The Legacy of Civil War and Ebola in Liberia
Liberia was at the epicenter of the West African Ebola outbreak in 2014 and 2015, resulting in more than 4,800 deaths that exposed Liberia’s weak health infrastructure.
Before the outbreak, Liberia had fewer than 300 doctors to care for the entire population. Today, Liberia’s health care system lacks both modern equipment and trained doctors.
Liberia is currently experiencing significant fuel shortages, and many communities are without water (to wash, sanitize and drink), as it is the end of the dry season.
Access to public health information remains a major challenge, especially for people living in rural communities.
A gift to the GPFA-USA Emergency Relief Fund will support:
emergency health training and grants for community-based organizations
awareness raising activities (radio jingles, press releases, distribution of printed materials describing the symptoms, modes of transmission and hygiene protocols)
distribution of sanitation items like buckets and soap
drama performances on the symptoms and prevention of Coronavirus in both English and the local dialects
educational campaigns designed for social media and radio
Liberian peacebuilding and education programs, like grants and scholarships for youth that empower recipients and promote their health and well-being
We are also seeking to raise $225,000 to build Liberia’s first PUBLIC HEALTH RADIO STATION on the GPFA campus in Margibi County, Liberia. Currently, only two radio stations consistently broadcast one-hour health programs once weekly in English, leaving out the large illiterate population who do not read, write or speak English. This will be a game changer for the country.
HERE’S HOW YOUR GIFT HELPS
$25 – provides rice, oil, flour and canned food for one family unable to work because of quarantine
$50 – provides a book bag, school supplies and a stipend to purchase uniforms for one high- achieving student
$100 – provides basic cleaning and hygiene supplies, including soap and buckets for women- led households
$500 – provides 2,500 masks to be distributed to essential workers
$1,000 – provides Coronavirus public health radio announcements for one month
$2,500 – provides trainings and outreach to community groups to ensure people are informed, safe and healthy
$5,000 – provides 20 communities with truck deliveries of drinking and cooking water
$10,000 – provides small grants to our partner organizations fighting the Coronavirus
$25,000 – provides underwriting for the annual cost of our Coronavirus public health education program
$50,000 – provides seed funding for Liberia’s first public health radio station, to be housed on the GPFA campus