Sensitivity to Healthcare? We’re trying our hand.

Bobo Dioulasso is the second city of Burkina Faso, the closest to Bamako, capital of Mali, where some cases of Ebola had been detected. There is a dynamic social and economic relationship between the two cities, with a continual movement of people and merchandise. “We need to act urgently to reduce at best the risk of the virus reaching also Burkina – wrote the Ebola awareness team of the Focolare Movement in Bobo Dioulasso. We practically had to inform as many people as possible on the preventive measures, but the political situation in the country is such that government interventions are not always possible.”

“So we decided to act on our own. Félicité is a volunteer epidemiological doctor at the Healthcare Organisation for West Africa (OOAS). Her specific role is to train the healthcare practitioners in fighting epidemic outbreaks, since she herself has worked in countries like Guinea Conakry, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Félicité immediately offered her services.”

“The first thing we thought of doing was to notify the Bishop who was not in town at that time. We then went to speak to the Vicar Genera”l, Abbé Sylvestre, who assured us of the full support of the diocese, and in exhorting the clergy and faithful about the necessary precautionary measures to take. Carlo, a focolarino doctor of the dispensary of Mariapolis Victoria (Man) of the Ivory Coast, sent us some audiovisuals which we copied for the various youth and adult groups that would work for the awareness campaign. We also sent this material to a priest and a teacher in two other cities (Dedougou and Toussiana), interested in our campaign. Félicité took charge of forming groups, with the help of 15 students of the western countries of Africa sent by the OOAS, some of whom are Muslims.”

“The campaign started in November 2014, but before that was already taken up during the meetings of the Focolare Movement. Campaigning was done in parishes in order to expand towards the various districts, and during a big youth meet organised by the diocese of Bobo Dioulasso itself. On Sundays we went to speak also in the churches. We spoke in a private radio broadcast, and in those of the national and also diocesan radios, in the three languages spoken: French, Dioula and Moré.”

“This campaign gave us the opportunity to meet many people. When Jean-Bernard explained to his neighbours what he wanted to do in the district, everyone offered help: some attended to the amplifiers, some invited a singer to entertain, another took care of the transport of the material and others brought water to drink. At the presentation there were about 200 people. Word spread also to the neighbouring districts and Jean-Bernard had to repeat the program several times. In one of these occasions, a professional nurse offered to answer the questions of the audience. In another meeting, an expert of local tongues came and was an excellent translator. The officers of the Town Hall, who had given the permit for these meetings, expressed their gratitude for all this.»

“In the meantime, we heard from Mali that the disease had been overcome. So the risk had been drastically reduced. The important thing now is to continue to comply with the preventive measures. It was a great opportunity to learn to work together for our people. We must continue.”