We Cannot Ignore Them

Quite frankly, the first few months that outbreaks of Ebola were reported, I did not pay attention. In hindsight, I wish I had paid attention a little bit more.

The Ebola virus is a disease that is exchanged through bodily fluids and human to human contact of blood. The seriousness of this epidemic did not hit me as such until I saw a picture of a 10-year-old Liberian boy laid out on a floor with his arm shielding his face.

Later as I read the article about this 10-year-old boy, Saah Exco on National Public Radio’s website, I found out that he was found by others on a beach. They had given him clothing to wear but they would not take him into their home out of fear that he might have had Ebola. As I continued to read on about Saah, I learned that he had died a day before reporters were able to get to him. Somehow, his story reminded me of my past.

I was born in Liberia, West Africa in June of 1994 at the very end of the nation’s first civil war, which finished in 1997, and rose during its second civil war which began in 1999. I left Liberia in 2002 for Maryland, a year before the civil war officially announced as over.

In between those civil wars, as the story goes, my grandmother, whom I was named after, carried me on her back throughout Liberia. There were many times when people would offer a bit of help to us in the midst of trying to keep themselves out of harm’s way. And as many times as they helped us out, there were even more times that we were ignored by others because they themselves feared for their lives.

Seeing Saah, splayed out on that dirt floor on a thin looking blanket, withering away as someone draped a white sheet over his body, I began to think of a younger me. Before I knew it, I could not stop crying. While seeing this little boy brittle away because of this deadly disease that has a 90 percent fatality rate, all that I could see was myself lying in his place being utterly ignored and feared by the world at large. In that moment, I knew that the Campus Current had to do something, anything to help out Liberia’s victims of the Ebola virus.

Eight-hundred and seventy deaths by Ebola were reported by the World Health Organization on Sept. 4. They also announced that they are expecting up to 20,000 cases of Ebola to plague West Africa.

The Campus Current will be holding auditions for our first annual Ebola benefit talent concert on Sept. 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. in HUM Lecture Hall 112. On Oct 3 from 8 to 10 a.m., we will be sponsoring the Ebola benefit talent concert in the Robert Kauffman Theatre to help raise awareness and funds for the victims of Ebola in Liberia. All of the proceeds will be given to BAFFA, Bolahun Alumni Family Friends and Family to help purchase goggles, gloves, Band-aids, masks, food and other materials that hospitals and health officials are in need of so that they can better help out their patients. Like our Facebook page, Campus Current, to find its events page for more information.

If you are interested in helping the victims of Ebola in Liberia, please come out and donate your time, talent and efforts.