Community-led, community based response in Tonkolili District

Community-led, community based response in Tonkolili District

Moses Alpha Turay survived Ebola but lost everything that was dear to him. In the space of one month last year, his wife, his two children, and four other close family members all died of the Ebola disease. “My wife and children died at the same Ebola treatment centre while I was still admitted there”.

Moses lives in a village neighbouring Massessehbeh village in Tonkolili district. When he heard that a new case of Ebola was confirmed there, after more than 150 days without any confirmed case and that the whole village, with over 600 people was placed under mandatory quarantine by the government, he knew he had to act.

“I have gone through the horrors of Ebola, so I know what it feels like to be in quarantine and I know what the people are going through especially when they have already lost someone and other people among them have become positive”.

Water tanks were installed to provide water to the people but without pipe connections to the homes. With the restriction of movement of the people in quarantine, Moses and a number of other #EbolaSurvivors are volunteering to supply water to the homes, three times every day, from the water tanks.

His reason for volunteering is because he has had the same experience. “I shed tears whenever I look at the photos of my wife and lovely children. So when people are in the same difficult situation I will do my own little contribution to help wipe their tears away”.

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For more information, please cntact:

GBORIE Saffea, Email: gboriesa [at] who.int

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