FRONT PAGE AFRICA ---- In response to the recent outbreak of Ebola in Guinea, Mercy Corps expanded its social mobilization activities in Liberia's border areas so that communities can be better prepared against possible flare-ups of the devastating virus.

Following Liberia’s devastating civil war, two organisations, Mercy Corps and IREX, helped establish and strengthen community radio stations across the country. After the crisis these were flagship projects, aiming to give communities greater voice in development and peacebuilding.

Many of these stations again partnered with the two organizations under the Ebola Community Action Platform (ECAP), funded by USAID, which was Liberia’s largest consortium of organizations working on the Ebola response. 

Building trust through community radio partnerships

MONROVIA, 29 March 2016 --- New research conducted by Mercy Corps and IREX finds that community radio provides a critical source of information for the people of Liberia, including in some of the country’s most remote rural areas.

86% of Liberia’s population listen to radio and most prefer community to national radio for news and information. This is because it features local stories, local voices and dialects, the study finds.

MONROVIA, March 29 2016 --- In response to the recent outbreak of Ebola in Guinea, Mercy Corps expanded its social mobilisation activities in Liberia's border areas so that communities can be better prepared against possible flare-ups of the devastating virus.

In addition to community engagement activities, such as town hall meetings and house visits, the organisation is also partnering with local radio stations in Bong and Nimba Counties that are promoting vigilance measures, including hand washing; safe burials and timely reporting of suspected cases.

A new SMS hotline has been launched in Liberia to enable partners, Community Health Committees and ECAP 2 community members to reach Mercy Corps with any concerns or feedback on the program.

The system has been launched to increase accountability and to help ensure program effectiveness through our network.

It is free to text 3227 ('ECAP') on Lonestar, Novafone and Cellcom for all those participating in ECAP 2.

“I am working with marginalised communities where many didn’t believe in this Ebola issue. Even late last year they thought if you carried people to the Ebola Treatment Unit they would kill you."

"We have been able to change this. The community calls for help if someone is sick and every time someone dies, they call the burial team. This is because we have been going into the community, talking to them, and going on the radio to spread awareness."

Rose T. Teah from the Lutheran Church of Liberia is Mobiliser of the Week for Grand Cape Mount County.

GBARNGA, LIBERIA, January 10, 2015 --- Today at a ceremony in Gbarnga, Bong, over 200 community educators pledged to support efforts to drive Ebola out of Liberia by running high-impact awareness campaigns in communities across the county. 

The launch is part of the Ebola Community Action Platform (ECAP), funded by USAID and developed by Mercy Corps Liberia and Population Services International, which is helping NGOs engage in total over 3,000 communities by training trusted local Communicators to provide key information on the Ebola virus.