Dear Friends,
New year greetings to you. We hope that 2015 will bring you and your family many joyful moments of special celebrations.

We are happy to report that, gradually Ebola in Lofa County (Liberia) and Kailahun District (Sierra Leone), where SEND is operational, is slowing down.
The new infections cases are becoming fewer and fewer. 

People are returning home and starting to rebuild their lives and communities.

However, there is yet very little support available for the victims to rebuild their lives. Many women and men who contracted the virus and fortunately have been cured have no means to start their lives once again.

There is no specific program in place for orphans and families who lost their bread winners to Ebola.

In most communities, orphans are being adopted by extended family members or friends to their deceased parents. For example, members of SEND’s partner, Kailahun Women in Governance Network (KWIGN) and Rural Commercial Women Association (RCWA) have adopted Ebola orphans. 

Most of these women have very little resources but are forced to add these children to their own families. SEND is fund raising to assist families of the Network and RCWA who have adopted Ebola affected children.

With an assistance of about $250 a year, a family will be able to cover the medical and educational needs of a boy or girl child in primary or junior high school.

Over the past few months I have worked with the Trade Union Congress of Ghana, Christian Council of Ghana, Pentecostal Council, National Charismatic Council and Office of the Chief Iman to establish the West Africa United Against Ebola Campaign.

The aim of the campaign is to support women and children victims of Ebola in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.  Presently we are fund raising in Ghana to support the campaign.   SEND staffs have taken the lead by volunteering minimum 2 % of their annual salary for 2015 to the campaign.

We are appealing to Friends of SEND in Europe, Asia and North America to support this worthy campaign.  Bank Accounts details of the campaign are provided below:

Bank Name         : UBA
Accounts Name: SEND GHANA
Accounts Number: Ghana Cedis: 01421387503511
Dollar (USD): 01421387502230
Branch: Spintex

Bank Name         : ECOBANK
Accounts Name: SEND GHANA
Accounts Numbers: Ghana (Cedis): 0110084487301601
Dollar (USD): 0112064487301601
Branch: Spintex

We will establish a reporting mechanism to ensure that you are informed on exactly how your contribution is being used. If you are also aware of children and women’s support organization who would be interested in partnering the campaign, please pass on this information to them and do let me know so that I can follow up.

Mr. Joseph Ayamga who is the author of the December edition of The Update is the new Country Director of SEND-SIERRA LEONE.
Mr. Ayamga is a Ghanaian with many years of experience working for different development organizations in Sierra Leone.
We will appreciate if you can support us in the fight against this disease.

Thank you.

Best regards,

Siapha Kamara
Chief Executive Officer
SEND-WEST AFRICA