Action-aid Executive Director presenting learning material in Njaiama Nimikoro Chiefdom in Kono
By Mustapha Sesay
Executive Director of Action-Aid, a nongovernmental organisation, says his organisation has spent over Le 1 billion on food, learning material, disinfectants and protective gear for 7,000 children in seven districts in Sierra Leone.
Mohamed Sillah said the bulk of the money was geared towards providing educational material and food items for “children who are on our sponsorship programmme.”
He said the distribution exercise across the seven districts had already been completed, pointing out that those districts, which included Kono, Kambia, Bombali, Bo, Tonkolili, Moyamba, and the Western Area, had been their operational areas before the Ebola outbreak.
Sillah however noted that the Ebola outbreak had affected their programmes and that they had turned to advocacy in helping government fight the Ebola virus. He said they had also raised awareness, sensitised communities and partnered with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in providing medical equipment and providing food for the affected people.
Sillah said that despite the fact that Ebola was overwhelming the country, they had not directed all their attention to fighting the disease and they were therefore closely monitoring the radio teaching programme in all the seven districts, which government introduced with the indefinite closure of schools owing to the Ebola outbreak.
“We have provided radio sets to the communities, stipends to teachers to ensure that they evaluate the radio teaching and ensure pupils listen to the lessons on radio”, he said, assuring that they would continue with their support towards the Ebola fight and that they were going to stay with the communities until the disease was defeated.
(C) Politico 18/12/14
