Memunatu Sankoh
By Bampia James Bundu
12-year-old Ebola survivor, who lost both parents and four other family members to the disease, has been appointed an OXFAM Ambassador and has joined the organisation to sensitise communities in Koya Chiefdom, Port Loko District, on the effect of the virus.
Memunatu Sankoh, a class 6 pupil of the Church of God primary school, Futa Village, told Politico that her parents got infected with the virus, got seriously sick and were taken to Port Loko for treatment.
“My mother, father, brother, sister, niece and uncle and a host of other people died of Ebola whiles being treated in Port Loko,” she said, adding that she too was admitted at the same treatment centre before being finally discharged 19 days later.
She said that only 20 of the 42 patients with whom she had been admitted, survived after they were taken from Mabanba village in the Koya Chiefdom.
Sankoh stated that she was lucky to be alive, adding: “I neither vomited nor had diarrhoea during my illness. I only had severe headache and joint pain and I was unable to walk. I was saved by God,” she narrated.
The orphan, who is now under the care of a distant aunt, revealed that she was identified by OXFAM who were using her as an ambassador to sensitise other communities within the chiefdom on the effect of Ebola and the seriousness people should give to it.
She commended the NGO for restoring her hope and for allowing her to talk to others about what she had gone through.
Member of Parliament for Constituency 57, Abubakarr Koroma, said the people of Mabanba village played a leadership role in ensuring that they prevented Ebola from spreading or killing more people in their community. He said the disease had orphaned many children whom he said now found it difficult to survive.
The MP explained that with support from Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM), a local NGO, he was able to secure 25 bags of rice and assorted cooking ingredients which were evenly distributed to affected homes within the village.
AIM’s Executive Director, Rugiatu Neneh Turay, said her organisation had helped Ebola survivors in the north by providing them with assorted food items on a regular basis.
She pointed out that the 25 bags of rice and cooking ingredients were meant for residents of Mabanba Village whereas gloves, face masks and surgical gowns were donated to the Masiaka Community Health Centre.
She encouraged the survivors to serve as ambassadors to others who were still denying the existence of Ebola, and called on Memunatu Sankoh to continue her good work with OXFARM as her role would enable many people to understand that “there is life after Ebola”.
© Politico 16/12/14
