was spared by swift action and the effective treatment team at the Bo area Médecins Sans Frontièrs (MSF) center. Education is inextricably linked to health, clean water and good sanitation and hygiene. Good health is inextricably linked to education. Moving forward, we are determined to improve access to and quality of education in our communities as well as improve the quality of water and sanitation - key to fighting not only Ebola, but the many other diseases that plague these vulnerable communities. This report describes specific actions that Schools for Salone and Programme for Children, took since June, 2014 to support and protect the fragile communities where we work against Ebola. Thanks to you, our generous donors, we received a total of $53,115 to fight Ebola. To date, almost $56,150 has been sent to Sierra Leone to provide life sustaining and educational support during this unprecedented time. This money was spent on the following activities:

4 EARLY ON SUPPORT First response PROVIDING RICE With the economy virtually shut down, food prices more than doubling, farms abandoned, and inflation skyrocketing as a result of the outbreak, SfS and Programme for Children, used funds to purchase 340 bags of rice, 6 bags of onions, 6 cartons of fish, 10 bags of salt, and 10 cartons of cooking oil rubbers to distribute to student and teacher families at our school communities and other vulnerable communities in surrounding areas. We provided a total of over $11,500 worth of life sustaining food during the height of the crisis. Our team DELIVERING SANITATION SUPPLIES worked hard during the worst months of the Ebola outbreak to provide sanitation and hygiene supplies to our school communities. With the significant funds we received directly for Ebola relief, we supplied 50 liters of chlorine, 36 boxes of Dettol, 100 hand sanitizers, 30 cartons of soap, 5 infrared thermometers and 200 hand washing buckets to our partner villages and beyond. We provided a total of $4,500 worth of sanitation supplies.

5 SUPPORTING QUARANTINED VILLAGES As the crisis evolved throughout 2014, we were able to respond quickly and efficiently to the direct life sustaining needs of communities, especially those under quarantine. Kalia Support Kalia, a small village about 8 miles from Bo lost 35 people to Ebola, leaving 52 orphaned children. Through our campaign, we raised enough funds to make it possible for these children to remain in their community, instead of being sent away to orphanages. We established a "Work for Food" Program aimed at providing groundnut and seed rice to replenish their farms that were destroyed by birds while the village was under quarantine. Schools for Salone also provided over 40 bags of rice, 15 radios, school supplies, sanitation materials, and 100 sleeping mats and blankets for the children. In total, thanks to our generous donors, Schools for Salone has provided over $15,200 worth of support to Kalia village. This support is helping Kalia recover and become self-suffient again.

6 RADIO DISTRIBUTION Thanks to a generous donation from Professor Dick Simpson of University of Illinois and a grant from the National Peace Corps Association, Schools for Salone distributed 850 radios to students in Sierra Leone. Together with the Sierra Leone Book Trust, Programme For Children distributed the radios along with 25 battery cartons, 30 cartons of exercise books, 30 packets of ballpoint pens and 30 packets of pencils to the north, south and western area communities. These radios allowed our students to listen to school lessons that were broadcasted daily by the Ministry of Education while schools were closed due to Ebola. Schools for Salone provided a total of $21,100 for purchasing and distributing radios and school supplies to our communities and beyond.

7 SUPPORTING COMMUNITY RADIO & HEALTH EDUCATION Our team in Sierra Leone participated in a meeting in early June 2014 with other NGOs to join the coordinated efforts to disseminate Ministry of Health flyers and health education materials. Schools for Salone helped fund infection control training on the front lines by Wellbody Alliance from UC San Francisco and their team. In addition, we helped support the Foundation for West Africa s work to strengthen community radio in Sierra Leone during the Ebola crisis. Community radio is one of the most effective ways to disseminate up to date and correct information about the outbreak and health education efforts, especially during this time of crisis. Schools for Salone provided a total of $3,500 to support these health education activities.

8 FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT Breakdown of Support for Ebola Relief Efforts 6% 21% 38% 8% 27% Food Sanitation Supplies Kalia Radios & School Supplies Health Education Type of Support Amount Food $11,500 Sanitation Supplies $4,500 Kalia $15,200 Radios & School $21,100 Supplies Health Education $3,500

9 SUMMARY At the time this report was written, new confirmed cases of Ebola are drastically reduced from the height of the epidemic. Last week, there were just 3 new suspected cases in Sierra Leone, two in Freetown (Kroo Bay and Ward 350), one in Port Loko. As of May 24, 2015 there have been a total of 27,013 reported confirmed, probably, and suspected cases of Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with 11,134 deaths. Of the three countries, Sierra Leone has had 3,908 deaths, and the highest number of confirmed cases, 12,706. (WHO Ebola Situation Report - 27 May 2015) While the situation in Sierra Leone is much improved, due diligence is of the utmost importance to eradicate this dreadful disease from West Africa. Because of the porous borders, only when Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia are completely free from Ebola, will all countries be safe. Safe water and good sanitation, coupled with health education is the best defense against not only Ebola, but many of the diseases that plague these countries. This is why Schools for Salone is focusing our resources not only on building schools, but working hard to make sure the water and sanitation facilities at our schools are the best they can be. It is why providing educational opportunities to these vulnerable communities and making sure that students and teachers have the resources they need is paramount. Trust does not come easily in a country like Sierra Leone. It is only because of our partners, Programme for Children, and their dedication, their integrity, and their commitment to empower Sierra Leone s most vulnerable, that we can do what we do. It is why we do it - because we can, without a doubt, know that the resources are going to those who need it most. We thank you all for your support and helping us empower Sierra Leoneans.