(ANS - Freetown )– Speaking about the work being done by the Salesians in the various places where the Ebola virus continues to claim more victims, Fr Jorge Crisafulli, Provincial of English-speaking West Africa gave a report that goes beyond the urgent and immediate answers and highlights the importance of medium and long term visions. These will certainly necessitate campaigns to support the affected population and these will be studied in the time ahead.
by AndrésFelipe Loaiza, SDB.
Fr Crisafulli’s report points outthe gravity of the situation in Liberia and Sierra Leone. According to the Salesians who are present there "[the situation] is out of control with cases of infection on the increase." There is also a growing concern that this time the virus "has come to stay with us."
The Salesians are not working alone. There is a high level of collaboration with the Archdiocese of Monrovia, the Ministry of Health and that of Education, UNICEF, Doctors without Borders and German Doctors, as well as other religious congregations who are in remote areas and areas in quarantine.
According to Fr Crisafulli, all of these together must take several immediate and urgent initiatives. These include prevention and education, and the distribution of food and medical supplies. Each of these initiatives is motivated and developed in a different way. For example, the report says: "The most important people in carrying out this campaign of prevention and education are the young (...). Our NGO 'Don Bosco Youth Network, West Africa', produced all the material for the TV, radio, posters, stickers, brochures ... for this work of education and prevention. The young people of the Salesian Youth Movement, our parish groups and movements, and our students are directly involved in these efforts."
Fr Crisafulli listed six medium term responses: education throughthe medium of radio (as has been done in similar cases around the world); food production (there is a project already underway with the National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Technology in Argentina); the care of Ebola orphans (launched in conjunction with the Ministry of Welfare, UNICEF and other NGOs); the need for the presence of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (requested by Fr Crisafulli at the 23rd General Chapter of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians which is currently ongoing until 22 November, hopefully with positive results); the need for volunteers (currently we are working with local volunteers); and the need to communicate in a positive way that will spread hope and remove fear (Fr Crisafulli recalled the words of the song by Victor Heredia: "Who said that all is lost? I come to offer my heart").
According to Fr Crisafulli, many still do not believe that Ebola is real and often speak of a conspiracy. But as the Italian journalist Sergio Ramazzotti said in his firsthand report written for Vanity Fair: "Death will come before my eyes … Ebola is a treacherous enemy because it is invisible, a fighter with ruthless efficiency, a terrorist that uses the classical doctrine of guerrilla warfare to undermine psychologically first and then attack physically."
Published 07/11/2014
