Fighting the Deadly Plague...

As Global Orphan Outreach Inc continues to complete a school building in Liberia, the ebola plague continues to rage out of control. I myself have several family and friends living in Liberia and all living in fear at the moment.

Many of you are now aware of the catastrophe this is causing not in Liberia but in other African countries. I wanted to share with you a brief letter from a couple of Liberian pastors as well as how you can help.

Dear Friends;

We are sure you have seen news clips of the death toll rising as a result
of the deadly Ebola virus in Liberia.  It is real!! The reports from Liberia
are heartbreaking.
Kindly find below an update I received from my pastor friend in Liberia.

The Liberian who died in Nigeria from Ebola was the husband of one of our church members.  They have three beautiful daughters, all less than six years old. Please continue to pray for Liberia. 

In Christ's love,
Pastor Francis Tabla
Ebenezer Community Church
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

Ebola is not your regular enemy it is more violent and virulent than you think. It initiates a chain of death and produces body bags of corpses.

It's another morning in Monrovia and in my back yard I hear the sound of roosters crowing to announce the dawn of another day. But make no mistake it is not your ordinary day. It's definitely one that I am almost sure will be filled with sorrow and pain for so many families yet again. With the death statistics now officially at 887, the paralysis of fear is taking its toll. But such outpouring of fear is understandable. And we all know that the death toll is far above the official pronouncements. On this past Saturday, 16 Ebola corpses from the ELWA hospital were bundled in body bags, escorted by police to be burned. Many are staying away from the hospital thinking that the hospitals themselves are the source of contacting the disease. The Health Ministry announced last week that some patients are being treated in their homes. Health workers are afraid and some are already refusing to show up for work. Some hospitals have been abandoned completely. Patients are being denied treatment and outpatient department in many hospitals have been closed to the public. Many smaller clinics and health centers have been asked to close. Hospital that are open need to rethink their strategy of how to deal with patients who are showing up. I heard the sad story of how a woman who had just given birth and was experiencing bleeding was left to die because health workers thought that she had a case of Ebola. This is the worst time to get sick in Liberia. Anything with fever is not good news.

Last week, a shaken Liberian President was on TV to announce a 30-day compulsory vacation for what she called "non-essential staff" at Government offices. She directed that Ebola corpses should now be burned and even suggested some communities may now need to be quarantined. Troops have ordered to enforce the President directives.

Liberia needs help with how to handle this crisis. It is a very confusing state of affairs. And soon the economic implications will be magnified ten times. On Saturday I drove my wife to the Red Light open air market and couldn't believe my ears. Prices are going through the roof. Today it is health but tomorrow hunger will soon set in. If we do not hurry it is going to be a long and painful journey.

But all is not hopeless, we can do something today: On the weekend I am planning to take a group into communities to provide public health messages. We need to identify and report all those affected. It's the only way to break the link in this chain of death. Health workers and care givers are some of the most affected people. They need all of our support. More information on how you can help is coming soon. In the main time please continue to pray. Tell your love ones to report any suspected cases of Ebola. We are in this for the long haul people. - William Massaquoi

** You can help by contacting the Women’s Bucket Brigade and help fight this deadly plague through the simple purchase of buckets and bleach!

http://empowerwomenleaders.org/news/womens-bucket-brigade-project-against-ebola-launches-on-gofundme/