‘Ebola Is A Shadow, An Inescapable Shadow — And It Doesn’t Seem To Move’
Amanda L. Chan
HuffingtonPost.com
09/27/2014
Justus Reeves, the executive secretary of the Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention (LBMEC), who is based in Monrovia, Liberia, and William R. Slocum, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Caldwell, Liberia, are on the front lines of the world’s worst Ebola outbreak. Because of the deadly outbreak, the LBMEC has donated bags of food to counties and a hospital in need, and also prepares and distributes meals to Ebola patients. We asked Reeves and Slocum to share what it’s really like to be in a country officially in a state of emergency.
HuffPost: Can you tell us more about what the LBMEC is, and how it is helping the people of Liberia during this time?
Reeves:: We are a fellowship of churches in Liberia, and we work together to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Republic of Liberia. And part of what we do is provide services to the Liberian people.
What is daily life like in Liberia right now, particularly for people who were already struggling to make ends meet before the Ebola outbreak, as well as people who may not be able to work right now because of the outbreak?
Reeves: Some people aren’t getting paid, and they can’t afford to buy food. Imagine: A teacher was out of school last June, and then we got into a State of Emergency, and there were school closures in July. So they’ve been without a salary since June. So it’s really difficult for people [in these situations] to cope at this time, and they need help. So giving somebody something like a bag of rice, or beans, gives people a sense of value at this time. It’s even worse for the poorest of the poor, who already didn’t have much and were struggling every day.
We are all afraid and living literally under a cloud. Ebola is a shadow, it’s an inescapable shadow — and it doesn’t seem to move. And so to build people’s esteem and give them a sense that they belong to a community that cares, is important.
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