Appeal for Sierra Leone’s Ebola Orphans

Construction industry supports Ebola orphans but more remains to be done says Mark Whitby.

Bernadette Ballantyne
17 December 2014

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For over a decade the Construction and Development Partnership (CODEP) has been working with the community in Waterloo, Sierra Leone. By building a library and training teachers and providing books the organisation has helped the 40,000 strong city in its recovery from a devastating civil war.

But in September a new crisis hit. Particularly vulnerable were the local healthcare workers who were terribly exposed to the virus. To date, in Waterloo, an estimated 225 children have lost their parents to the deadly virus. Many of the parents were healthcare workers who have an estimated 90% chance of dying if they contract the illness.

“We have had a really fantastic response which is helping in the short term but we really have to think about what happens afterwards. We will need to rebuild the medical facilities and support these children once the epidemic calms down.” Mark Whitby.

“These children have been shunned by the community and we just have to help,” says Mark Whitby, president of CODEP. The charity’s volunteers who previously taught literacy are now training people in how to protect themselves and distributing protective materials as well as providing much needed food and emotional support to the children.

This has been made possible in part by a £40,000 donation from the construction industry. “We have had a really fantastic response which is helping in the short term but we really have to think about what happens afterwards,” says Whitby. “We will need to rebuild the medical facilities and support these children once the epidemic calms down.”

A series of workshops are helping to educate people on precautionary measures. “These forums are always well attended and as well as providing much needed advice – and we find that it is still much needed – about how to try and prevent the spread of the Ebola virus, we now also focus on living with Ebola survivors and the need to provide support and care for those left orphaned many of whom may not actually have caught the virus itself,” says Whitby.

The efforts of CODEP can only continue with support. A packed of gloves costs £5, a floor brush £5, large tap buckets £12.50 and chlorine used to disinfect is £10.00 per gallon. Equipment often has to be burned after use so donations are desperately needed. Donations can be made at:

https://www.justgiving.com/codep-ebola/

Donations will go towards prevention and getting the “no touching” message across; supplies to the health centre including gloves, protective and sanitary equipment, chlorine drums, hand sanitisers, liquid soap, floor brushes. All Sierra Leone health clinics are running low on equipment and supplies of every kind; food aid for the quarantined (and health workers as needed); and increasing food supplies.

CODEP will continue to support the community and is working with local government bodies as well as other organisations such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme who are also providing relief.

To find out more about supporting CODEP’s efforts visit the website here.