By Mohammed Kiawu, YES 2010-2011, Liberia

On Friday, September 5, 2014, members of the K-L Alumni Corps of Liberia launched a massive Ebola awareness campaign in Montserrado County, Liberia. The campaign, which lasted for the entire month of September, brought together ten alumni from across Liberia. The alumni went door-to-door and handed out flyers with pictorials that explained how the virus can be prevented. The alumni also visited small cinemas and distributed a recording of Barack Obama’s message about Ebola in West Africa. The alumni encouraged the video club owners to show the message as part of the previews before they play their movies.

The awareness team also visited three boarding centers for disabled people in Montserrado, including the United Blind Association of Liberia, the Hope in God Association of the Blind Inc., and the Lady of Fatima Rehab School of the Disabled. Disabled people are at a higher risk of getting Ebola, so the alumni held interactive discussions with the groups about how the virus can be prevented. Since one of the alumni, Peter Blessing Kerkula Flomo, is visually impaired, he led the discussion and helped create a braille version of the prevention methods handout. He distributed the braille copies to his visually impaired colleagues and helped explain the symptoms of Ebola, as well as the importance of good hygiene and staying away from those who are already ill. After the discussion, the alumni gave out donated buckets with water faucets, bleach, soap, and hand sensitizer to each disabled community they visited. Peter also demonstrated how to locate hand washing buckets and how to use the soap and other hygienic material for the visually impaired. 

The president of the United Blind Association of Liberia, Mr. Peter M. Kanneo lauded the YES Alumni for visiting the center and spreading awareness. He mentioned that since the outbreak of the virus in Liberia, no awareness campaigns have been done at the center. Mr. Kanneo also encouraged his members to follow the preventative measures outlined by the alumni and not to adhere to the cultural traditions that have helped spread the disease. 

Mr. Johnson Kokolo Dorbor, the president of the Hope in God Association of the Blind, also appreciated the work of the alumni and stated that their visit and awareness campaign was timely. He noted that the disabled are the most vulnerable people in society, which places them at the highest risk of contracting the virus, but that the awareness brought by the alumni would help stop the spread of the virus. 

The campaign, which lasted for three weeks, is expected to continue in other rural communities, especially in communities with an alumni presence.