Filling in the Gaps, More Than Me Supporting the Supporters in the Fight against Ebola

[Emily]

http://www.liberianobserver.com/news/filling-gaps-more-me-supporting-supporters-fight-against-ebola

Filling in the Gaps, More Than Me Supporting the Supporters in the Fight against Ebola
Thu, 10/16/2014 - 00:16 admin
By: Yewa Sandy

More Than Me (MTM), run by award winning Katie Meyler, has been doing more than expected in the fight against Ebola.

Since her ambulance service picked up last month, (MTM) has overseen dozens of sick rushed to the hospital, quarantined homes fed, the government supplied, orphaned children cared for and those involved in handling infected Ebola victims protected. Many lives have been saved as a result.

?We?re just doing all we can to make sure we save lives and help people,? Katie stated while rushing a sick family to Redemption hospital...

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2gveuo/im_katie_meyler_founderceo_of_more_than_me/

I'm Katie Meyler, Founder/CEO of More Than Me, working to fight Ebola in West Point, Liberia. AMA.

submitted 1 day ago * by morethanme1

Thank you for all your questions! I've got to run. I'm always posting stories on my instagram if you want to know more about what we're doing: http://www.instagram.com/katiemeyler

I?m the Founder/CEO of More Than Me, a nonprofit helping girls get off the street and into school in West Point, Liberia. West Point is the slum that was quarantined earlier in this Ebola outbreak. We had to shut down our school July 31st, but I returned to Liberia in August and turned our school into a headquarters for supplies. Working with all partners on the ground to coordinate an effective Ebola response for West Point. Ask Me Anything. *Disclaimer: Emily, MTM's Marketing & Development Manager, is typing for me in case the internet in Liberia goes out.

This is me: https://twitter.com/katiemeyler/status/512999288935178240

How are folks in the community treating people who contracted Ebola and survived? Are they stigmatized? Are any of the survivors now working to stop the spread of the disease?

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[?]morethanme1 4 points 1 day ago

We know of one woman named Finda whose whole family died but she survived Ebola. Yes, there's definitely a stigma for survivors. More Than Me wanted to hire Finda for the awareness team but she didn't feel comfortable being in West Point anymore because of the stigma.

I don't see anyone working to change this right now. There are dead bodies and sick bodies everywhere. Right now, people and workers are afraid. The main services happening at the moment are that sick people are being brought to holding centers and dead bodies are being picked up to be cremated. All the ETUs and the one holding center are full right now. (ETU = Ebola Treatment Center)

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[?]tempo9 5 points 1 day ago

How are you ensuring your own safety? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/front...ak/ebola-educators-reported-killed-in-guinea/

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[?]morethanme1 4 points 1 day ago

I'm not touching people, washing my hands constantly, washing my clothes in chlorox. But the main thing I can do is not touch anyone.

In response to Guinea, that's so awful and tragic.

West Point and Capital Hill, the two neighborhoods we're working, treat us like family. I don't feel at risk at all being there. The community protects us. I feel like the bond between me and these communities of Liberia is magical right now...