URGENT / EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN
Thank you for Your support!
The needs are great and the work continues.
The outpouring of support for this campaign has been overwhelming. Your generosity and response allowed Ihsan Foundation to immediately tend to the needs of survivors of this disaster. As the government of Sierra Leone, international nongovernmental organizations, and the people of Sierra Leone continue to sort through this tragedy, Ihsan Foundation is looking to the ongoing and long term needs of survivors.
Help us provide emergency response where it's needed most!
Ihsan in Action & Your Donations at Work
As news broke of the disaster, Ihsan Foundation’s team in Sierra Leone were on-site consoling survivors and assessing their emergency needs. Blankets, used clothing, cash and food were immediately distributed by the Ihsan team. In the weeks after the disaster, Ihsan, with the help of international partners, was able to distribute hundreds of mattresses, clothing, household goods, and food to survivors who are now living in makeshift and temporary housing situations.
Ongoing Needs -- 20,000 displaced, 5,000 of them are children
CNN reports that close to 20,000 people, 5,000 of them children, have been displaced by the flooding and rains. As the rain continues, and survivors remain in temporary living situations, there are fears that cholera and malaria will overwhelm this already very vulnerable population. The government of Sierra Leone continues its efforts to account for those still missing and to craft a plan to move forward for survivors.
Often in disasters, it is women and children who feel the effects most acutely. Data is forthcoming, but it is estimated that there are significant numbers of children and widows who will need support in the coming months and years. The new school year starts mid-September. For children orphaned or displaced by the mudslide, immediate action must be taken to ensure these children are able to begin the school year with proper supplies, uniforms and their school fees covered. $20 per month sponsors the education of a child in Sierra Leone. For widows who lost their husbands in the disaster, there is an ongoing need to ensure safe shelter and opportunities for the women to become self-supporting.
In 2014, Ihsan Foundation responded to the Ebola Disease outbreak by providing life-saving educational programs and care for children. Ihsan continues to support 30 children who were orphaned due to Ebola. Stories of children orphaned by the mudslide are starting to emerge.
Ihsan plans to support children orphaned by the mudslide.
This support includes providing safe shelter, food, education and healthcare. Ongoing orphan sponsorship of $50.00 per month can cover these costs, as well as one time donations that can go toward expanding existing or building new orphanages. Widows can be supported through micro-lending programs to encourage entrepreneurship and the learning of new trades or skills. These costs vary depending on the type of skills being sought, or the type of small business.
Ihsan is also exploring ways to provide temporary housing for survivors. This housing might be in the form of a rented space or structures that could be built within a month and that would be semi-permanent as more long-term options materialize. We will continue to provide updates. Please keep survivors of this disaster in your thoughts and duas, and share this campaign with you friends, families, and communities.