(Photo courtesy SIM)
West Africa (MNN) — How do you stop Ebola from spreading? Shut down the country. At least, that’s what Sierra Leone’s President is considering, an aide announced recently. Plans for a 21-day nationwide quarantine have been rumored, but Presidential Aide Ben Kargbo made official remarks about it on Wednesday.
“The decision has not been taken yet, but to stop people from running around, this is very important,” Kargbo told Africa Review. “If we move to that direction let no one blame the President because he is trying to save lives.”
Sierra Leone is second only to Liberia in the number of Ebola infections and deaths. Living Water International is teaching people in both countries how to stop Ebola in its tracks. They’re also empowering villages that haven’t been impacted yet about prevention.
Because the ministry has successfully established clean water and sanitation initiatives in West Africa, the governments of Ebola-affected countries are asking for their help.
Living Water is taking the following steps in response:
- Protecting in-country staff with equipment and training.
- Coordinating efforts with the government and other churches, ministries, and organizations.
- Drilling desperately-needed new water wells and fixing broken pumps at treatment centers and other critical locations.
- Promoting messages of hygiene and hope on radio and television airwaves to people that can no longer legally gather.
- Replicating and distributing written educational materials such as banners, posters, and other training pieces to the communities, along with additional cleaning supplies such as soap and chlorine.
- Empowering churches in communities not yet affected by teaching them how to stop Ebola.
(Photo credit Living Water)
Living Water has had to revise their strategy in West Africa in order to accommodate the Ebola crisis. In short, this means unplanned expenses for initiating a response and maintaining it. But with your help, Living Water can keep repairing wells and drilling new ones, and they can also equip local churches to teach communities about Ebola while share the hope of Christ.
Help Living Water save lives and offer hope in West Africa.
The Ebola crisis is smack-dab in the middle of the Living Water Liberia and Sierra Leone teams’ backyards. They’ve managed to stay disease-free so far, but each team member knows his or her help is needed to stop Ebola from spreading further. Please pray for these brothers and sisters in Christ as they battle the crisis daily.
Prayer Needs
Living Water Liberia
Living Water Sierra Leone
