Ebola – Sierra Leone and Liberia

Date: 12 August 2014

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Dear Friends,
 
Greetings. As you are aware the Ebola virus disease is having a devastating impact causing sickness and death in West Africa and reaching people in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Nigeria. The World Health Organisation has called for an emergency response. Reports are that over 247 people in Sierra Leone, 128 people in Liberia, 228 people in Guinea have died and more people are at risk from the outbreak of the disease. More than 1,711 cases have been diagnosed.
 
Last week the World YMCA posted and sent an emergency appeal to support the efforts of the YMCA in Sierra Leone to fight the disease. This week we have received an additional appeal from the YMCA of Liberia as more countries are being impacted.
 
We are now sharing with you a joint emergency appeal for Sierra Leone and Liberia. We hope that you can give support to help these YMCAs to fight the spread of the disease on the ground.  This appeal is for USD 50,000. This appeal will provide USD 10,000 to the Sierra Leone YMCA and USD 40,000 to the Liberia YMCA. The World YMCA will allocate the funds received to fulfill the outstanding needs as informed by the Ebola emergency appeal goals in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
 
The YMCAs’ Emergency Programme’s objectives are:

  • Increase community awareness on and enhance capacity for Ebola disease prevention and control.
  • To implement a prevention and response strategy to on-going Ebola outbreaks throughout the country.
  • To prevent spread of Ebola disease through supply of chlorine and washing soap to household members

The YMCA of Sierra Leone will undertake the following activities:

  • Convene weekly committee meetings at community level to assess eradication status of deadly disease.
  • Train 500 community health volunteers in health and hygiene promotion in 5 districts who were provided with chlorine and information materials for distribution at household levels and disseminate Ebola prevention messages through peer education using megaphones.
  • Disseminate Ebola prevention messages on community radios: air jingles on Ebola prevention and control over the radio; weekly radio discussion and phone-in programmes.
  • Organize Community sensitization meetings targeting traditional leaders, Councillors, Religious leaders, women leaders, youth leaders, food handlers, well owners, teachers, in the affected areas.
  • Print and distribute appropriate information materials (posters, flyer and booklet).
  • Distribute chlorine and washing soaps to households in target communities.
  • Provide mobile handsets that will enable community members to call Ebola hotline in reporting cases.

The YMCA of Liberia will undertake the following activities:

  •   Train 100 young people as peer educators from 7 YMCA branches across Liberia on facts and information about the Ebola virus and how it can be prevented. The YMCA will train YMCA Staff and volunteers to provide support to peer educators
  • Work  to increase awareness about the spread and dangers of Ebola, particularly targeting youth and adolescents in the concerned communities through training of staff and volunteers, radio programming and outreach activities.
  • Engage communities and work with them to make them more proactive in their response to preventing the spread of Ebola.
  • Engage the public through use of public address systems for increased outreach on Ebola awareness
  • Engage community level stakeholders’, including liaising with the respective County Health Teams
  • Run at least 2 public hand washing centers at strategic locations (market places, lorry parking stations) in each site
  • Conduct at least 4 public outreach activities per month in each site, using audio-visual materials for sensitization.

 
We ask you to please support these YMCAs’ efforts as they work to fight this terrible disease. We understand that the YMCAs are working in close collaboration with local organisations and their governments to reach as many people as possible through these activities to raise awareness and prevent the further spread of the Ebola virus.
 
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Via Bank Transfer or Cheque
Donations to the World Alliance of YMCAs can also be made
via bank transfer or cheque using the details below:

World Alliance of YMCAs
12 Clos Belmont, 1208 Geneva

Switzerland Bank:
UBS SA, PO Box 2600, 1211 Geneva 2

Switzerland Account number:
0240-617775.10L

IBAN Code:
CH780024024061777510 L


We are very grateful for your solidarity and support.