Ebola Story - Ibrahim S

This article is written by a young man I know about how he feels about Ebola. I think he has a real talent for the written word......

MY EBOLA STORY

By Ibrahim S

"I may say boring, yes it is boring. But on the other hand it is affecting me greatly. How can I listen to teaching on the radio? That's silly. I don't go to the beach no more, don't move in crowds no more, and most of all don't go to school.

Can't say no more, but for some time, it has been six months since I left school and I'm eager to go back to school. I only have thee more months to end my senior secondary school career and I want to enjoy these three months with my friends.

The death rate aggravates me, I sometimes agitate over it asking myself when will this end. some others don't want Ebola to end but it really pissed me off. I'm even afraid to go to church because I don't trust anyone. But all the same I thank God for the life.

I don't attend lessons, not because of the Ebola but the fees are flying upwards and I'd rather study at home than pay that sum of money.

Staying at home is really agonizing but I don't have an option other than to stay at home.

If I am asked to summarise this whole situation I will start by blaming the people for not.......believing, and the government for not responding fast. It's because of their carelessness that people are suffering today. All they do care about is the money and nothing else, I'm just tired. All I do pray for is to see the end part of this big pain and loss in our country.

Depart from us. I want to return to school and have fun with my friends for the last time in my school uniform. I want to play football and hang out with my friends, go to the cinema and have fun with pals but I'm missing all this because of Ebola. I hate this virus, just hope it all ends soon.

In Jesus name Amen"

Ebola Story - Mohamed K

This article was written by a student I know who was due to sit his end of junior secondary school examinations (BECE) this year. (I love the final line of his atrticle).

EBOLA IN SIERRA LEONE, WEST AFRICA

By Mohamed

"Ebola came to Sierra Leone at around May fifth to the tenth, 2014.

It came in through Kalihun district, another part of Sierra Leone. The outbreak came into Sierra Leone seven months ago and it has killed about one thousand one hundred and above people in Sierra Leone.

And it came to the capital city Freetown a couple of months ago, which I could not remember.

But when it came to the capital Freetown it finally affect me in a way that I fail to fight against Ebola me myself alone. Because it affect me against my education because I should have been through with my Basic Education Certificate Education (B.E.C.E.).

But we only thank God for the West Africa Examinations Council (W.A.E.C.) for bringing us the teaching programme on our radios which keeps us busy all the time in our studies. Never mind that not each and everyone can afford radio in our various communities.

The public health infrastructure in Sierra Leone is being severely strained as the outbreak to Sierra Leone grows.

How Ebola Affect in Sierra Leone

Symptoms = vomiting, bleeding, fever, headache, joint pain etc

Ebola leads to the loss of our doctors and nurses all in the name of Ebola.

May God save our beloved country Sierra Leone"

Ebola Story - Abu K

This article was written by one of the students who regularly hang out in my office:

WHERE EBOLA STARTED AND HOW IT AFFECTS MY LIFE

By Abu

"First the headline, the Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 when an outbreak of the Ebola haemorrhagic fever occurred in Zaire and another later in the same year in Sudan. Each outbreak had about 300 victims, but did not spread much larger than that because of the remoteness of the areas in which they occurred. The Zaire Ebola virus has one of the highest fatality rates of any pathogenic virus affecting humans.

On the 25th March the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that the Guinea Ministry Of Heath had reported an outbreak of the Ebola virus in four (4)  of their southern districts, there were also suspected cases in the neighbouring countries Sierra Leone and Liberia.

In March 2014 when the outbreak started in Sierra Leone it first stated in one (1) district called Kailahun District. During that time when the disease enter in to the country people did not believe in the disease because there are so many information about the disease. Some were saying the disease is not real, they are taking the influence that the government of the nation is finding somewhere to raise money, some are taking the disease as politics, others are saying  the disease is from cows not rom human beings.

In August and September when high rate of deaths started occurring 70% of Sierra Leoneans believed and 30% still did not believe, some were saying during these months we were experiencing a disease called cholera and typhoid fever that was the main reason why some were not believing in the Ebola virus. The signs shown for Ebola virus is similar to the signs of cholera and typhoid fever. During the same month the government of Sierra Leone, UNICEF WHO and some other organisations in Sierra Leone and the world came together to fight against the Ebola virus.

Really, the Ebola outbreak has made things difficult in our country Sierra Leone. The disease has made business places, and companies not to function well and even affect educational  institutions like schools and universities. The education background in our country is not too good as compared to the olden days, the virus has stopped children going to school, like me, I'm supposed to be now at SSS4, I should have been now preparing to sit my WASSCE examinations.

Thank God my life is still existing, lets pray that the Ebola virus will leave our country Sierra Leone and the world as a whole."

Ebola Story - Ibrahim B

I asked some students to write an article or story about Ebola and how it affected them and their country, it could be factual or fictional, statistical or about life. With their permission I am going to share some of their stories........

 

This one is written by Ibrahim B

 

 

LIFE THROUGHOUT THE EPIDEMIC (EBOLA) - A MONTH DURING EBOLA

By Ibrahim

 

"At first it was just a rumour, our people could not believe it because they have never seen or heard anything about Ebola. Some say it is a curse, for others it's a witch sign. As for me, anything is possible.

 

Ebola entered Sierra Leone in the early month of March but was not taken seriously. It then spreads gradually until it becomes a national concern, seeing our politicians action it was of no serious concern. It then turns into an international issue.

 

Unluckily for us, the school going pupils, it is a big blow because school wouldn't reopen until further notice. Being at home doing nothing is the same as babysitting, it was really boring missing the fun you get at school. But it all became worse when our President decided to close all social activities. During this period life sucks and it was like being in jail.

 

The worst part of it was hearing the number of confirmed cases increasing drastically. My face was full of pain.

 

One day I was home listening to the radio as usual when I saw an ambulance passing and park just a few meter (40m) from our house. At first I thought they were out of fuel or something, but suddenly I saw four men dressed up like astronaut ready to enter a rocket. They entered the compound and bought out a sick man, entered the ambulance and left. It was agonies I was in my house for four days without stepping my feet outside, I was panicked and cannot trust anyone. The compound was later quarantined for 21 days and then everything was ok. Just imagine how much days I was indoors, four plus twenty one days, that's twenty five days indoors and my only friend was my family which I can't trust hundred percent because they go out there and return in the evening. But really the month of Ebola was a sad month and it's still a sad month because Ebola is still killing people out there, lets just hope it gets better."