WeSurvive: Stories of the Ebola Outbreak

Hello, GlobalGiving community,

Very proud to report that we have officially delivered the WeSurvive: Stories of the Ebola Outbreak collection to Emory University. In the coming weeks, I will have information on the public launch. Until that time I just want to express my gratitude to all of you who have supported the work to date and to everyone one on our team, from the translators to the camera crew, the interviewers, and the editorial staff. But most importantly I want to thank all of the interviewees who shared their stories with us, many of them still living in quaratine homes and coping with a kind of loss not many have experienced. In the words of auntie Sia, 'it will not go in vain." Thank you for your invaluable contributions, I for one, have learned a lot and been incredibly moved by your words. 

Here is a link to auntie Sia's interview that was recorded in 2106 in Koidu tow, Kono, Sierra Leone:

https://vimeo.com/679362093/11e611eed6

If you would like to donate to the project again, please click on the 'GIVE NOW' link below. Continued support as we develop educational and engagement strategies for the archive would be most appreciated. 

To learn more about the project - please visit: https://www.weowntv.org/projects-archive/we-survive

With Gratitude,

Banker

Hello to our GlobalGiving community,

As we are gearing up for our public launch with Emory University, we are incredibly proud of the work and want to share one of the stories from WeSurvive. Mariama is an Ebola survivor from Kenema, Sierra Leone. This interview is an example of the source material that makes up the WeSurvive: Stories of the 2014 Ebola Outbreak archive.

Watch Mariama's Interview HERE

WeSurvive is a web-based, oral history database that allows users to access a substantial collection of personal video testimonials from Ebola survivors, their family members, and other community members affected by the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak. We believe it is vital that West Africans contribute directly and significantly to the historical record of this global health crisis and help contribute to how the Ebola crisis and the region are understood.

West Africa received unprecedented international press attention after European and American healthcare workers contracted the disease and were diagnosed in their home countries. A preoccupation with the European experience of Ebola created even more distance from a region that hovers on the edges of international attention and understanding. Additionally, local trust in government and foreign aid organizations was lacking, and compliance with recommended health practices came slowly.

It is difficult to build trust and understanding in the pressurized environment of a health disaster. One of our central goals with the project is to add depth and authenticity to how the Ebola crisis is understood through the sharing of personal testimonials. To date, we have nearly a hundred hours of unused footage spread out over more than 80 interviews that are a critically important and tremendously underrepresented part of the historical record of this event.

Please consider another donation to the project as we near the finish line.

To learn more about the project - please visit: https://www.weowntv.org/projects-archive/we-survive

Thank you for your generous support!