— Thoughts gleaned from experiences of children in Monrovia, Liberia.  —

I am so glad to be in school!

I will never forget the day Arthur David came to me and told me I was sponsored by CRF. I would now get to go to Ford-Madden Christian Academy.

Ford-Madden is one of the best schools in Liberia. To me, it is the best. Not only do I get an education—I also get food to eat.

I come from a poor family. My father was killed in the war when Charles Taylor took over the country and became president. I also lost my brother to the conflict. Taylor kidnapped him and made him a soldier even though he was just a kid. He used him to be a killer to help take over the country.

But now we have a new president. She is better. In fact, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf got the Nobel Peace Prize. Charles Taylor got charged with crimes against humanity.

But we also got Ebola.

There’s no cure. President Sirleaf sent us all home. She thought if no one had much to do with anyone else, that Ebola would possibly be gone in 90 days.

It’s not working. People are dying all over the place. I’m scared. I saw them carry off one of our neighbors in a wheelbarrow to a shelter to get help. But I heard that he died. I’m trying to remember if I touched him. Or touched something he touched. Someone offered me a ride in a car the other day. But I was scared to sit where someone sat who could have had Ebola.

I don’t think I have Ebola. But I don’t have any food either. When the government closed my school to isolate everyone, they must have forgotten that it is the place where hundreds of children eat and get their food. Now nobody seems to go to school.

It seems like people aren’t working either to avoid other people who have Ebola. This has caused the price of food to reach an amount that we can no longer afford.

The people at the CRF school try to find me and bring me food. But it is not like it used to be. They say that they are coming this week to educate me on Ebola. Last time they came, they gave me chlorine to wash everything. Maybe this will help me not to catch Ebola. But I’m so afraid that I use it so much that it is now gone.

I don’t want to die. I especially don’t want to die of Ebola. It is such a bad way to die. I hear people screaming. I don’t know if they have it or know someone who does. Our president told us that this should be over in 90 days. I think it is worse now.

I want to go back to my school. But I’m afraid. I don’t know what you can do if I get Ebola. But I could use some food now… and more of that chlorine. Pray for me.

Please pray for all of our children.  

Pray for all those affected by Ebola.

Help us provide for their needs.

 

 

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