From Awareness Times Newspaper in
Freetown
Sierra Leone News : Pink Cross Sierra Leone Sensitizes and Trains 250 Ebola Survivals
By Awareness Times
Aug 31, 2015, 12:06
The possible end of Ebola is in sight as Sierra Leone has commenced the count down from zero to forty two days. As Sierra Leoneans brace for the triumphant end of Ebola, many are still suffering from the negative psychological scars the deadly disease has created on their minds. It is against this backdrop that an organization known as Pink Cross Sierra Leone conducted two days training on Psycho-social counseling and Hygiene at the Aberdeen Community Center from 28th -29th August 2015.
Pink Cross Sierra Leone is a humanitarian, Non Governmental Organization formed to promote advocacy, raising public awareness and sensitization campaign, provide psycho-social counseling and support to Ebola victims-survivors and orphans, and to implements health related programs. Pink Cross simply means crossing the mark of death.
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Key stakeholders at the high table |
Pink Cross hired a Trainer to Train the Trainees on psycho-social and health issues. These Trainees are in turn expected to train their fellow Ebola survivals within their respective communities on hygiene, psycho-social and health related issues.
The training drew the attention of two hundred and fifty participants from communities within Aberdeen including: Crab Town, Tambakula, Soso Town and the surrounding environs. These participants were mainly Ebola survivals and orphans.
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Ramatu Koroma and Sara Sesay proudly posing for a picture after the training |
Pink Cross aimed to train Ebola survivals and use them to counsel other survivals. It is an approach wherein survivor meets another survivor to hear his or her own story and explain in details how she/he came in contact with EVD, what she/he went through and mechanisms that help him/her to recover from his/ her traumatic situation. Furthermore, the training is geared towards encouraging others to inculcate good hygienic practice within their respective communities.
According to Patrick Kamara, Field Coordinator, Pink Cross Sierra Leone, the two days training exercise was in line with complementing the work of Ministry of Health and the Government of Sierra Leone in the Post-Ebola Recovery Programme.
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Assorted sanitary items ready to be distributed to participants at the training |