DOLO TOWN, Margibi – The Liberia Youth Network, also known as LIYONET, held a memorial ceremony for Ebola victims in Dolo Town on Wednesday.

The town, located on the outskirts of the Firestone rubber plantation in Margibi, was among the most affected communities of the Ebola epidemic.

The outbreak in Dolo Town started at a church. After a repast following the funeral of a member’s daughter, many attendees began to get sick. At that time, it was believed that food poisoning was the cause.

The horror continued as relatives of the dead and several members of the church, including the pastor, became severely ill and died.

According to local records, over eighty residents of the town died.

LIYONET, in partnership with Search for Common Ground and the Talking Drum Studio Liberia, came together and held three memorial ceremonies and constructed a memorial monument in Kakata in honor of the Ebola victims.

The services were held in Dolo Town, Unification City, and Kakata and were sponsored by USAID through the International Research Board.

According to Nekey Peal, a LIYONET Board Member, the three memorial ceremonies cost at least US$ 700 Dollars each.

Nekey Peal, LIYONET Board Member. Photo: Gbatemah Senah

In a Bush Chicken interview, Peal said the significance of the program was to honor and respect those who lost their lives to Ebola.

“It is to allow family members and friends to pay homage and remembrance to their loved ones who died during the Ebola Outbreak,” he said.

He encouraged friends and family members of victims to remain courageous and reorganize their lives.

Gloria Paye and Olesegun Trokon, two family members of some of the Ebola victims, praised the organizers of the program for restoring the memories of their loved ones.

Paye said she was impressed by the initiative of LIYONET and its partners in organizing a memorial.

“I appreciate LIYONET and all those who thought about us to remember our people who died,” she expressed.

For his part, Trokon encouraged other organizations to think in the direction of LIYONET to restore the dignity of Ebola-affected communities.

Meanwhile, an Ebola survivor has also praised the organizers of the ceremony. Precious Diggs said the history of Ebola in Dolo Town would always be remembered. She said as one of the hardest hit communities, Dolo town became an important battlefront during the outbreak.

She told the gathering, “I am so happy to be alive to participate in an event to remember those who died, I praise God for this opportunity.”

On behalf of the local authorities in Margibi, Unification City Mayor Roseline Davis expressed sympathy to family members for the death of their loved ones.

She promised that her leadership would always share moments of sorrow and joy with residents when they arise. Davis also stressed the need for a clean environment to prevent outbreaks of other diseases. She noted that a clean environment was a healthy community.

Featured photo by Gbatemah Senah