Salone Business Women’s Hub: Support to EVD Survivors

Salone Business Women’s Hub was founded in March 2014 by a group of leading female entrepreneurs, chief executive officers, directors-general in public sector agencies, academics, public health specialists, social entrepreneurs, heads of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) lawyers, medical doctors and ‘Friends of Sierra Leone’. Its main strategic thrust is to promote access to education and economic empowerment for women and girls. Members of Salone Business Women’s Hub believe strongly that it is with a solid educational footing and self-sufficiency that women in Africa can attain full empowerment, whether it is political, social, economic or cultural. Salone Business Women’s Hub’s main target beneficiaries are women and girls in rural communities although it does not preclude support women and girls in urban areas.

In the wake of the Ebola outbreak in the Mano River Union (MRU), Salone Business Women’s Hub has been providing technical support to the MRU First Ladies’ Initiative on the Gender Dimensions of the Ebola Virus Disease which has resulted in the design of a multi-million dollar regional programme of support entitled the ‘MRU Cocial Investment Fund for Women’s Socio-Economic Empowerment’ to be funded by the African Development Bank by December 2014.

Out of love and compassion for the brave survivors of the Ebola Virus Disease, Salone Business Women’s Hub has committed to support the Police Training School’s Ebola Treatment Centre by donating toiletry paks that serve as personal hygiene kits for survivors. The kits are valued at Le. 160,000 each (USD$33). This is done out of solidarity for the outstanding job an Sierra Leonean team of health care workers, both military and civilian, are doing to save precious lives, led by Honourable Madina Rahman, Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation. 43 toiletry kits were donated on 21 October 2014 and 43 toiletry kits will be donated on 27^th October 2014. Additional kits will be provided at each discharge.