Crusaders for Peace begins cross border campaign

Liberia’s Cultural Ambassador Julie Endee, who is also Executive Director for the Crusaders for Peace, a local entertainment group here, says the launch of cross border training by her group is intended to educate citizens of the sub-region to stop the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, which has ravaged Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, killing nearly 5,000 people with Liberia highly hit.

The launch, which took place over the weekend at the headquarters of the Crusaders for Peace in Monrovia, brought together trainers, monitors, mobilizers and various community dwellers to learn how to use preventive measures to stay safe from Ebola. Ambassador Endee said, the exercise is to buttress efforts of governments of the sub-region through awareness, drama, songs, and other publicity, targeting rural dwellers.

She said the essence of cross border training is for citizens to stop stigmatization of Ebola survivors, noting that family members are in the constant habit of rejecting relatives as a result of Ebola. The Cultural Ambassador said focus is on fighting the virus, but people are ignoring an impending problem where families could discriminate among members, particularly Ebola survivors.

She says the group wants to erase such fears by carrying on awareness in various vernaculars to enlighten rural dwellers, including family members that Ebola survivors are the best people to be with.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Party of the Carter Center, Pewee Flomoku, has noted that the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone has made the fight a global challenge that requires effective global response to combat the virus. Flomoku said the Ebola virus in Liberia is affecting the country in many ways, including its citizens and communities as well as neighboring countries.

The Carter Center Chief of Party then presented 4 motorbikes and 8 mega cell phones to the Crusaders for Peace to be used by monitors, educators, and supervisors that will go into the field to disseminate information about the virus.

According to him, the Carter Center is very concerned about the threat the Ebola outbreak has posed on the entire continent, adding, “Everybody is affected by this dangerous virus, and citizens need to stop the long talk and take drastic action that would help in the process of eradicating this virus from Liberia, because any attempt to delay in fighting this virus when it reaches to the international partners who are supporting this country than everybody will be responsible.”