On Friday, in response to the spread of COVID-19, we announced across our social media pages our plan to implement the same lockdown protocol as we did in August of 2014 for the Ebola outbreak. We are deeply saddened by the impact COVID-19 is having around the world. Many of us have watched the news unfold in China, and we are now experiencing the effects of it on our own lives in America. Many of our hearts have grown worried about the impact this could have in Sierra Leone. Praise God, there are currently no known cases in Sierra Leone. However, Sierra Leone and The Raining Season are taking a proactive approach to combat the potential impact in Sierra Leone and on our children.
As we enter into lockdown, we wanted to share a bit more about what that looks like. Our goal is to create a sense of normalcy for our children. We want them to continue to know they are loved and cared for while providing a safe and healthy environment. All of our efforts will be focused around limited entry into our compound. We will have staff working on 14-day rotations. Additionally, we will stock three months worth of food at the center. As our kids were taught in 2014, we will remain diligent with hand washing and limited touching will be encouraged. We will clean and sanitize to the best of our abilities. Anytime someone enters our center, they will be required to wash their hands. We will also monitor the health of our children by monitoring their temperatures and watching for other symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Our older kids will temporarily take a break from attending school outside the center, however, we will be working with their school to ensure that they do not fall behind.
We are thankful that we are able to implement these procedures quickly. We are also grateful for our dedicated staff and their sacrifices and hard work during this time of the unknown.
The lockdown also causes a temporary halt in our Skype calls for sponsors. However, it is still possible to love and encourage our children and staff during this trying time. Sponsors, you can write letters to your child/children. If you are connected with our wonderful staff on social media, you can reach out to them with words of encouragement. Also, be on the lookout for a social media post to show our appreciation to our dedicated staff.
Please join us in praying for the health and protection of our staff, our children, and the country of Sierra Leone. Pray that this disruption will not cause any issues for the children’s education. We pray that this terrible virus might spare Sierra Leone and that routines will return to normal for our children and staff very soon.
Many blessings,
The Raining Season
