Ebola Survivors Initiative

West Africa - Liberia - Sierra Leone - Guinea Youth Action International,YAI - Clinical Research Management, CRM and World Surf League, WSL are returning to Sierra Leone and Guinea with Waves For Water to bring more clean-water systems throughout West Africa to thousands of survivors of the recent Ebola outbreak.

YAI is our field implementing partner and CRM is primary funding partner. As in Liberia in June, the YAI and CRM field teams have once again been working shoulder-to-shoulder with us in our effort to enhance the lives of all those who have survived both the horrific Ebola epidemic and the ongoing war against water-borne disease.

Joining us in this effort is the WSL, who have been helping W4W get safe water to remote regions around the world. See video and updates of phases completed so far and stay tuned for upcoming field reports from our ongoing efforts to improve quality-of-life for thousands of West Africans.

WEST AFRICA - EBOLA SURVIVORS INITIATIVE

In March, 2015, on World Water Day, Waves For Water team (Jack Rose, Mady Slater & Ethan Lovell), in partnership with Youth Action International (Kimmie Weeks), implemented our Ebola Prevention Initiative in Liberia. Using schools as training and distribution hubs, we helped make safe drinking-water accessible to 10,000 people; set up hand-washing stations, and distributed non-touch, infrared thermometers, in schools throughout Monrovia. Phase One Ebola effort has led to the formation of a new partnership with Clinical Research Management for the purpose of returning to Liberia in June to expand our March impact by a factor of ten, with the shared goal of getting more water to more people ASAP... and measuring the before-and-after quality of drinking water sources - and documenting the impact of introducing the bucket-filter clean-water systems across Liberia. This project will provide access to safe drinking water to 100,000 people who would otherwise continue to suffer the harsh consequences of water-borne disease. Project is funded by Clinical RM, via a Gates Foundation grant. Official project start date is 13 June - with the distribution of 1,000 clean- water systems (bucket & filter) at the Ebola Survivors Health Fair in Monrovia - Building on the success of this project, CRM will continue to advocate for more resources to be directed to West Africa, to expand our Ebola Survivors Initiative throughout the three countries now recovering from the Ebola epidemic: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.A special 'Thank you' to our collaborators for both Ebola projects: USA partners: 1. Damian Handisides Family & Cyclocross - project sponsor. 2. Artists For Trauma - donation of thermometers 3. Airlink 4. Youth Action International - continuing over several years. 5. John Strader, a physician assistant for over 35 years, came to Liberia as a consultant with Strader Health Services for Clinical RM for the Ebola clinical trial working with Ebola Survivors, and continues to this day to work on behalf of an entire country trying to recover from this disaster. 6. Korlia, an Ebola survivor himself, and physician assistant on front-lines in the battle to stop this terrible disease, is president of the Ebola Survivors Association of Liberia. 7. Darlington, a lab technician who worked shoulder-to-shoulder with 8. Dr. Jerry Brown - considered to be a hero (TIME magazine cover) for his tireless work in defeating Ebola. 9. Peter - current reigning surf champ of Liberia and local w4w leader.

Day after day, throughout the epidemic, these five (and many others) walked through the valley-of-the-shadow-of-death to catch the fallen. Now they are working to help the survivors, and Liberia, to rise up and carry on. It is an honor for Waves For Water to work every day with such gifted and dedicated people to help improve quality-of-life for the people of Liberia. Photo Credit - Ethan Lovell and Jack Rose