By Kemo Cham
The Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors (SLAES) has received a cash donation from the non-profit Project 1808 as support towards its activities.
The money – NLe20, 000 – was presented to the Association’s Executives at a ceremony at the 34 Military Hospital on Monday, October 27th. Prof. Alhaji Umar N’jai, Founder and Chief Strategist of Project 1808, presided over the presentation of the cash, noting at the event that the gesture was in line with a tradition forged over a decade of partnership in research, capacity building and livelihood support.
“I think we probably would be the only group right now to continually engage SLAES,” said Prof. N’Jai, speaking about the dwindling interest in the lives of survivors of the viral haemorrhagic fever disease that ravaged Sierra Leone and its neighbours Liberia and Guinea between 2014 and 2016.
SLAES comprises Sierra Leoneans who survived the Epidemic, which remains the worst outbreak of the virus in the world, according to the World Health Organization. In Sierra Leone alone, over 8,700 people were sickened and nearly 4000 died. SLAES was formed to advocate for these survivors who deal with various after effects of the virus, as well as dependants of those who lost their lives to the virus.
From the early days of its formation, the Association has been working closely with Prof. N’jai and Project 1808 in various serology studies designed to understand what its members go through as a result of their experience with the virus. The latest study, conducted 10 years since the outbreak, is underway.
“When once we do a study or work with SLASE, we always try to give back to the organization,” said Prof. N’jai.
Project 1808 has also supported SLAES in multiple other ways, including capacity building progammes and livelihood skills training for its members, like tailoring, computing, catering and driving. Through a Toyota Grant, Project 1808 and other partners provided training on leadership and frontline emergency response for SLAES members. It also supported the Association during its case at the ECOWAS Court by providing additional supporting documents to make its case at the sub regional court.
Prof. Njai also revealed how he personally engaged the government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Social Welfare to provide support for survivors who wished to pursue academic career.
“Over the period, SLAES has been near and dear to my heart in terms of championing the cause of SLAES,” he said.
According to the biomedical scientist and researcher, the latest serology study was an attempt to bring a case for vulnerable communities like Ebola survivors, especially at a time with many competing priorities with the advent of Covid-19, Mpox and Kush, the substance at the center of an ongoing drug epidemic in the country. The study is being conducted jointly with local and international scientists, and N’jai hopes that with data generated from it, it can give another reason for government to act on the plight of the survivors.
“Ebola survivors, Lassa survivors, Mpox survivors – all these other survivors – we are accumulating them in our own populations but we are not studying them to understand for the next outbreaks,” he said. “This is the reason why we did the study.”
Unlike in previous donations, the SLASE Executive was given free choice to spend the money on any project of its choice. The organization has been going through a lot of challenges thanks to lack of funding, according to its Finance Officer, Mohamed Mansaray. He revealed that they have been forced to vacate their office space, for instance, making their coordination role tougher.
“We have our orphans and widows. They need our support. They need our voice. They need our advocacy. But without office space, it will be difficult for us,” he lamented.
Mansaray is himself a beneficiary of one of the leadership capacity building initiatives of Project 1808. He trained on driving, which he said changed his life.
“Some are Poda Poda drivers. Some are in the hotels. Some are doing great,” he added.
For Yusuf Kabba, the President of SLAES, the relationship between his organization and the NGO speaks to the phrase: “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”
Dr “Njai knows the language of SLAES. I mean he knows our problems. And he has been working with us for the past years. He always has time to listen to our concerns,” Kabba said.
“Knowing the problem is part of finding solutions for it and that’s what Dr Njai is very much good at,” he added.
According to Kabba, with the leadership training they got from Project 1808, SLAES can be of importance to the country’s response to current emergencies.
