In Liberia, the last known Ebola patient who died of the virus was buried on 28 March. The country is hopeful that it is now on the road to recovery but, nevertheless remains on high alert. In Liberia, the outbreak began to subside in late October and had stabilised by mid-November, with daily reports showing only 10 to 20 new cases. Since January Ebola cases in Liberia have dwindled further.

ChildFund Liberia’s Kelekula Interim Care Centre (ICC), the first centre focused on the care and support of children orphaned by Ebola, was established in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in October 2014. 55 children have stayed at the centre. After being cleared of the disease, staff have coordinated with government officials to help place these children with relatives or in stable foster care situations.

18-month-old baby, Saydee (pictured above with his aunt) stayed at the Kelekula ICC after he lost his mother to Ebola.  Saydee now lives with his father and aunt in a makeshift community in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital. His aunt, Mabel takes care of him while his father works as a casual teacher with the Liberian Teacher Training Program. Saydee’s father is concerned about one thing – he is unable to take his son to the health clinic as ChildFund used to do. “I do not have means to take my son to the treatment facility whenever he gets sick. It really worries me,” he says.

Social workers now conduct regular visits to the homes of all children who stayed at the Kelekula ICC to find out how they are coping with the loss of their loved ones and how they are getting along with their caregivers. ChildFund also distributes packages of clothes, mattresses, school materials, footwear, toiletries and food, such as rice and oil, to each child when reuniting them with their caregivers.

23-year-old mother-of-one, Decontee lives in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. She was studying a management degree at business college while her fiance and father of her child, Peter studied abroad in Ghana. In August Peter returned home for a short visit to see Decontee and their son. It was during this time that both he and Decontee contracted Ebola from Peter’s sick aunt.

One month later, and after spending three weeks in an Ebola treatment centre, Decontee is the only survivor. Her five-year-old son, who tested negative, is glad to have his mum back. But his father was not so fortunate, losing his life while undergoing treatment. Peter`s aunt`s four children have also died. So, it is not surprising that her father now calls her ‘Decontee the resurrected’.

Billy Abimbilla, ChildFund national director for Liberia and Sierra Leone, says: “Many people, including children, are dying. Some parts of Sierra Leone are under quarantine. There is a dusk to dawn curfew in Monrovia. Prices of basic household supplies like rice and oil are high. People are moving around in fear of being infected.”

Decontee’s immediate family, while lucky not to have contracted the illness, have suffered in other ways. Decontee explains: “In my absence, away from my mother and family, my people were stigmatised. No one would go around there. They found it difficult to buy food because everyone said their money was infected. My five-year-old son could not play with his friends because they were afraid he could spread the virus.”

The discrimination Decontee’s family suffered prompted her to use her immunity from the disease to help others.

“I don’t want what happened to my family to happen to anyone else,” says Decontee. “It is difficult for these children. Their parents came down with the virus, nobody wants them. As survivors we have an understanding of how to work with them.”

She is now one of the volunteers at Liberia’s first Interim Care Centre for Ebola orphans, established by ChildFund Liberia in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

“I can take good care of them because I’m no longer vulnerable to the disease,” she says. “As long as the kids are there, I will continue to work with them.”

Thank you to those who have already donated to ChildFund’s Ebola Emergency Appeal. Your generous support is helping to provide children who have lost everything with housing and meals, health monitoring, basic education, and trauma support.