Licking Lassa Fever in Sierra Leone

Red Cross in Sierra Leone

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:31:33 +0000

Sierra Leone Community Based Health Care Programme

Autumn 2009 Update

Working for the Red Cross

A first report of activity demonstrates just how important this project is to the people of Sierra Leone. The key points are:

The CBH programme helps villages prevent Lassa Fever through simple, effective, low-cost interventions;
Particular focus is given to HIV and AIDS, water and sanitation, hygiene promotion and public health in emergencies, as well as Lassa Fever;
Staff and volunteers conduct home visits, peer education, community mobilisation, immunisation campaigns and construction of water and sanitation facilities; Mother and Child Health is also a key area;
The concept of ‘community mobilisation’ is central to the success of Red Cross health projects. Red Cross volunteers help establish community groups who take responsibility for sharing knowledge and implementing changes in their villages. This ownership of the work by the communities ensures sustainability of the projects.

Kamboma village in the Kenema District is already seeing the benefits of Red Cross education about Lassa Fever

“One night everyone in the village was screaming and crying. One of the community members was really ill and there was no transportation to take them to the hospital, which is far away from here. We sent someone on foot to send a message that there is a serious problem here. Thank God the message reached them and they reacted,” said an Elder in the village. “Questions then come of what we do in respect of this outbreak. Some people are in serious pain. Some passed away. We thought of the food we are eating and the water we are drinking. Then someone from the Red Cross come to educate us.”

Clinic in Kamboma

Red Cross volunteers have visited Kamboma many times to teach the local people about Lassa Fever and how to prevent it spreading.

Download the full report of current activities across Sierra Leone.

Zip Wire challenge

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:55:33 +0000

Intrepid sky treckers

Taking off...

Eight members from 5 clubs (Newport, Neath, Brecon, Cardiff and Swansea) accepted the Sponsored Sky Trek Charity Day challenge….had a great day out, conquered their fear of heights and one intrepid participant completed all 5 zip wires, after climbing the pole!!! They raised over £1330.00 as well…many thanks if you sponsored them. To see all the photos go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/activityuk/sets/72157622395549789/

Reaching the heights...

Flying high!

Brecon Canal walk

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:31:38 +0000

Some walkers at the start....

Along the way...

Looking forward to tea....

Members of SI Cardiff and Brecon clubs enjoyed an invigorating walk along the Brecon Canal. The weather was dry and not too hot. After the walk an excellent tea was enjoyed at President Rhina’s home – provided by SI Brecon members. A most enjoyable way of raising money for the project. Thanks to all who took part and their sponsors.

£25000 donation sent

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:36:30 +0000

We are working in partnership with the Red Cross to help provide communities in Sierra Leone with clean water facilities, latrines, tools and seeds. An education programme is also to be delivered which will teach local people how to prevent and detect Lassa Fever and other diseases such as malaria and TB, as well as what to do should they become infected. Key messages will be delivered via the radio, awareness-raising events, community meetings, local clubs and home visits. Volunteers will also be trained in how to respond to such diseases.

“We are very grateful for the support of the Soroptimists. Your donations will enable life-saving work to take place. Thank you,” said Emmanuel Tommy, secretary general of the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society.

The Red Cross Community Based Health Project in Sierra Leone will improve the health of 68,000 vulnerable people living in 170 communities through the provision of improved water and sanitation, health education and women and child services. (See http://www.redcross.org.uk/standard.asp?id=93307)

“Please pass on our sincere thanks to your colleagues for all of your Licking Lassa Fever fundraising efforts. As you know, this programme would not be possible without the generous support of donors. We are enormously grateful for your long-term support. Your recent grant of £25,000 will help us make a real difference to the lives of people in Sierra Leone.

However, we need to raise a further £145,000 if we are to provide all of these communities with the clean water facilities, latrines and education they need in order to prevent Lassa Fever and other diseases. Please help us save lives by giving all you can,” said James Boyle, major donor manager at the British Red Cross.

We have raised £62,873 towards the project so far, via a variety of fundraising events, including the recycling of unwanted jewellery, which has generated over £11,000 towards the total. Further grants will be made in 2010 and 2011, subject to satisfactory quarterly reports from the Red Cross. You can support this project by using the links on this site at the ‘Ways to help’ page.

Zip wire challenge

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:24:11 +0000

From this....

….to this!!

LICKING LASSA FEVER CHALLENGE

Have You Got The Courage To Join Us On A Zipwire?

3^rd October 2009

Two years ago Nerys Lines and Dee Jenkins, flew off a Welsh mountain to support Licking Lassa Fever by doing a sponsored paraglide. At the time several supporters of our Regional Project voiced a desire to join them if they did something as challenging. Well now is your opportunity. On October 3^rd they are asking you to join them on a zipwire at Llangorse, near Brecon. There is an entry fee of £20 to cover costs and we are asking you to raise a minimum of £50 in sponsorship. If you are unable to join us perhaps you would like to sponsor them.

Come and join us in the beautiful Brecon Beacons if you dare.

Entry forms and sponsorship forms are available from:

zip@licking-lassa-fever.org.uk

Please return by Friday 25^th September.

Photographs and video available at www.activityuk.com

Helping hand in battle against disease

admin — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:46:15 +0000

Pictured is Dr Richmond (left) with President Margaret Meeney.

Published Date: 17 June 2009 Chesterfield Soroptimists are backing a nationwide campaign to help people suffering from disease in Africa.
Dr Kay Richmond, from the Cardiff branch of Soroptimist International, told Chesterfield members about her work as a country medical co-ordinator in Sierra Leone.

She gave an illustrated talk about lassa fever, a viral disease carried by rats infecting about one million people every year which is spread by contaminated food and water supplies.

A total of £57,000 has already been raised nationally, of which £10,000 has been raised from unwanted jewellery to support the charity ‘Licking Lassa Fever’.

Chesterfield president Margaret Meeney has co-ordinated the collection of broken and unwanted jewellery from fellow Soroptimists, retail outlets, hotels and leisure centres and the people of Chesterfield in general.

The charity is aiming to raise a total of £200,000 to transform the lives of the people in Sierra Leone by providing latrines, wells, food and water containers,tools and seeds, community workers and education materials.

Dr Richmond thanked Margaret and the people of Chesterfield for their continuing support.

Newsletter May 2009

admin — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:53:54 +0000

Welcome to our sixth e-newsletter.

Achievements Update:

Our current balance is £51375.80 (as at 22nd April 2009). An increase of £9375 since the last newsletter.
Visit to Sierre Leone – the planned January 2009 visit to Sierre Leone went ahead, but minus Kay Richmond, so we were very thankful to Jackie Mosedale for joining Carwen on the trip at very short notice. See http://licking-lassa-fever.org.uk/?p=402 for a report.
Letter of Agreement – A formal agreement with the British Red Cross has been signed. We will be transferring the first payment in August 2009, as requested by the SLRCS. There will be subsequent payments in 2010 and 2011, subject to satisfactory project reports. The programme is the Community Based Health Care Programme (http://www.redcross.org.uk/standard.asp?id=93307), just starting in Sierra Leone but to see how it works go to the link for Liberia which is next door to Sierra Leone. LF will be part of the programme in SL.
Schools Pack - Sue Walker from Port Talbot Club has come forward to help us create a schools pack. We will be meeting with her soon – if you would like to help please let us know, using the contact form at the foot of the page.

PR Highlights:

Cherry Wright, President SI Cardiff – Sponsored Walk. Cherry has done it!! What an achievement – and her hard work has raised over £1000 so far – there is more to come. Thank you Cherry.- A press release detailing her efforts is available – see http://licking-lassa-fever.org.uk/?p=501.

Making a Difference:

SI Cardiff and President Cherry Wright – WNO at Gilbys. All tickets for this event in July 2009 have been sold. It looks like it will be a great social evening and will boost our funds further.
Ann Thomas of SI Cardiff attended a Soroptimist meeting in Malta recently and talked briefly to the members about LLF. The members were very interested and have graciously given her half a carrier bag of jewellery to add to the cache!!
Jewellery – this continues to be a great money-spinner and we are sure that more jewellery will arrive. So far it has raised over £10,000. We believe that we can raise more from this simple, but effective activity. So if you have not asked your family, friends, neighbours or colleagues yet, then please do so. Another idea is to ask local hotels, leisure centres and businesses to collect for us – lost property can be donated after a 3-month waiting period.

Sponsorship and Grants: If you know of anyone we should approach and can help us to do that then please get in touch via the contact form.

Grant Giving Bodies – We continue to look for grant-giving bodies we can approach for support. Do you know anyone we can contact? Or do you work for a corporate body, which would support our project? An appeal letter is available to send to local businesses and organisations seeking sponsorship – see Downloads.

Practical Points:

Website – We are always looking for photos and news snippets to add to the site so please send items to Kay Richmond.
Flyers and Posters – These are now available electronically for you to produce for your own activities – see Downloads.
Gift Aid - please remember Gift Aid when raising money for us – see Downloads.
Books – We continue to sell second hand books, and have introduced second hand DVDs &CDs at our Regional Meetings – is this something you could do for us?
Goods for sale on Ebay – we are selling good quality on Ebay with all monies going to LLF. Please bring your good quality clothes (such as Windsmoor, Elvi, Jaegar, Per Una) to future Regional Meetings or become a Community Seller – http://pages.ebay.co.uk/ebayforcharity/sell.html. Please note that any items received by Region, which we cannot sell on Ebay, will be sent to a local charity shop.

Money for LLF via the web – at no cost to you:

Help us to raise up to £40,000 via http://www.thebiggive.org.uk/millionmatch/index.php
Search the web and raise money for Licking Lassa Fever (SIWS Health Education & Hygiene Trust) with Everyclick.
- Join me: http://www.everyclick.com/kayrichmond
Find our webshop at www.buy.at/LLF (please bookmark this link for future use) – commissions to LLF from stores such as M&S, John Lewis, Amazon, HMV.
http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/ – another way to shop and browse – including holiday offers.
http://www.buyoncegivetwice.co.uk
http://www.cleversquirrel.com/htmlFiles/index.php
http://www.fx4charity.com/ – minimum £250 currency exchange
http://www.pricebyprice.com/default.aspx – comparison of financial products
http://www.emptycartridge.co.uk/ – for empty inkjet cartridges;
http://www.envirocharities.com/charity/how-it-works/ – for recycling mobile phones.

Listing of LLF: -

http://search.guidestar.org.uk/cgi-bin/search?v:sources=GS_Search&query=1119339

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?chyno=1119339

Past Fundraising ideas include:

*Using LLF as your wedding present list
*In lieu of birthday or Christmas presents
* Inviting members and friends to a Charity Lunch at your house
* Strawberry Tea
* Holding a cookery demonstration
* Arranging a sponsored slim
* Arranging a sponsored climb
* Arranging a sponsored abseil or paraglide
*Arranging a Moneypath
* Remembering to look for matched funding when you hold an event
* Obtaining Gift Aid adds to the coffers*

Local woman completes Everest Adventure in aid of Licking Lassa Fever and British Red Cross

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:58:57 +0000

Cherry & sister Susie at Tengbosche

Intrepid local woman, Cherry Wright, 64, has returned home after a challenging expedition to Everest base camp. She tackled freezing temperatures and altitude sickness in order to make the journey 17,600ft above sea level.

The trek was completed in order to raise money for Licking Lassa Fever, a project run by the Wales South region of the Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI). Lassa Fever is a viral disease, carried by rats, which kills thousands of people across west Africa each year.

All monies raised for the Licking Lassa Fever project will be donated to the British Red Cross Community Based Health Project in Sierra Leone, which is providing clean water supplies, latrines and health education, among other things, to local communities in the region.

Cherry Wright, local resident and President of the Soroptimist International Cardiff & District Club, said: “I am convinced that providing potable water, latrines, environmental programmes and seeds to grow food will help decrease the incidence of Lassa Fever as well as other water mediated diseases such as Cholera and malaria. Through the provision of these facilities to local communities in Sierra Leone, the British Red Cross project will be making a very big difference to the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

Cherry at Base-camp

“Climbing to base camp was an extraordinary experience, made even more special by the magnificent scenery surrounding us. However, it was exhausting work. All the training in the gym and on the Malvern Hills didn’t prepare me for the reduction in oxygen and consequent breathlessness. And while I wasn’t expecting luxury, the facilities in the final stages didn’t make completing the climb any easier: The loo was a communal hole in the ground, the communal shower was freezing, and the beds were covered with a duvet and pillow that looked like they hadn’t been washed for a very long time”.

To date, £45,000 has been raised to support the project. However, a further £135,000 is still needed.

“The British Red Cross Community Based Health Project in Sierra Leone aims to improve the health of 68,000 vulnerable people living in 170 communities. However, we urgently need to raise more funds if we are to provide all the communities with the clean water facilities and latrines they need in order to prevent Lassa Fever and other diseases,” said Christine Tokar, programme support manager for Africa at the British Red Cross.

The public is being urged to help the project by making a donation at www.everyclick.com/kayrichmond

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Cherry Wright climbed to Everest South Base Camp between 26 March and 12 April 2009. The South Base Camp is located in Nepal at an altitude of 17,600ft (5,360 metres). Photographs are attached.

2. Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI) is one of four federations of Soroptimist International (SI), which is a worldwide organisation for women in management and professions, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. For more information, visit www.soroptimist-gbi.co.uk and www.soroptimistinternational.org/

3. The Cardiff and District Club is a branch of the Wales South Region of SIGBI. For more information, visit http://soroptimist-gbi.co.uk/wales-south/

4. Licking Lassa Fever is the regional project of the Wales South Region of SIGBI. The Soroptimist International Wales South Health Education and Hygiene Trust (SIWSHEHT), is working in partnership with the Red Cross and the World Health Organisation. Find out more at http://licking-lassa-fever.org.uk/

5. Lassa Fever is a viral disease that is carried by rats. Infected rats spread the virus by contaminating food and water supplies with their droppings and urine. The disease kills thousands of people in Sierra Leone every year and leaves 30 per cent of those who survive deaf.

6. The British Red Cross Community Based Health Project in Sierra Leone will improve the health of 68,000 vulnerable people living in 170 communities through the provision of improved water and sanitation, health education and women and child services.

Almost home…

admin — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:48:17 +0000

The runway at Lukla is so short it felt like taking off from an aircraft carrier, but we made it, as you see, so I’m now back in Kathmandu again.

The last couple of days trekking were totally knackering. Our guide had doubled up 4 of the days on the way up to 2 days on the way down, on the basis that going down would be quicker. I can only say that for every down bit there seemed to be a compensating up bit and when we crawled into Lukla after yet another 9 hour walk, I was on my knees. However, I’m now much restored, just a hacking cough left over from all the dust thrown up by the yaks on the trek.

This is my opportunity to say thank you so much to everyone who sponsored me (I’ve even had 10 pounds from one of the members of our trekking group!) and to everyone who has sent me messages as I progressed. It was such a kind thought and really helped to keep me going.