[intro]Ghanaian writer Amba Mpoke-Bigg reflects on the devastation of Ebola in West Africa and the post-Ebola processes that have unfolded.[/intro]
MONROVIA, Liberia – I was woken from deep sleep by my middle child one night a few months ago. She was burning hot to the touch, whispered that she wasn’t well, then she threw up – as did her younger sister who developed identical symptoms the next day. For the next 48 hours as the viral flu ran its course, I nursed them and held them close. That’s normal, I’m their mother.
But for millions of mothers in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, the three countries worst affected by last year’s outbreak of Ebola disease, it was different. Children with Ebola can’t be touched or nursed at home and as the virus raged, so did superstition, fear and a sense of helplessness, in the wake of limited healthcare infrastructure and poor understanding of the disease’s action.
Women suffered disproportionately in combating Ebola, mainly because of their traditional roles as nurses and healthcare workers, yet the part they played as agents of change and frontline partners in curbing the epidemic has been largely overlooked by international media.
In each of the three countries, women were among the first responders, leading the vital on-the-ground education campaigns which led to changes in harmful burial practices, traditions of touching the dead and to better hygiene and sanitation. Women were there as counselors educators, distributing food and sanitation products, or contact tracers who monitored Ebola cases in the communities.
As governments of the three nations begin the first cautious steps to recovery, for thousands of women survivors of Ebola this means taking on new roles as primary breadwinners and family heads after losing husbands, fathers and their livelihoods.
Some women’s organisations have started micro-credit loans to help survivors. Others have initiated seed capital schemes to enable women farmers to purchase seeds and tools to pick up their farming activities once more. Many survivors will also need long term pyscho-social support as well as immediate help with children’s school, feeding and tuition needs.

Paynesville Mayor Cyvette Gibson
It is imperative that women’s organisations be supported with funds and other forms of aid to enable women survivors and their families, make the transition, says Theo Sowa of the African Women’s Development Fund, which mobilised over half a million dollars to women’s organisations in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea to help the countries combat the disease.
Returning from a week-long visit to Liberia and Sierra Leone last month, I find myself immensely grateful for the fact that I live in Ghana, a country only a few hundred miles away, but which more by luck than its state of readiness, was spared the epidemic which has led to the loss of over 12,000 lives.
The survivor accounts I have listened to from Paynesville, Monrovia, Freetown or Port Loko, have left an indelible imprint. I salute the fortitude of women whose vivid stories paint the real picture of what it was like to live in quarantine, see loved ones ill and suffering and their own rejection when they returned from stays in Ebola Treatment Units.

On Decoration Day Liberians visit cemetries. Many Ebola victims don’t have graves
“Women died because you can’t see your baby dying (of Ebola) and not pick him up,” said Miata Sirleaf who heads the New Liberian Women Skills Training Programme, an NGO which provided crucial support and training to marginalised and low-income women in Liberia’s Montserrado County during and after the epidemic.
And even as Liberia was declared Ebola free and Sierra Leone hit 25 days without a case, two new cases in Guinea just after it had begun its own countdown underscores the fragility of the efforts required to end this current outbreak.
The readmission of Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey to hospital due to complications from Ebola has only deepened the sense of unknowns around the disease and its long term impact on survivors.
For now, women’s civil society organizations like Sirleaf’s whose presence in rural communities helped to save countless lives are the best positioned to drive the post-Ebola recovery effort.
Let’s make sure to support them.
This article is published as part of a collaboration between The Journalist, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) in Ghana and FEMRITE in Uganda.
Photos in story by Francis Kokoroko
Picture this – 3 am in the morning, I had a line of fiends stretched around the corner of my block. It was in the freezing middle of January but they had camped out all night, jumping-ready to buy like there was a sale on Jordans. If you were 16 years old, in my shoes, you’d do anything to survive, right? I got good news though; I MADE IT OUT OF THE HOOD, with nothing but a laptop and an internet connection. I’m not special or lucky in any way. If I, as a convicted felon that used to scream “Free Harlem” around my block until my throat was sore, could find a way to generate a stable, consistent, reliable income online, ANYONE can! If you’re interested in legitimate, stress-free side hustles that can bring in $3,500/week, I set up a site you can use: https://incomecommunity.com
50mg delta 8 edible reddit
Thanks for giving your ideas on this blog. Additionally, a misconception regarding the banking institutions intentions if talking about property foreclosure is that the loan company will not take my payments. There is a degree of time the bank will require payments from time to time. If you are far too deep in the hole, they’ll commonly call that you pay the payment in whole. However, that doesn’t mean that they will have any sort of payments at all. When you and the standard bank can manage to work something out, the particular foreclosure method may cease. However, if you continue to skip payments in the new system, the home foreclosure process can just pick up from where it left off.
Hello! Someone in my Myspace group shared this site with us so I came to look it over. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Great blog and terrific design.
Hi, i feel that i noticed you visited my weblog so i came to return the desire?.I’m attempting to
find things to improve my web site!I suppose
its ok to use some of your ideas!!
My brother suggested I might like this blog. He was entirely right.
This post actually made my day. You cann’t imagine just how much time I had
spent for this information! Thanks!
Вместо этого, вы можете указать произвольный адрес электронной почты., и отправитель будет указан как “CandyMail.org”.
Its such as you read my thoughts! You seem to understand a lot about this, such
as you wrote the e book in it or something. I feel that you simply could do with some % to
drive the message house a little bit, but instead of that, that is wonderful blog.
A fantastic read. I will definitely be back.
Your mode of describing the whole thing in this post is really fastidious, every one can simply be aware of
it, Thanks a lot.
This is a very good tip particularly to those new to the blogosphere.
Simple but very precise information… Thanks for sharing this one.
A must read article!
I always used to study paragraph in news papers but now as I
am a user of net so from now I am using net for posts, thanks to web.
Greetings from Florida! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to check out your blog on my iphone during lunch break.
I really like the knowledge you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home.
I’m amazed at how fast your blog loaded on my mobile .. I’m not even using WIFI,
just 3G .. Anyhow, great blog!
Hey there! I’m at work surfing around your blog from
my new iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look
forward to all your posts! Keep up the fantastic work!
My brother recommended I may like this web site. He used to be totally right.
This publish actually made my day. You can not consider simply how much time I had spent for this information! Thank you!
I have realized some new items from your web page about personal computers. Another thing I have always thought is that laptop computers have become a product that each house must have for many reasons. They supply you with convenient ways in which to organize households, pay bills, shop, study, pay attention to music and in some cases watch tv programs. An innovative solution to complete these types of tasks is a laptop. These pcs are portable ones, small, highly effective and transportable.
Thanks a lot for sharing this with all people you really realize
what you’re talking about! Bookmarked. Please also discuss
with my web site =). We could have a link alternate arrangement among us
Have you ever thought about adding a little bit more than just your articles?
I mean, what you say is fundamental and all. But think
about if you added some great photos or videos to give your posts more, “pop”!
Your content is excellent but with images and clips, this website
could definitely be one of the most beneficial in its field.
Fantastic blog!
Hello there, You have done a fantastic job. I will certainly digg it and
personally recommend to my friends. I am confident they’ll be benefited from this site.
Awesome site you have here but I was curious about if you
knew of any community forums that cover the same topics discussed in this
article? I’d really like to be a part of community where I can get responses from other knowledgeable individuals that share the same interest.
If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Bless you!
When some one searches for his necessary thing, so he/she wishes to be available that in detail, therefore
that thing is maintained over here.
It’s wonderful that you are getting ideas from this article
as well as from our argument made at this time.
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my
own blog and was wondering what all is required to get set up?
I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost
a pretty penny? I’m not very internet savvy so I’m not 100% sure.
Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you