Ebola survivor hired to drive Just Hope ambulance

January 20, 2015

While our investment in the ambulances we recently sent to Sierra Leone was clearly in the category of short-term relief, we are pleased to see that they also have become an economic empowerment tool, creating jobs for hard-working people.

Mohamed Conteh is a newly hired driver for one of the five ambulances we purchased to aid in the Ebola fight. Mohamed is himself an Ebola survivor, having contracted the disease last October, when a passenger sick with Ebola vomited in the commercial vehicle that he was driving. When his symptoms appeared, he immediately presented himself for treatment, which started with testing at a hospital, followed by a long journey on poor roads to a treatment center in Kailahun. He shared that ride with five other patients, all of whom were dead by the time they arrived in Kailahun. After 15 days in the treatment center, Mohamed was released and declared cured.

In an environment where Ebola survivors are often shunned by their communities for fear that they may always be contagious, we are especially grateful to be able to provide a job for someone who might otherwise struggle to find employment. Thanks to World Hope International for partnering with us on this project, to all our donors for making these gifts possible, and to Mohamed Conteh, for his commitment and courage to fight the deadly disease that nearly took his life.