After months of horrific experiences at Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs) in Monrovia and elsewhere, some Ebola survivors had the rare opportunity to breath a sigh of relief when a faith based group -- Young Life International organized a special event called ‘Survivor Camp’ for those now be referred to as Ebola heroes in Liberia.

Among many things, the colorful event held at the Baptist Seminary located outside Monrovia, along the rout leading to the Roberts International Airport, was meant to literally give life back to surviving victims of the disease who are discriminated against in some communities although they have been certified by medical authority not to have the virus, and are like any normal persons.
Many of the 175 survivors who turned out to grace the occasion, were stunned by the fondness that marked the occasion characterized by photographing and pleasantry.
“ I don’t want to go back in the community, here we are having fun and making new friends, but people in our communities are still afraid of us,” Zoinway Saynwray, a survivor said.
She says her experiences in the Ebola treatment center keep coming back to her, but noted that the retreat is helping her to overcome the trauma.
The young woman probably in her twenties told this writer that the friendly atmosphere from the retreat has helped her to develop a new mindset, and said she hope to take that experience of accepting people regardless of their conditions back to her community to teach others.
Saynwray recalled that she fell prey to the Ebola virus from caring for her sister who was pregnant, but later died of the disease.
According to Saynwray, all of her friends and family members who contracted the virus died except her twins sister.
But for Saynwray’s sister, the retreat was a time to dust off the isolation and trauma she has suffered in the ETUs, so she was busy shooting photos with friends she came to know at the ‘survivor camp’.

“My sister and I, we were the only Ebola survivors in our community, so we are happy to be on this camp and we will miss the fun,” Saynwray said beaming with smiles.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Mr. Eugene Nagbe could not wait but to join the survivors to play soccer on a day before the camp was dismissed. Organizers of the event said the game like other activities were meant to break the stigma and rejection Ebola survivors in the country face at the hand of some community residents.
Another Survivor Mohammed Jabateh, 27, a father of three, said for the first time since leaving the ETU, he could now tell his story freely.
“I feel happy on this camp. I’m free here and I can tell my story to people who share similar experiences with me,” Jabateh said.
He continued: “This camp is good, we had fun, dance and play football. I felt important when the Minister of Youth and Sports played with us.”
Jabateh who before coming down with the virus was a taxi driver, said he lost nearly all of his family members to the deadly virus that has killed thousands of people and decimated the post-war nation of Liberia.
He said upon his return from the ETU, he was often isolated by members of the his community foe fear of being affected by the disease.
“I don’t want to go back in the community because going back in the community brings back memories,” Jabateh said.
Young Life West Africa Regional Director James S. Davis, II, said the Ebola Survivor camp is intended for the survivors to overcome their horrific experiences.
“We want them to overcome those horrible experiences they had, we want them to have a sense of belonging,” Davis said.
Davis said the camp brought together 175 survivors from Montserrado and Margibi Counties.
“This weekend is an awesome weekend for survivors. We think the reintegration process is not working, so with this camp survivors can now feel accepted,” Davis added.
He said as a faith based organization, Young Life believes it is God’s love that kept survivors alive.
He warned that people should stop stigmatizing survivors noting that they are valuable assets to society.
“This is the message; we should stop stigmatizing them [survivors] this is a venture everybody needs to support,” Davis said.
The West African Regional Director of Young Life has meanwhile praised Liberia’s Youth and Sports Minister Eugene Nagbe for taking off time to identify with the survivors at the just ended retreat.
Davis said the initiative was meant to support the government’s efforts in helping Ebola survivors to reintegrate in society and move on with their lives.