Dubai Cares chief executive Tariq Al Gurg in Sierra Leone. Photo courtesy Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares chief executive Tariq Al Gurg in Sierra Leone. Photo courtesy Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares chief executive Tariq Al Gurg in Sierra Leone. Photo courtesy Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares chief executive Tariq Al Gurg in Sierra Leone. Photo courtesy Dubai Cares

How Sierra Leone is rebuilding after the disaster of Ebola


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Despite recent progress in development and education, Sierra Leone remains one of the poorest countries in the world, according to the UN Human Development Index. The Ebola virus wreaked havoc in this environment and claimed thousands of lives in just two years.

The social and economic consequences of the Ebola outbreak extended beyond the immediate tragedy as the country’s economy suffered enormously. Daily life for the ordinary Sierra Leonean came to a halt, trade slowed dramatically and goods and services became scarce.

The tragedy also moved beyond city dwellers, as the UNDP estimates the percentage of farmers impacted to be 63.6 per cent. The negative impact on farmers was then translated to food insecurity for the nation as a whole.

Many schools were closed all over Sierra Leone to mitigate the risk of transmission.

Closure periods were approximately nine months during the crisis, leaving nearly 1.8 million children without access to comprehensive education, stalling their learning, and threatening the future growth and potential of Sierra Leone’s future generations. According to Unicef, Ebola claimed the lives of 181 teachers and 945 students.

Additionally, the Ebola crisis swiftly and dramatically reversed the improvements made in education services since the country’s 1991-2002 Civil War.

The improvements mainly addressed expansion in education services and eliminating education access barriers. To compensate for the missed learning opportunities, Sierra Leone schools opened in 2015 with an accelerated curriculum to shorten the duration of academic years.

To address this pressing issue, Dubai Cares launched Education in Emergencies: Evidence for Action (3EA), a programme in partnership with the International Rescue Committee.

The programme aims to strengthen the quality of education by improving teaching methodologies, ways to monitor and mentor staff, and reinforcing teaching styles that improve classroom performance. It includes a set of eight core competencies such as varying instruction methods to suit the learner, creating an intellectually stimulating classroom environment, using positive communication techniques (encouraging students, creating a sense of belonging, and promoting positive social relationships), along with effective collaboration with parents, community and other stakeholders.

Barnadetta Sheriff, a head teacher in Gerihun, notes: “This programme is very necessary. I now feel I am able to handle a lot of management issues in a much more professional way. Also, as the head teacher, core competencies will really help me in assessing myself and my teachers. My collaboration with the community will also become more solid and I hope this programme will grow from strength to strength with our full involvement.”

This programme reinforces the concepts of reflection and accountability to make learning more effective in schools. It helped set in place a steady course of recovery from the Ebola crisis as it allowed children to return to their education in an improved learning environment.

Andrew Christian Gbao, a head teacher in Yamandu, describes the ways in which increased school management has led to greater student success: “We now have the skills to manage our schools well, and are able to collaborate better with the community. This will make our work easier. The Dubai Cares programme has arrived at the right time, as an efficient and improved learning environment will help children continue their education after the Ebola crisis”.

International Rescue Committee is a humanitarian aid and development organisation

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
  • Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

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