Displaying 1 - 8 of 8
This article reports on the need for local adoption solutions for the children who have been orphaned by Ebola in Sierra Leone. The author explains the situation of many children in Sierra Leone who have lost one or both parents to the Ebola virus and argues that “international aid agencies should help facilitate adoptions locally,” particularly the adoption of children by a family member, “and provide better health care and education to support entire communities” to meet the needs of these children.
This article from BBC News sheds light on the efforts of one man in Sierra Leone, who has since died of the Ebola virus, to provide care to children who have been orphaned by Ebola and to reintegrate them into their communities. Augustine Baker worked at the St George Foundation Orphanage in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he worked with children who not only suffered the loss of one or both parents to Ebola, but also faced the stigma and social rejection connected with being close to the Ebola virus. Baker and his wife both died of the virus, leaving behind three children who are now cared for…
A staff member at a British-run orphanage in Freetown, Sierra Leone has been diagnosed with Ebola, sending over 20 children who resided in the orphanage into quarantine due to their exposure to the virus, according to the article. The children and staff are now confined to the orphanage for at least 21 days.
Seventeen year-old Haja Umu Jalloh, a survivor of Ebola, has been caring for about 40 children at the St. George Foundation Interim Care Center in Sierra Leone. Because she has survived Ebola, she is considered immune to the disease and has therefore been asked to “stand guard” over children orphaned by the disease, who may or may not be infected themselves, while they are quarantined at the interim care center.
In light of the world’s largest Ebola epidemic, the Faith to Action Initiative has released an article on its website advising its partners on how to respond to this epidemic and its effects on children’s care. The Ebola epidemic, says the article, has claimed the lives of 5,000 people to date – leading to great numbers of parental loss among children, especially in the region of Western Africa. The article references a UNICEF report which states that 3,700 children in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have lost one or both parents to Ebola since the epidemic began. “These numbers,” says the…
" According to UNICEF, at least 3,700 children in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have lost one or both parents to Ebola since the outbreak's start.The figures are climbing, says Andrew Brooks, UNICEF's head of child protection for West and Central Africa. In Liberia alone, where he's currently based, Ebola has robbed about 2,000 children of their parents"
"The Liberian government is strengthening the systems that allow social workers to track down extended family members, he says.
"As a last resort, we're starting to work with the government to put in place some centers —…
The World Health Organization (WHO) says more than 3,000 people have died of Ebola in West Africa. It is the world's most deadly outbreak of the virus. This article by the BBC highlights the impact of this epidemic on children, including the death of parents and primary caregivers and the struggle to find alternative caregivers in a context of extreme fear of contamination. Manuel Fontaine from UNICEF explained that "Orphans are usually taken in by a member of the extended family, but in some communities, the fear surrounding Ebola is becoming stronger than family ties…
This video from the Guardian depicts the impact of the Ebola crisis on the foster care system in Sierra Leone. Some children face rejection and abandonment from family members. Others fare better and are taken in by distant relatives or neighbors.