Kidsave Sierra Leone: Reuniting Orphan with Family

Kidsave International and our partners at VCI continue our hard work on behalf of the children and communities most affected by the Ebola crisis. We have continued to increase our capacity and are proud to have welcomed three new social workers into the program. In order to better serve the children and their new, permanent, loving families, Rosamond Coker has come on as our head social worker for the city of Bo, Kadiatu Kallon is our head social worker in Zimmi, and Prince Kanu is heading up our social work in Kenema. Sahadatu (our primary social worker) did a great job of onboarding the new staff and teaching them the Kidsave Family Visit Model protocols.

Deployed several months ago for field tests, all social workers and staff are now using the Kidsave mobile App. The Kidsave mobile App has revolutionized our Sierra Leone program. In a nation where sending an e-mail from the capital city can be difficult, our program, which operates in distant villages needed a reliable way for our partners and volunteers to document progress.

The App, which automatically uploads data when in a Wi-Fi area, is a simple, elegant, and mobile solution that continues to improve our reporting and effectiveness. We now have real-time updates to the permanency status of our program participants and a method for entering those into the system who have been identified as needing assistance.

Even as Sierra Leone moves into the recovery phase of this medical emergency there are still many children who are in desperate need of a family and help. As Shed Jah, VCI’s founder and Kidsave’s country director wrote in a recent e-mail, “In Kenema, three local volunteers identified 2 local rescue center in Tunkia Chiefdom. Fifteen children have been identified from ages 10 - 15; 10 are boys and five are girls. All of the fifteen children have lost both parents during the Ebola crisis and was the cause of residing at the center.” Currently families are being identified for these children.

As we gather together with our families this holiday season please keep in mind those who do not have families of their own and take a moment to truly cherish what it means to both give and receive love from those most important to you. As Kidsave and VCI continue to work to find local families for those who have lost so much, you should know that is has been your generous donation that has allowed our work to continue.

In order to help facilitate our ongoing work with Ebola recovery, GlobalGiving has also announced that all donations to our project up to $1,000 before the New Year will be matched as long as funds remain. Please share our project with anyone you believe might be interested and also feel free to contact me with any questions or ideas that you might have at: Kristoffk@kidsave.org

We at Kidsave want to thank you and wish you a wonderful new year.

Thank you again,

Kristoff Kohlhagen

Links:

• Kidsave Sierra Leone page
• Kidsave page

Sierra Leone recently suffered a daunting setback in its quest to reach zero Ebola cases.  With the reported death of a woman and the subsequent infection of her daughter in Kambia District, the northern village of Sella Kafta has been put under strict quarantine in order to stem a possible resurgent tide of the virus.

For the rest of the country the news has been more hopeful. In Kenema, one of our areas of operation and one of the hardest hit by Ebola, not a single case has been reported in over 200 days. With the invisible danger seemingly gone, the city market is once again a busy and vibrant scene. Now neighbor greets neighbor without the hesitation and fear that has characterized the past year.

Christopher, a local Kenema chief and his wife Adama have taken in 9 children orphaned by Ebola. They met four of the children, Sallay (9), Fatmata (15), and brothers Kinny (8) and Dadhdy (14), at a local Kidsave event.

When asked where these children would be without his help and the program he replied, “They most likely could not have survived. Something very bad would have happened.” As he walked to his home several of his newly adopted children followed him holding his hand and calling him “Dad.”

Shed Jah, the founder of VCI and Kidsave Sierra Leone’s country director gives thanks to you, the donor, for the improvement in these children’s lives. In his most recent report he states, “The children are doing very well despite what they have been going through. Thanks to our supporters for helping us care especially for the Ebola orphans. Together we helped them survive.”

With great excitement Kidsave Sierra Leone also reports the arrival and deployment of our newest and largest team member. Weighing in at an impressive three tons and always willing to carry the weight of others, our 2010 Toyota Four-Runner has increased both the reach and capacity of the Sierra Leone program.   

Shed Jah, wasted no time in putting the vehicle to good use. From transporting Kidsave families in need of medical care to the medical center, to helping Kidsave families transport their goods from market, to traveling to strategy meetings with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender, and Children Affairs in both Freetown (the capitol) and the district office in Bo, the vehicle has had little time to rest.

As the program moves forward, key needs have been identified and are being addressed. With the lifting of quarantines in several of the program’s operational areas, Kidsave and VCI are moving to redouble efforts at family tracing and reintegration (FTR).

These original efforts were hampered by restrictions to movement and the justifiable fears of remote villagers to interacting with outsiders. In the coming weeks the program plans to bring three extra social workers aboard to help not only in the FTR efforts, but also to offer effective help to the orphans trying to cope with the extreme trauma of losing their families.

As Kidsave Sierra Leone and VCI continue our important projects on the front lines of the Ebola recovery effort, we hope that you will continue to spread the word and support us as we work to help some of the most vulnerable children affected by this crisis. 

Links:

• http://www.kidsave.org/
• http://www.kidsave.org/programs/orphans-sierra-leone/