Bomi County – Liberia National Red Cross says, it is committed in continue supporting humanitarian activities in Bomi County amidst the clamp down of Ebola crisis in the country.
Report by Willie Tokpa, [email protected]
LNRC Secretary General Saybah Tamba said though the Ebola has gone but its impact remains challenging for some citizens across the country.
She told a cross section of citizens, including health workers, teachers and county authority Thursday that Bomi was amongst counties affected by the virus, a situation that has created strange health conditions for citizens in the area.
These unbearable health conditions experienced by women, children and men in that country according to the Red Cross Secretary, can be addressed with the support of humanitarian agencies including the Liberia National Red Cross.
“As we all know Ebola hits Liberia and left devastating impact on the population. It hit Bomi, Montserrado, Nimba, Lofa and I think Nimba is the highest. A lot of us know that the impact still remains on our people; some of the children are left without parents, without support leaving some parents to experience health conditions never experienced before,” Madam Tamba said.
She recognized the efforts of citizens of the county in joining forces to combat the virus but noted that it was completely handled due to the impact still affecting people of that county, assuring them that the closed of the Ebola Virus Disease Recovery Project is not the end of Red Cross activities in Bomi.
Tamba wants the people of Bomi County appreciate the Canadian Red Cross and the government of Canada for coming to the aid of their citizens at a time when most partners went away due to management of operational fund at the entity.
The project, she maintained was overseer by the Canadian Red Cross and supported 32 communities in Bomi County, which was being turned over on Thursday, December 7, 2017.
“Today the Ebola Recovery Project is closing but we are closing our support to the people of Bomi, Let me say that we remain with you and we will continue to support the people of Bomi,” Madam Tamba stated.
She expressed hope that citizens and the county authority would continue to maintain the facilities in ensuring that health, sanitation and education are at their best in Bomi County saying, “the latrines, we hope that the government will support community members to maintain the latrines because we are good at having facilities but very poor at maintaining them.
The schools, the water pumps these are very important facilities that the Canadian Red Cross is leaving with us. They are leaving it with us, hoping that we can keep them and our part at the Red Cross, we are going to ensure that we continue our support.”
Madam Tamba called for the support of other nongovernmental organizations in complementing the Red Cross effort saying, “We don’t have the money but we have the expertise.”
During the dedicatory ceremony, Canadian Red Cross Project Delegate, Pierre Lacerte who has been working with the EVD Recovery project in Bomi for the last two years said the program was his entity’s own way of helping Liberians affected by Ebola.
“We saw the need we saw a lot of people affected by Ebola and we wanted to continue to assist them. I’m very appeased to see the result of the project,” Lacerte said.
According to him, the objective of the project was meant for communities in Bomi County to be better prepared if there is another outbreak in Liberia and that assessment result on the project shows that more than 87% of the population in Dewoin would be better prepare.
He further lauded those who have been working with him in ensuring that the project was successful.
In April 2016, the CRC came in to respond to EVD Crisis in Bomi thus initiating several projects at health centers, schools and in major communities.
During the project, electricity was provided for 12 rural health facilities, 12 hand pumps were rehabilitated, four latrine facilities were constructed at both schools and health centers in Dewoin, Bomi County while at the same time, training and provision of hygiene promotion materials were provided citizens.