The Food Program Transition

In June, the Sierra Leone Alliance Food Program transitioned into an Ebola Orphan Program that is now helping Ebola Orphans get back into school. With the Ebola outbreak nearing an end and with schools reopening for children, this transition seemed appropriate. Often times children are not able to attend school because they can not afford to pay the school fees or buy a school uniform. This problem is worse with orphans especially those whose parent's died during the Ebola outbreak. Below is a written picture of what this program is doing in Kono and the impact it is making. It is written by one of our staff RN's leading Clinical Operations at Adama Martha Memorial Health Center.

Today I had the privilege of going out with our field workers as they distributed school packages, and food items to children who were orphaned as a results of the current Ebola outbreak. Initially I couldn't help but smile as I played with and joked with the kids in front of me. My sobering moment came a few minutes later as it suddenly hit me that each of these children had been orphaned only within the last 6-9 months.

Many of us worry about the future of these kids. The realities of poverty are such that these children are prime candidates for exploitation. Most are currently being cared for by extended family members, but the reality is these kids are the most likely to be pulled from school and be forced to work for their host families or worse. Over the coming months our field workers are tasked with the job of continued follow up of these children ensuring that they stay in school and ensuring that they have the supplies they need to succeed. 

Sierra Leoneans enjoy speeches, formality, and celebrations. Our field workers worked hard to make sure that this happened today. A large sound system was rented, dignitaries were invited, a program was outlined, and speeches were planned. Right before the program started I was approached and asked to give the keynote address. Thankfully, I had five minutes to prepare. 

In my speech, I attempted to encouraged those present that there were people that they had never met who were praying for them on the other side of the world. That these people loved them and considered them to be their brothers and sisters. I shared that these people were motivated by the love of Jesus and that the school supplies and food items were merely a token of that love.

As we were packing up to leave a small commotion occurred and a few tears were shed as a few Ebola orphans came forward hoping for a package, but whose names hadn't been included on the list. Our field workers had spent a lot of time prior to the event tracing names and identifying the gift recipients. Thankfully we had extra packages that can be distributed on the next trip. Unfortunately such incidents of discovering previously undocumented orphans clearly illustrate that the true scope of the problem is very difficult to gauge.

We loaded our sound system back into the truck, and as we were pulling out a young boy approached the sound man begging him to return and play music as soon as Ebola is declared over. Part ways home as we passed through a small village, a young girl who couldn't have been more than 3 years of age came running towards the truck screaming with excitement. My friends in the truck quickly explained that the sight of the sound system had set her off. For the past year, or in reality a third of this young girls life, gatherings and loud music have essentially been illegal.

I pray that Ebola ends soon. There are far too many people with the dance still stuck inside. One day soon I hope and pray that the entire country can truly celebrate, and that the tears can somehow turn to dancing. In the meantime though we're thankful for our alliance partners and the smaller celebrations made possible by their support for those most tragically affected by this horrible disease.

Karlin.

Preparing to load the truck with backpacks filled with school supplies

EBV Orphans and recipients of the backpacks