(ANS - Aishaman) - The Salesian Province of West Africa Anglophone region has recently released a statement in which it made known the data and information on the spread of Ebola in the West African countries and the commitment of the Salesians to stem the contagion and help the sick.

In the month of September the governments of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia gave a summary that there were a total of 4,269 suspected and confirmed cases of infection and 2,288 deaths. Liberia remains the country most affected, with 2,192 clinical cases reported and 1,223 deaths. The staff of the Doctors Without Borders believe that the number of infected people and deaths could be 2-4 times greater than that reported.

The schools remain closed and students stay at home without things to do; the shops and businesses continue to suffer and even the cultural cohesion and solidarity are in decline, because the paranoia of getting the infection permeates among the people. The reconstruction effort after years of devastating civil war is now in danger because of the political instability caused by the epidemic. A major concern of the Salesians is precisely what will be the consequences of the epidemic.

The Salesians in Liberia have been invited to be part of the National Catholic Task Force. 50 leaders of the Sean Deveraux Youth Center, in Matadi, have already organized prevention activities and outreach activities, going into the streets to talk about it, creating informative shows, handing out flyers and assisting poor families with food and medical supplies.

A local NGO, the Don Bosco Youth Network, based in Ghana, is opening a branch in Monrovia, where they plan, together with the Salesians of Liberia, a strategy for the emergency response.

The Salesians in Sierra Leone have almost finished creating a temporary reception center for 60 children left orphaned by the Ebola epidemic. The registration of the children is carried out through the "Don Bosco Fambul - Child Line" in coordination with the Ministry of Welfare. A group of Salesian priests and trainees, with the help of the Salesian Cooperators, nurses, social workers, teachers and young people will manage this Center.

The Salesians are also thinking about how to reach more than 8,000 students attending the 9 primary schools, 5 middle and secondary schools present in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Some interesting ideas have already emerged, such as to start a community radio, and distribute solar-powered transistor radios to students in order to enable them to follow the lessons. For students of the upper classes who own a cell phone, the use of WhatsApp and Facebook could be another interesting and innovative method for learning at a distance necessitated by the Ebola epidemic.

Thank God Ghana has not yet recorded any cases of Ebola. The Salesians continue to inform the Ministry of Health of their readiness to assist in the national awareness campaign for the prevention of Ebola through the local office of the DBYN.

Posted on 09/15/2014