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Twenty-four years after my very first mission with the Red Cross, I am grateful to be back in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The context this time is totally different from the one that had brought me to this country for my debut in the humanitarian world. Then it was a man-made catastrophe, the genocide in Rwanda. Now, it is nature’s work. Ebola, the deadly virus that killed thousands of people in West Africa, is back for the ninth time in the DRC.

For International Women’s Day today, we want to highlight stories of women who have gone above and beyond to provide care and assistance. Throughout history, women have played an important role in the Red Cross movement here in Canada and abroad.  Today, we’re celebrating Canadian women who are making a difference in the world with the humanitarian work they do whether it’s responding to disasters, providing lifesaving assistance in challenging situations or helping improve the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

Monday, Nov 7th marked one year since the end of Ebola in Sierra Leone. In commemoration of this milestone, and in recognition of the 3,956 people who died here, the public across the country were encouraged to wear yellow ribbons or yellow clothing and observe three minutes of silence at 11:00 in the morning. Flags flew at  half-mast.

Sandra is a psychosocial support aid worker with the Canadian Red Cross. When disasters and emergencies strike, the obvious stuff – damaged homes, destroyed infrastructure, injured people – sometimes makes it easy to overlook the damage that’s invisible. We can be impacted by disaster and emergency in many ways and can experience deep trauma that doesn’t simply go away once physical damage is addressed. Recovering from these events requires emotional care just as much as it requires physical care. 

The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.

Guest post by Youth Advisory Comittee member Sara Elkadri. 
I had the pleasure of speaking with Tanya Grygaski, an environmental engineer from Ontario, and minutes into the conversation I could feel Tanya’s passion through the tone of her voice as she shared her stories and experiences from over the years.

 

The end of this month marks the second anniversary of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. To honour all we have experienced in the past two years, we have pulled together a compilation of remarkable blogs from the Ebola outbreak.

The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.