Bravo to Sierra Leoneans in the fight against Ebola The outbreak of the Ebola pandemic has become a concern to every patriotic Sierra Leonean. Many institutions and organizations have partnered with the Government in curbing its spread in the country. Even religious organizations have resolved their differences to jointly lead a crusade against the deadly Ebola virus through sensitization. According to report, the National President of the Forum of Islamic Organizations in Sierra Leone recently organized a meeting calling on the three Muslim sects in the country –Sunni, Shiite and Ahmadist to work with the Government and other organizations in containing the deadly infection in the country. The spiritual leaders who represented their sects suggested various ways to curb the Ebola disease such as taking the lead in sensitizing their congregations on ways of preventing the spread of the epidemic, collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and calling on all Muslims across the country to offer special prayers for spiritual intervention in the fight against the epidemic. Since the meeting of the Forum of Islamic Organizations in Sierra Leone, spiritual leaders have been sensitizing their congregations across the country on how to prevent the spread of the Ebola disease that has taken its toll on scores of Sierra Leoneans. The sensitization and offering of prayers for divine intervention has also gone a long way in preventing the spread of the disease within the country. The Muslims across the country also offered special prayers when President Koroma asked the entire nation to mourn with the families “of our national heroes including Dr. Sheik Umar Khan who lost their lives battling the Ebola outbreak in our country.” In some communities across the country Muslims and Christians Leaders offered joint special prayers for spiritual intervention in the fight against Ebola. I was told that on that day of mourning with the families of the “national heroes”, the Member of Parliament for Constituency 98 in Eastern Freetown, Hon. Ibrahim Nox Sankoh, assembled the Imams and Pastors/Reverends in that constituency to offer special prayers for spiritual intervention in the fight against the Ebola pandemic. It was an occasion that brought together both Muslims and Christians in solidarity with the families who lost their loved ones battling the Ebola outbreak. Like Hon. Sankoh, many political leaders, traditional rulers and patriotic Sierra Leoneans also organized such forums across the country for divine intervention and sensitizing the people on how to prevent the spread of the disease. The declaration of national mourning for the fallen heroes by the President has brought serious awareness among Sierra Leoneans about how to prevent themselves from the Ebola virus. For instance, many people now wear hand gloves in order to avoid direct contact with the bare palms when exchanging greetings since Ebola is contagious. Also in public offices and institutions, you will be compelled to wash your hands in chlorine water prepared in bowls before you would be allowed into their offices or institutions. Those who prefer not to wear hand gloves use fist bump as a way of greeting. Some people, I am told, have even made it a fun whenever you want to greet them with bare hands, they would tell you “don’t touch” and those around you would laugh at the fun. But typical traditional people, who believe in handshake despite the ongoing sensitization on the deadly disease, express annoyances when you snub their handshakes and ask for fist bump. These are some of the funs among Sierra Leoneans in their fight against the spread of the virus and we have to work with them until we finally succeed in eliminating the Ebola epidemic from our county in its entirety. One thing that has come out clearly in the fight against preventing the virus from spreading within the country is that Sierra Leoneans can become united against a common cause. It clearly manifests that we can become one people during national problems of such nature and if only we can maintain such spirit in rallying around President Ernest Bai Koroma for a successful implementation of his Agenda for Prosperity, all the political bickering would stop. Before I conclude this piece, I wish to join my fellow Sierra Leoneans from my duty station here in the Arabian capital, Riyadh in offering prayers for spiritual intervention in the crusade against the spread of the virus. May the souls of those who lost their lives in the fight against preventing the spread of the Ebola epidemic in our beloved country rest in paradise….Ameen!!
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 08:04:22 +0000
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