Cary-based Christian radio organization heads up effort to battle Ebola in Africa
CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Trans World Radio's west and central Africa director says the Cary-based international organization has people on its airwaves and on the ground in the Ebola hot zone to calm panic about the fatal disease.
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Abdoulaye Sangho, who is in town from the Ivory Coast for global leadership meetings, says the outlet has worked for months to quell fears over the crisis.
"People are frightened by this disease," said Sangho.
Sangho said fear is pervasive as the disease continues to rage after having claimed more than 4,000 lives. The first outbreaks in west Africa began earlier this year, but panic across the world and in the U.S. did not set in until mid-Summer. Sangho says he and his TWR colleagues began producing special programs like "Alert Ebola" back in July.
"Small programs of three minutes length, five minutes length, 14 minutes in length to prevent the population against this very horrible and terrible disease," he described. "Generally in Africa, all your relatives come close to you. They want to support you and they can be infected so at Trans World Radio we inform them how to care about this situation and this kind of people."
The Ivory Coast government, where Sangho lives, recently enacted strict rules to keep the infection confined to the neighboring countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
"Even the government takes measures -- people don't have to kiss, they don't have to hug. They don't even have to greet other people because that is the situation and the fear in the country," Sangho told ABC11.
TWR broadcasts in 165 countries and in 230 languages, but Sangho says it's tough to reach some parts of west Africa because Christian radio is not allowed. However, the magnitude of the crisis has encouraged even Muslim leaders to accept TWR Ebola fliers to distribute in their mosques.
"Ebola is very terrible, but it also has opened doors for us to minister to Muslims and non-Christians," Sangho added.
The effort dovetails TWR's mission to bring hope to the world during uncertain times.
"In the name of Jesus Christ we need to put value into those cultures and educating people regarding Ebola is just one way of putting value into the culture," said TWR CEO and President Lauren Libby.
