By Mabinty M. Kamara
Residents of Moa Wharf Community have complained of neglect by the government in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The community, which was one of the hardest hit by the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic, fear that without support and sensitization, they risk another bitter experience given the way of life of the high over populated community.
Moa Wharf is one of the dozens of slum communities lining the coastal line of Freetown.
Ibrahim Manika Bangura, Headman of the community, expressed dissatisfaction over the manner in which the country seems to have forgotten so soon about what they went through about four years ago.
He said government and non-governmental organizations have all abandoned the community, with none of them reaching out to support in sensitization efforts against COVID-19.
“Since we heard about this pandemic, we started sensitizing our people that a sickness has broken out which is more dreadful than Ebola. We were one of the hot-spots of Ebola and many people here experienced it. Aid has not yet come to us from the government about this virus in any form. We expect that it is the responsibility of the government to step up and support communities in terms of disease outbreaks like this. But nobody has come here from all the various political groups to talk to us about this pandemic. So we feel neglected,” he explained.
He added: “Our community is clustered and vulnerable and it is good that the government helps to strengthen and enforce our bye laws and to also help the community with certain needs. Like the three days lockdown, it affected most people here because people live from hand-to-mouth.”
Bangura said in the absence of government support, youths of the community have stepped up and are leading sensitization efforts.
Musa Kanu, Youth Chairman in the community, told Politico that so far there has been an increase in the community awareness and compliance with the preventive measures. Kanu said the community’s awareness and compliance is borne out of the memory of the Ebola scourge.
“Here, people know what Ebola did and do not want a repeat especially in this community. So there has been compliance. We have long stopped boats from coming in as a way of preventing transmission even before the lockdown because here is a fishing center and boats do come in from the provinces like Kambia District, and considering their proximity to Guinea, we were afraid that somebody might bring it here like it was with the Ebola,” he said.
Mabinty Kargbo, who is in her 50s, said she couldn’t forget how Ebola ravaged the community. She said she had been worried since the country announced its first case of Covid-19.
“We lost lives here, families and neighbors all in a short period. There was a family here from which everybody died except for a child who survived and was later taken away by one Humanitarian Organization,” Kargbo said.
“To hear that there is another sickness here that is more dangerous than Ebola is scary,” she added.
In the midst of this fear, the community people said the only support they have had is from Bollore Transportation and Logistics Company, which operates at the nearby quay. He said they received five Veronica Buckets from them as support to the community.
One of those buckets was situated at one of the numerous entrances to the community. A lot of the people pass without washing their hands.
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