Holiday project is expected to assist 600 people
The Adventist Development Relief Agency is collaborating with a local church in Monrovia, Liberia, to distribute supplies to some 600 Ebola survivors as part of a holiday project, the Daily Observer reported.
The Liberian news agency said the distribution of food, chloride and mattresses amounted to approximately $110,000 worth of supplies.
Hester Curry, a local ADRA project coordinator, said the ADRA Network Ebola Christmas and New Year’s project was launched to identify and assist Ebola survivors and others affected by the outbreak.
The Daily Observer reported that the Lathal Diason Church was assisting with the distribution of items across Montserrado County.
Curry said the project was developed after the ADRA country director visited the region and saw the need to assist Ebola survivors.
ADRA Liberia Director Anthony Zaizay vowed to continue working with Ebola survivors, and he emphasized that combating the Ebola virus needs to continue as a collective effort.
Zaizay encouraged Liberians to report themselves to the health center whenever they experience any signs of the virus.
Patrick Farley, chair of the Ebola Survivors Association of Liberia, thanked ADRA for the gesture, and he added that Ebola survivors face other challenges, such as stigmatization and discrimination.
Farley also appealed to ADRA and other NGOs to provide additional medicine for Ebola survivors. “We need more medicines because most Ebola survivors leave the Ebola Treatment Centers with different kinds of sicknesses,” he said.
The Ebola virus has infected nearly 21,000 people and killed more than 8,200 people in West Africa since the outbreak began in March, according to the World Health Organization. This includes nearly 8,200 cases in Liberia that led to nearly 3,500 deaths.
In response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa, ADRA has also distributed personal protective equipment, disinfectants and emergency food supplies, according to an ADRA news release. ADRA has been providing educational materials and engaging congregations and communities in awareness activities.
