By Lynn Pelton | Executive Director Greatest Goal Ministries USA
Dear globalgiving donors,
Thank you for all your generous donations towards the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone. Ebola is threatening the very fabric of Sierra Leone and the other countries involved in the Ebola outbreak. Personal Protective Equipment is needed to protect healthcare workers and sanitation supplies need to be available in communities in addition to education of those communities. Surveillance teams are needed to help contain the spread. Hospitals and health care centers across Sierra Leone have closed for fear of contracting the virus leaving little health care options available to the people.
On August 13 just days after receiving the first installment of funds from globalgiving, $5,300.00 was wired to our Greatest Goal Ministries bank account in Sierra Leone. The staff of GGM presented the funds to the First Lady of Sierra Leone on August 15th. A letter to the First Lady had been sent in advance detailing the expectations in regard to those funds. That letter is attached as well as photos of the delivery of funds at the Presidential Lodge. The First Lady publically announced the donation on the news that evening along with a list of other funds that had been donated from other sources. Pictures are included with this report.
Greatest Goal Ministries USA has established a strong relationship with the First Lady over the past two years as we are assisting in the planning of a future cancer center for Sierra Leone. We feel she is a woman of integrity and honesty. With her husband, President Koroma taking personal charge over the crisis, Greatest Goal Ministries feels strongly that they will know best how to direct any funds donated. A detailed explanation of expenditures has been promised and will be shared once we receive it.
We will soon have additional funds to be used for the Ebola crisis from funds raised during the Paul Allan match. Greatest Goal Ministries is currently working towards the shipment of three containers of Ebola supplies through the office of the First Lady so that they can be immediately distributed at the various isolation sites. We will also be sending staff to communities across Freetown and into our disabled communities in several other cities to distribute sanitation supplies and educate the communities about the Ebola virus. After the news announcement from the First Lady all of the Greatest Goal Ministries staff began receiving phone calls from various communities asking for education and sanitation.
What does this mean, sanitation supplies? The majority of people in Sierra Leone have no running water or electricity. They must carry their water in buckets of various sizes. But each of these buckets has a purpose. There are no extras. The Ebola virus is easily destroyed with a weak chlorine solution. The WHO recommends the set-up of sanitation stations in communities and outside businesses where people can wash their hands frequently. Setting up the sanitation station also allows for an opportunity to sensitize or teach the people about the disease and what they can do to help contain it. To be effective it must be taught by the local people and by those they trust. It is in part due to the lack of trust and understanding that has caused the virus to spiral out of control.
Photographs and information about the communities that Greatest Goal Ministries is visiting will be sent in future reports. Until then we all watch and wait for this deadly virus to be defeated. I recently read in one report this statement from a Sierra Leonean. “The Ebola virus is worse than the rebels during the war. At least in the war we knew where the rebels were. We do not know where this enemy is until it is too late”.
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