Thank God MRU is in Australia
The Mano River Union (MRU) is an organisation that comprises of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia in the West Africa subregion. These three countries share common borders with each state. They also share common ideology, especially in terms of trade or goods and services movement for the benefit of the three countries’ citizens. Therefore, because of such ideology, when one sniffs the others catches fresh cold, particularly because of their geographical proximity. For example when Guinea became the first affected Ebola virus disease country, it was very quick to spill all over to the other two sister countries, which are Sierra Leone and Liberia. (Photo: Amadu Bah)
In view of that, during the pick of the outbreak of the killer disease, Ebola Virus, Sierra Leoneans in Australia, especially Sydney, decided to call their MRU brothers and sisters to form a branch of the organisation, so that they would be able to assist as a team in the three sister countries in the fight against Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
The current Chairperson of the MRU in Australia is Mr. Amadu Bah. Mr. Bah was a journalist in Sierra Leone. He reported for many newspapers, especially as Sport reporter, including the onetime most outstanding newspapers in the country, Expo Times. Now it is in online manage by one of its own former reporter, Bai Bai Sesay as Editor. Later Mr. Bah became the Editor of the now defunct Messenger newspaper.
Through the patriotic and nationalist good leadership of Mr. Bah and his able members from all the three countries, they were able to make the organisation’s dream a reality in Australia, particularly Sydney, by organising a well-attended fund raising dinner to raise funds for the three suffering countries on the 17th April 2015.
The purpose of such event was to support the two countries in the fight against the ghost disease called Ebola Virus disease that was destroying the precious lives of the citizens of the three states. The fund raising dinner was supported by many different main stream organizations, in Australia, including Auburn Migrant Resource Centre (MRC), now known as Auburn Diversity Services (ADSI), Australia Red Cross in Sydney and Bantal.
In Mr Bah’s opening speech during the fund raising dinner, he welcomed and thanked all those who made the occasion a success, especially those who put aside their valuable time to support their worthy cause. “As we have just witnessed the faces of young desperate children, mothers, and families in these counties, who today, or months or even years to come needs our help. We all know that Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia are in desperate economic conditions as Ebola not only caused death but crippled their economy whilst these countries are just from one of the worst civil war in the world”, he narrated.
He pointed out that the three Ebola Virus Disease affected countries have too many problems; particularly poor medical facilities; poor medical caring system and such conditions were part of the cause of high rate of infants’ death and the outbreak of the unknown and unexpected Ebola disease in the three sister countries. He appealed to the different organizations and members present to continue their relentless support to MRU to assist them in supporting their people back home.
Mr. Sajoh Bah who was also very instrumental for the success of the occasion also thanked all the organisations that supported the dinner fund raising nigh, especially the Auburn Diversity Services which he is a board member for their relentless support. He said that for service providers to be more effective in engaging the diverse communities, they have to demonstrate their genuineness, confidence and wiliness to work together as a team to build up the capacity of the communities. “End “Ebola for Life Project” is a classic example of how settlement services that are in the room to night are demonstrating, to show that they are always willing and ready to support the diverse communities. And on behalf of ADSI, I thank you for your time and resources in helping accomplished this project” he added.
Mr. Bah pointed out that the main three affected countries have many orphans whose futures are completely dark because many of them have lost their parents and carers to Ebola virus. Therefore, everybody should put more effort in trying to eradicate the Ebola disease in order to give more hope to the orphans of the three countries, he emphasised. “Ebola fight is not a one man or country business, because it has become a worldwide issue, therefore there is a need for every one of us to come on board in the battle against the killer disease, Ebola, he concluded.”
By Tony Bee, Sydney Australia
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