Ebola, Ground Zero part 3: Flying into the Epicenter of Ebola—in to Forest Guinea. A personal Journey from Despair to Hope

Before I post these insights into what is actually happening on the front lines of Ebola— I feel it is important to put the story into context. The fact of the matter is that the best way to combat such scary outbreaks is to listen to the experts, have compassion for the affected and treat people who engage in containment with utmost respect. Voicing fearful and ignorant opinions is what makes containment and solutions so much more difficult. The fact of the matter is that Stupidparty leaders and disciples do not understand the importance of facts and look down their noses at empathy or community outreach. I estimate that 47% of the electorate would have voted for Donald Trump. These are the real moochers, surviving off the efforts of people focused on dealing with problems of the present rather than fantasizing about the problems of the past.

The real irony and lesson is that the fears that confront aid workers in Guinea Forest are similar to fears promoted by Donald Trump and all his supporters.

After my trip to the field, I will admit that I was looking forward to coming back to Conakry. As beautiful as Forest Guinea is, it was challenging not to have running water and clean sheets. But I am very glad that I went. It was interesting and necessary to put everything into perspective.

I was accompanying a cameraman, Leo, who was contracted by WFP to take some photo and video footage of WFP activities in the three most affected countries, Guinea was his last mission. A very interesting guy, who has lived all over the world and worked as a foreign correspondent for two years in Baghdad. He was really good fun and easy going so he was a good companion in the field.

It started with boarding the 19 seater aircraft (managed by WFP) where we had to be weighed beforehand. The flight took an hour and a half and I realised just as I sat down that I hadn’t kissed the plane (something Granny does for good luck which I now have to do every time I fly) so I was sitting ridged for the whole journey. Actually, it was a surprisingly smooth flight. We had to wear face masks, which was quite a funny image. Not that Ebola is airborne, but it is just to cover all measures for any other airborne diseases. It was incredible to see the dense forest of palm trees as we came to land.

First we went to the WFP sub office (there are 5 in total in Guinea) and met some of the field staff who work endless hours, every day of the week and are still full of spirit. We attended a distribution to a quarantine village which provided enough food to feed 40 people. I felt uncomfortable wearing plastic gloves and a face mask, as if I was judging the village and stigmatising them but they are protection measures that have to be taken. Saying that, no one was judging me and everyone was smiley and friendly and wanted their photo taken. It was encouraging to see some families wash their hands with chlorine before collecting their rations.

Leo interviewed the Chief of the village who cried as he explained he had lost four children. It started to all feel very real.

The following day we visited the final construction of the first WFP built Treatment Centre (of which there will be four in total) which will eventually be run by the NGO Alima. It truly is amazing how it has been built in the middle of nowhere,  how all the material has arrived there, how the workers keep going in the heat and it has only taken a month. This time it felt very surreal, as if I were walking around in a film set. It became operational on Saturday and will eventually have 100 beds.

We then hit the road again for a two hour drive to another treatment centre run by MSF. We saw the food being prepared. WFP provides three hot meals a day to the patients in the treatment centres, as well as to their families and contact cases. The meals consist of liquid foods, such as rice with sauce and porridge. Afterwards we visited the orphanage next door. It was too difficult, I think the saddest I’ve ever felt. I didn’t want the children to see me upset. I won’t forget the image of baby Marie and it breaks my heart thinking about her. She had lost all her family to Ebola. But the children are being well looked after, by wonderful doctors who cuddled and fed them and the area was colourful and full of toys and what is most important is that they are not forgotten.

We were then back on the road for another four hours to Gueckedou, what we decided felt like the end of the world. This is when the road condition started to get really bad. The first half hour I found it funny and by the end I almost wanted to cry. When you step out of the car you feel like you’ve just completed a marathon bike ride. Your shoulders and legs ached so much, bruised from hitting the side of the car! But the whole way I was fixated out the window, at the beautiful dense forest (tried to spot monkeys!) and everyone waving and smiling at the car.

It was in Gueckedou where the first outbreak was discovered. It’s not a very big  town. WFP have another office here, set up in response of Ebola as well as a guest house, which is where we stayed. Very basic with no electricity and a two day bucket supply of water. Chickens roamed around scratching in piles of rubbish, everywhere you looked there were goats with plastic caught on their hooves, up to four people packed on motorbikes with babies squashed in between, children tugging empty cans of sardines along on string or makeshift kites out of plastic bags, lots of smiling and curious faces, and funny English slogan t-shirts and ski jackets!

Leo had a drone which was fun and we took it out to the forest. It looks like a space ship and some kids were hiding in a bush watching us. They must have been so curious! When I tried to approach them they ran away. We went through a village where they were not sure about the white vehicle. At least three people ran away from us, dropping their buckets and hid in the bush. It’s a real worry because this resistance is still a big problem. There are still many who believe that is is a manmade disease and a rumour spread that WFP food is poisonous. Leo was surprised to see that Conakry, and most of the forest region (south east) is still busy and bustling. Markets are still taking place and restaurants and bars are still open. In Liberia and Sierra Leone, he felt everywhere was deserted.

One thing I have to mention is the cooked ground that they were selling at the market. Apparently pregnant women crave it!

 “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
I have seen a Christmas tree in the hotel, but I couldn’t feel further away from Christmas! I will start to play Christmas songs in the office this week.

 I am a keen runner but since being in Guinea I have managed one run and I will not repeat it. I had to concentrate on not spraining my ankle or being hit by a car whilst stopping dust getting in my eyes, and on top of that breathing in the car fumes, I think it probably did more harm than good.

The training bought together 25 colleagues from offices around West Africa. There were colleagues from Sierra Leone and Liberia too and twice a day, as per usual, we were taken out of the class to have our temperature taken. On the first day, when everyone shook hands to introduce themselves, the three of us didn’t.

People wanted to know what it is like working for WFP in the Ebola affected countries and it made me aware of how quickly you can get used to a routine, because having your temperature checked and washing your hands with chlorine up to 4 times a day isn’t the most normal of routines! My colleague here was refused entry into a shop because her temperature was 38 degrees. We walked around a bit, came back and it was down to 37 so they let us in. But what I had to clear up was that we do not see people dying in the street or bodies left by terrified families. Even though one of the Ebola treatment centres is a stone’s throw from the office in Conakry, the city doesn’t look like it’s been taken over by a terrifying and deadly epidemic. Life goes on as it must, with kids running in and out of cars and motorcycles, teenagers holding up traffic by playing football in the road, men talking on street corners and women washing clothes and peeling potatoes outside their house.

I was interested in how their office works, how do they get to work, do they have power cuts and running water, can they take a taxi, and whether they have supermarkets and what they eat! I have to admit I have been absorbed by news only related to Ebola and what the training bought back home was that there are so many other crises in the world and so many countries in need…

It is mid December (and I haven’t heard one Christmas song!) I remember when I arrived, I wondered how I would find the energy to stay here. It’s been such a roller-coaster of emotions and although time has gone quickly, three months in an emergency has felt a lot longer than in normal life. It has felt a bit like a sink-or-swim situation and I have been sleep deprived (I say as I am writing this at 4:30am on a saturday morning) and snappy at family at home. Sorry Dad! It has been emotionally and physically exhausting but believe me I have laughed a lot. Every day brings new stories to tell and new memories that I will carry for years to come.

I have met so many incredible people from all over the world and from all backgrounds. My colleagues are so dedicated, working late in to the evenings and throughout the weekend. The national staff are always smiling and have been welcoming to the influx of new staff. The bonds that are formed working together in intense situations are very powerful and I believe these friendships I have formed will be long lasting. I am inspired by their determination, ingenuity and resourcefulness and I count myself very lucky to experience working with WFP here.

And December also marks a year since the first case of Ebola was recorded in Guinea. No caring for the ill and no handling of the dead, Ebola is a disease that destroys people’s ability to be human.

I feel more optimistic than when I arrived in September with things getting under control but there is still a lot of work to be done. I will return to Guinea in the new year and hope that when the time comes for me to leave, the situation will only be better. And to end on a quote from one of my favourite films, Shawshank Redemption, “hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”