Post by account_disabled on Feb 22, 2024 12:46:12 GMT 5.5
Wash your hands with soap, cover your mouth when sneezing, clean fruit and vegetables well ... If you have children... how many times have you told them that they should get used to doing it! And how many times they told you that at school, at home...! As a mother, father, aunt, uncle, simply a responsible person, you are fully aware of the importance of these gestures. They are basic, simple and everyday, but they make a difference, since they can help your family and you prevent diseases as common as the flu, gastroenteritis or a simple cold. However, although they are essential habits for you, many people in West Africa are unaware of their value as a preventive measure against an unknown and contagious disease like Ebola. In this situation, your vulnerability to diseases as ferocious as this one is multiplied by a thousand. The tenacity and bravery of volunteers like Agnes Nyantie contribute to the fight against a virus that is devastating entire communities in West Africa. Do you want to meet her? Agnes: a mother's fight to save her family and her community ebola-oxfam-3 Agnes Nyantie visits 20 families a day, house to house, explaining what Ebola is and how to protect yourself from contagion.
Pablo Tosco / Oxfam Intermón Download the guide for free Agnes Nyantie is 42 years old and the mother of five children . They all live in West Point, one of the neighborhoods in Monrovia (Liberia) hardest hit by the Ebola virus, which has already claimed more than 5,000 lives in West Africa. Agnes is a fundamental piece in the fight against the disease. She is one of hundreds of local volunteers who are helping Oxfam stop its spread. They visit homes, door to door, to inform Albania Mobile Number List families about how the virus is transmitted and raise awareness about the importance of receiving early treatment. Without her selfless help, many of her neighbors would have died. She, despite being fully aware of the harshness and virulence of the virus, exposes herself to it day after day to protect her community and, above all, to save her little ones: “My children were born and raised in this neighborhood and I need them to be safe.” Agnes goes out every morning wearing her Oxfam t-shirt to visit around 20 families in the area, house to house. Her task is not easy, since she moves through extremely impoverished communities, where drinking water and electricity do not exist .
Most of Liberia's population cannot read or write and lack access to the Internet. Information is spread through word of mouth , community leaders, radio programs, or billboards. Agnes' voice takes on great importance as she establishes an important bond of trust and security with her community. It's very hard to put yourself in Agnes's shoes. She has seen friends and family die painfully and suddenly. Can you imagine it happening to someone in your closest circle? Small gestures that save lives The fundamental objective of all volunteer health promoters like Agnes is to teach the population that Ebola is real and that there are a series of measures they must follow to prevent it. And prevention and information are key to reducing the spread. Agnes strives to make her neighbors aware of the importance of washing her hands with soap, a minimal and routine gesture for us that in Liberia can mean saving oneself from contagion. In the same way, Agnes instills in families the habit of cooking with clean water, washing food very well and, above all, disinfecting homes. In this sense, Oxfam has distributed more than 6,500 hygiene kits that include buckets with taps that ensure that communities use clean water at all times, as well as bleach and soap. ebola-oxfam-4 Agnes, with one of the hygiene kits.