Saturday, January 24, 2015

Meet the children orphaned by Ebola

More than 10,000 children have lost one or both parents to Ebola in West Africa's current outbreak of the disease, according to UNICEF


 Almost 8,000 of these youngsters square measure from Sierra Leone.

Many are viral hemorrhagic fever survivors themselves, however due to the stigma and concern round the virus they're typically shunned by their communities.

Britain has pledged £2.5m to assist came upon special care centres for viral hemorrhagic fever orphans and re-unite youngsters with their extended families.

The BBC's international health correspondent, liliaceous plant Mazumdar, has been to St Saint George Foundation orphanage in port, that is travel by a British charity, and spoken to 2 orphans concerning their experiences.


 Haja Umu, 17
 Haja survived VHF and currently helps take care of orphans at St George's. If any kids area unit suspected of being sick, she takes care of them as a result of she encompasses a level of immunity against the virus.

"My auntie developed a fever and 3 days later she died.

"We did not recognize at the time that it absolutely was VHF that had killed her. therefore my whole family visited her observance. many days at that time I became unwell too so did several members of my family as well as my mother and brothers and sisters.

"I was admitted to a government hospital and so touched to associate VHF treatment centre.

"I likeable being there as a result of some people that got sick did not report their sickness and that they died in their village. I got the right treatment.

"They gave American state medicines. i used to be helpless and that i did not expect to survive. however they helped American state recuperate.

"But several of my family have died. My father had died before in 2009, my mother died throughout this eruption and my brothers and sisters, eleven folks were infected with VHF, and solely I survived.

"I miss my family a day, it is so laborious, i believe regarding all the time.

"Although I miss my family i'm terribly happy I survived. currently I want to assist others.

"I am happy I survived, currently i would like to hip defend others."


 Mohamed Sesay, 12
 Mohamed lost each his oldsters to VHF.

He was unbroken segregated  in his home wherever his oldsters died for twenty one days just in case he developed the illness, however was then forced to depart his village together with his extant sister, as a result of his nuclear family and neighbours were frightened they'd catch VHF from him.

He has recently found the orphanage together with his elder sister.

"My mother and my father died of VHF. when they died, my community treated ME terribly badly.

"They told ME to travel removed from my house and ne'er return. therefore I visited my grandmother's house and she or he told ME to induce out from her place.

"Me and my sister were alone for 2 days, we have a tendency to had to sleep outside in associate unfinished building. no one wished to examine USA. I didn't feel smart.

"Then we have a tendency to visited my grandmother's friend's house and she or he allow us to keep. I felt fine there, she talked to ME nicely, she gave ME food then I visited sleep.

"But when 2 days my grandmother's friend aforementioned I had to depart. A automobile came and that we were brought here.

"I feel smart here. They watch out of ME well. I eat smart - 3 times a day! I sleep, I play, and that i study. i'm a robust boy and that i are OK."

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