FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Betsy Edwards
(804)756-2722
BEdwards@ChildFund.org
RICHMOND, Va. (Nov. 19, 2014) – ChildFund International sent its third flight carrying critically needed medical supplies – this time to Sierra Leone – to directly support ChildFund’s Kelekula Interim Care Center (KICC) for children affected by Ebola. ChildFund was the first organization to open an interim care center for children in Liberia and has expanded the centers to Sierra Leone. Kelekula means “willing heart” in the Kpelle language.
The flight included generous donations from several companies and nonprofit partners. Kaz USA, Inc., a manufacturer of Braun thermometers, donated non-contact thermometers. Non-contact thermometers have been referred to as the “unicorn” of the Ebola crisis, because they are among the most in-demand pieces of equipment for detection of Ebola.
“In addition to medical protection gear, we’re seeking a range of supplies that will help contain the spread of the Ebola virus. This includes thermometers for hospitals and clinics to use in detecting fever, an early sign of infection,” says Billy Abimbilla, ChildFund’s national director for Liberia and Sierra Leone. “Digital stick thermometers and others requiring skin contact are discarded after each use, which is why non-contact thermometers, such as these from Braun, are in such high demand.”
Procter & Gamble not only supplied funding to support the development of the KICCs, but also donated Duracell batteries to keep the thermometers running.
The DripDrop Foundation donated the first good-tasting, medical-grade oral rehydration solution to help combat dehydration.
MedShare donated enough hospital beds to support an entire KICC facility.
The transport of these supplies is possible because of ChildFund’s other nonprofit partners, AIRLINK and GotLift.
To learn more about ChildFund’s response to the Ebola crisis, please visit www.ChildFund.org/Ebola_emergency.
ChildFund International is a global child development and protection agency serving more than 18.2 million children and family members in 30 countries. For 75 years, we have helped the world's deprived, excluded and vulnerable children survive and thrive to reach their full potential and become leaders of enduring change. As a member of ChildFund Alliance, we create supportive environments in which children can flourish. For more information about ChildFund, visit www.ChildFund.org.