ERF Round 3.1, 3.2, 3.3

For the third round of proposals the ERF steering committee elected to fund a three-village surveillance system within Kindia including the communities of Debelen, Friguiyagbe, and Koliagbe. The director of Organisation Nationale des Œuvres Evangéliques de Guinée (ONOMEG) Martin Luther Kourouma, is a former student of a Peace Corps volunteer. We wait to hear about progress on this project but expect great success.

From the same pool of applicants as Round 3, the committee has elected to fund a small number of projects for as long as possible. On March 26^th the committee met and elected to fund another four projects in all three countries. The selected one from Guinea was an educational campaign in the Kankan community of Bordo.

The vetting process for Round 3.3 is currently in effect. One potential candidate is a groupement in Kouroussa making shea butter soap and educating communities about the importance of hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus. The meeting is scheduled for May 7^th.

Reports are in for a few Round 2 projects such as Priorité Santé in the Conakry neighborhood of Ratoma. This organization focused on educating two high-risk groups: pregnant and breast-feeding women. Women were scheduled for one-on-one appointments with a health worker to discuss health risks of Ebola for mothers. In a private interview women were able to discuss their concerns and ask questions. The health workers emphasized the importance of women watching for symptoms of potential victims, because they are very often times caretakers for the ill and young children who are at high risk.

A woman receives a one-on-one consultation with a Priorite Sante health worker. 

Women at the Ratoma health center Ebola education session.

The organization ADSPB in Yomou of the forest region conducted an educational campaign at schools and home visits with community discussion groups. A small team of trained volunteers would visit a concession and ask the members to engage in interactive sanitation activities to adopt behavior changes. Community members were able to test their knowledge and ask for clarification from the volunteers.

More news to come on fundraising through FOG for the Ebola Relief Fund.