Aid for West Africa Part 1

Thodé Resource Center

In November 2014, on the initiative of Lufthansa’s flying personnel, an appeal for donations to help the areas of West Africa affected by Ebola was launched. 24,000 euros were collected through the help alliance’s emergency aid project.

At the same time, the help alliance project management team began researching suitable measures. In the end, two project plans were defined which we would like to present in 2 parts.

The association Aragua e.V. – the reference came from an LH member of the association – works in Liberia together with the Tohdé Resource Center, a day care center with an affiliated training program for underage mothers.

Asked about the needs during the peak of the Ebola outbreak, Pauline Kwabo, founder and director of the Thodé Resource Center in the Chugbor/Old Road district, did not have to think long. “Free disinfectant and educational materials are needed for the families of the 180 children we care for”.

In supplying disinfectant to the 180 families, Pauline Kwabo discovered that the remaining residents also needed disinfectant. This led to the idea of a poly tank with disinfectants and comics for Ebola prevention

This proved to be an ingenious measure. “There hasn’t been a single case of Ebola in the community to date! Thank you for making this possible”, said Joseph Kerlulah, Community Leader of the Chughbor district, on the occasion of the visit of Patricia Hofmann of Aragua e.V. The polytank strategy has now been adopted by many other districts.

At the same time, the Tohdé Resource Center has developed a homeschooling program to ensure that teaching continues despite school closure. This is a unique concept in Liberia, with learning and exercise sheets issued and evaluated weekly.

This innovative concept, however, had another effect that nobody had expected before. The district has moved closer together and is now jointly planning new ways of accessing more educational facilities.