Members of SI Freetown (2012)

Soroptimist International Freetown (Sierra Leone) has been
working closely with local partners to respond to the Ebola outbreak, which has now killed over 1900 people in West
Africa. According to the World Health
Organisation, there have been 3500 confirmed or probable cases in Guinea,
Sierra Leone and Liberia, leading WHO chief to describe the outbreak as "the largest and most severe and most complex we have ever seen".

Soroptimists in Freetown have been active in WRESL (Women’s Response to
Ebola Sierra Leone), a coalition of women’s
organisations established to tackle the outbreak, which is helping to educate women about the disease and 
providing hand washing facilities with soap, water, drums and accessing water
supply to all the 42 markets in Freetown.

“Most of the traders
and customers are women”, explains SI Freetown President Nana Pratt in a letter to SIGBI Federation President Margaret Oldroyd. “This is a good way to implement hygiene
measures in busy public places and for women to benefit and carry the hygiene
messages to their homes. We will continue our service contribution to WRESL,
including fundraising.”

Health workers have been particularly hard hit, with female
nurses representing the majority of the medical personnel who have died from
the virus. SI Freetown have identified providing protective equipment for them
as a major priority:

“Many frontline
hardworking medical doctors and nurses (some that we know well) have, in the
line of duty succumbed to this deadly virus”, explains President Nana.

Following SI Freetown’s update, the SIGBI Federation has donated £2000 from the Emergency
Relief Fund to the Red Cross to buy personal protective equipment for health
workers in Sierra Leone. Read the full letter below.

More information

SIGBI donate
to Red Cross (SIGBI)

Ebola death toll passes 1900 (BBC)

WHO
Fact Sheet on Ebola (WHO)

Ebola
Outbreak takes its toll on women (UN
Women)

Letter from SI Freetown to SIGBI Federation President Margaret Oldroyd

22nd August, 2014

Dear President
Margaret

Soroptimist Club of
Freetown Ebola Support Appeal

I write to again thank
you for your kind recent message. This and personal messages from Friendship
Links and individual SIGBI members are a comfort and strength to all SI
Freetown members.

The Club,
traditionally on vacation during the month of August, held an Emergency meeting
on Wednesday 20th August to discuss the Ebola Emergency in Sierra Leone and to
reflect on how SI Freetown can best step up our contribution to combating this
National and sub-Regional Emergency. The situation has become more alarming
now, as many frontline hardworking medical doctors and nurses (some that we
know well) have, in the line of duty succumbed to this deadly virus.

To date, we have been
active in the WRESL (Women’s Response to Ebola Sierra Leone) – a coalition of
women’s organizations including 50/50; Women’s Forum and MARWOPNET – all of
which have SI Freetown representation / membership. WRESL is implementing
sensitization of women in several chiefdoms of Kenema district (an Ebola
epicenter), and is providing hand washing facilities with soap, water, drums
and accessing water supply to all the 42 markets in Freetown. Most of the
traders and customers are women. This is a good way to implement hygiene
measures in busy public places and for women to benefit and carry the hygiene
messages to their homes.

We will continue our
service contribution to WRESL, including fundraising.

We have identified two
other areas for Soroptimist action.

Principal among these,
an area of great need where we feel that Soroptimist support will be highly
appreciated – is in the provision of PPE (personal protective equipment) for
front line health workers in Freetown. It has to be said that use of PPE has
not been routine in healthcare delivery – lack of equipment, and also lax
procedures in some cases. The Ebola crisis has changed that. But quality PPE
will never be enough. Many items can only be used once; all items must be in
perfect condition to ensure 100% barrier. International organizations are
helping government with provision, but there will never be enough for the
clinics and by focus on the Ebola treatment centres, others may be left behind
– eg the clinics and hospitals that treat patients coming through their doors
who may turn out to have Ebola virus disease. Many hospitals and clinics
including maternity units are in fact closing, as the medical/health care
personnel are afraid and inadequately protected. SI Freetown sees the real need
here. Members have done spot check consultation with the Ministry medical
store, some doctors, education officer of the Health Service Workers Union and
clinics in town.

We will welcome
support from SIGBI to enable this demand to be met. We humbly ask SIGBI to
consider favourably making a donation from the SIGBI Emergency Fund. If this
can be made to a relevant UK based medical partner for specific purchase of
PPEs which can be sent to a Freetown based counterpart – eg. Red Cross – for
distribution to medical facilities agreed with SI Freetown to be in need. SI
Freetown will monitor distribution.

As an ancillary
project, among our members and friends etc locally, SI Freetown members are
making a collection of items to present as ‘good will’ packages for front line
health workers through the national Nursing Association and Health Workers
Union – eg. towels, clothing, bed linens, household items. Bereaved families of
health workers, who have borne the brunt of the deaths by Ebola, are suffering.
So are households which have been quarantined and the returning survivors who
are in material need as well as social stress often ostracised and having lost
much of personal items which had to be destroyed due to risk of contamination.

In conclusion, we are
heartened with the moral support given to SI Freetown at this time of great
difficulty in Sierra Leone. We do hope that SIGBI through the Emergency Fund or
otherwise will support and assist us to realise a programme to provide much
needed PPEs for frontline workers in health facilities in Freetown, with
suitable partner (agreed with SI Freetown and SIGBI.

With appreciation and
best wishes,

Nana Pratt,

President, SI Freetown