Overview...

What started as an awareness raising and ethnographic styled walk through Sierra Leone, this site now details the encounters of a not so academic academic who spends more time occupying Wall Street and squats than a university...

Saturday, October 4, 2014

African Union coming to save the day...

Tomorrow, Sunday 5 October, the African Union lead Ebola virus task force arrives in Sierra Leone to provide desperately needed help in the fight against the growing epidemic. Sierra Leone is one of the countries hit worst by the outbreak already having lead its government to undertake drastic measures - such as a complete lock down in September that lastedfor several days. http://bit.ly/1oGXCYZ

Friday, October 3, 2014

Courage

Ebola in Sierra Leone: "The courageous girl, a suspected Ebola victim entering the Ambulance to the holding center. Heading for the holding center." 


How Many Orphans will there be?

Ebola in Sierra Leone:
"Request from an Ophan child: Nurse I want to see my grand-mother said the eldest child, when would you take us to see my grand-mother? I want to see my grandmother she is staying at mayagba village. The younger child replied, no we should not go there because she is the only one left now, you want grandma to die? No we should stay here first till the Ebola ends they both agreed together sadly and accepted to stay in the holding center."

Ebola Orphans

Ebola in Sierra Leone: 
"Ophan children in the Makeni holding center, three of them are of the same father and with two different mothers, who both died as a result of ebola."






Getting Closer to Home

Ebola in Sierra Leone: 
"Looking town area makeni got the first suspected case of ebola, the child was abscunded from baio street in central makeni after two persons are dead in that house, the responce team was very fast to identify this and quickly taken to the referal center, the girl age 8yrs though, seems to have the gratest courage to enter the ambulance, she looks seek and week, please remember her in your daily prayers...."  



Thursday, October 2, 2014

Another Nurse Dies

Ebola in Sierra Leone:
"Breaking News Tuesday 30 Sept. 2014 Ebola Kills Staff Nurse at Jui
Her name is Lucy Sowa. She was a staff nurse working at the Ebola Isolation Unit at the Connaught Hospital in Freetown where she contracted the disease while trying to save other lives. Staff Sowa tested positive a couple of days ago and was rushed to the Ebola Holding Centre in Jui where she died last night. Staff Sowa used to work at the Emergency Hospital in Hamilton from where she responded to the call to serve her country in the fight against the Ebola epidemic disease at the Connaught Hospital. Staff Sowa had no time to talk to her family members before undertaking the trip to Jui. Her colleagues said she was already seriously ill and had no time to even take along some of her personal effects. Staff Sowa, I am told by her colleagues, was a highly dedicated nurse who ensured that her patients got the correct nursing care they needed. She has since been laid to rest. May her soul rest in perfect peace. May Allah admit her in heaven unconditionally." 

Makeni Updates

Ebola: 
"THE PROCLIVITIES OF EBOLA CONTINUES TO PLAGUE MAKENI. 
By Nat Taylor-kamara
As Bombali district continues to register an upward trend reporting on the number of Ebola victims, more and more unwanted occurrences continues to vulnerably violate, torture and live Residents astray to roam their world. In response to the unfortunate incident that saw an influx of people on the streets of Makeni few days ago- jubilating senselessly the end of the Ebola epidemic, the Resident Minister North of the Republic of Sierra Leone have yesterday in a press release banned all activities of commercial motorbike riding in the township and it immediate environs with immediate effect until further notice. This according to sources, the decision was as a result of the rumor that kept Makeni in maddness for hours-"Ebola don don" was believed to have been accelerated by the group in question as investigations continues. 
However, since the end of the civil war in Sierra Leone, commercial motorbike riding has been one of the vivid success stories of Youths reintegration and as well the commonly used means of transportation across the country of which Makeni is pivotal. A ban on this will obviously affect the daily activity facilitation by this sector as daily movements and other related issues will b haunted. The people are in a predicament: trapped in serfdom and exploited by an unknowing fate. Escape is hopelessly imagined. There seems to be no way out for our people but retribution. Children are in a state of deprivation, still dwelling beyond the shadows of reality, behind close doors, knowing that their futures has been tampered with. For them life can never be the same any more. The victims, however, are hypothetically to survive. We will live on to speak for the ones who are touched by this significant story. We shall transcend their misfortunes, the most of all their lonesome voices that silently emanate from the anguished souls.
God save mama because you are the only hope left, our assentors have failed us with impunity filled with impulses with no stopping points to seek redress."


Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Orphaned...

Ebola: "This boy is an ophan whose parents both died shortly because of Ebola, his survival lies in the hands of his care giver." Hands that must be perpetually covered...... 



Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Monday, September 29, 2014

False Jubilation

Ebola update... rough day in makeni sierra leone. Erant word of an end to ebola came out and people took to the streets dancing. Breaking the quarantine and no touching each other rules.. could be disasterous. But there is so much pent up need for something exciting, something to dance about, to hug someone about. Imagone being confined to you home indefinitely, to your room, not able to even touch anyone, hug your children or spouse, not to be able to comfort them if they get sick, or even put yoir hand on their shoulder. All human contact is basically forbidden...... imagine life like that. And then imagine starving on top of it. 
Here is a report on what happened today:
"This is what they said happen. The situation guys is under control. Some people were released today from quarantine in Makeni and because they came out clean of Ebola after the 21 days stipulated time, they started dancing and jubilating that Ebola is gone. Others joined in the celebration, including Okada riders who have a unique way of jubilating.
Interestingly, something similar to this happened on Saturday around the Grey Bush area in Freetown. Something is going on and we need to carefully monitor the situation.
Tune in to SLBC TV now as they are discussing the issue with their correspondent in the northern City of Makeni"

Their is such misunderstanding of the disease, the biology of such things in general... 

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Stolen Rice?!

Ebola in Sierra Leone:
The food situation is becoming dire. With the economy stopped and most of the country under restricted movement and/or quarantine, food and the means to buy it is greatly reduced. The below is a press release that appears to show that the ACC (anti-coruption commision) and the police taking food destined for quarantined areas.... sad. They need food.
Date: 28th September 2014
PRESS RELEASE
ACC INTERCEPTS 4250kgs OF RICE SUPPLY MEANT FOR EBOLA QUARANTINED HOMES
At about 20-21:00hrs on Saturday 27th September 2014, the ACC together with other stakeholders including the Sierra Leone Police and the Health For All Coalition (HFAC), intercepted two vehicles; a Salini Salcost vehicle with registration number ACW 443 driven by one John Sesay and a Toyota Land Cruiser with registration number 73CD24 driven by one Edith J. Kargbo of WFP.
At the time of interception around Watson Street, Masuba, in the Makeni Township, the suspects were actively involved at odd hours contrary to WFP operational procedures transferring 50kg bags of rice from the truck to the WFP Toyota Land Cruiser. A total of 69bags of rice were found in the Salcost vehicle, while 16 bags, which is about 800kgs of rice, were loaded in the WFP vehicle, purportedly for distribution to quarantined homes. The exercise was taking place in the absence of other members of the EOC.
The Makeni Police Division, headed by LUC G.M Turay, the ACC and ONS are investigating the matter. Meanwhile, the drivers of the two vehicles, the DMO, the District Nutritionist and the WFP Programme Assistant in the region, Mahmood Kamara, are helping the Police with the investigations.

Sign: ……………………………….. Sign:…………………………………..
Patrick Sandi, Deputy Director, ASP Ibrahim Samura
Public Education and Outreach Department Head of Media and Public Relations
Anti-Corruption Commission Sierra Leone Police