For a while now, we’ve been talking about raising support for the local organizations that have been at the forefront of the ebola response in the 4 most affect countries in West Africa. In previous tweet chats, we discussion the missing narratives in the coverage of the ebola crisis, donations to local organizations, and the rise of African voices.
This week, we turn our focus on the local heroes of the response themselves. On Thursday, Dec. 11th, we discuss their stories, their critical sacrifices and contributions to stopping the ebola crisis. It is unfortunate that we’ll never hear the many stories from the workers and community volunteers that have lost their lives in service to their communities. But we hope that through the stories of the workers still doing this dangerous work, we’ll come to appreciate the sacrifices of the many who fell in the line of service.
While our focus has been mainly in Liberia, it is undeniable that the true heroes in each of the affected countries has been the local volunteers, health workers and doctors – who have sometimes sacrificed their very lives – in service to their communities. Recently, the NY Times featured some of their faces in a PHOTO ESSAY. Photographer Glenna Gordon’s images brought to the fore THE ENVIRONMENT in which these workers operate. Just a few weeks ago, ONECampaign released a video (above) of the the workers alongside their celebrity-filled “WAITING” PSA.
And just as we were typing this, TIME magazine just named THE EBOLA FIGHTERS as their Person of the Year 2014!
When: Thursday, Dec 11th
Time: 12:00pm EST
Twitter Handle: @AfricaResponds
Hashtags: #AfricaResponds #UnitedAgainstEbola
