As Sierra Leone marks a year since its first Ebola case, Restless Development’s more than 2,000 Ebola Community Mobilisers are speaking up for Sierra Leonean youth. They are beating this crisis and they are showing the world they are #MoreThanEbola.

We’re so close to getting to zero, we can’t stop now.

The Ebola outbreak could not have been contained without young Sierra Leoneans changing behaviour in their communities. The pandemic won’t be over until we have zero new infections and this is the only way to finish that job.

We are more than just the Ebola generation.

Sierra Leone’s youth want to be known for more than just surviving a disease. This generation has proven they can lead their country’s recovery. Now, more than ever, they need to be given the chance to fulfil that potential.

Don’t try to save us without us.

Whether the emergency is Ebola or an earthquake, international humanitarian solutions cannot succeed without local community ownership are doomed to fail. It was wrong to focus on the international community as the solution but it would also be wrong to focus on it as the problem - we need to focus on people and communities more than systems or organisations.

Wednesday 20th May

Our director of programmes Ed Francis speaks at the START humanitarian conference about the effectiveness of the youth response to Ebola in Sierra Leone. 

Watch our new video and read his blog.

Thursday 21st May

Hear from two of our young Nepali volunteers on responding to two earthquakes in two weeks, demonstrating their own local-led youth solutions to emergencies.   

Read more from one of our Nepali volunteers. 

FRIDAY 22ND MAY

Follow our CEO @Nik_Hartley in Freetown Read his blog “SIERRA LEONE: 12 YEARS ON, YOUNG PEOPLE ARE STILL LEADING THE WAY”

Tuesday 26th May

The anniversary of the first death from Ebola Virus Disease in Sierra Leone. 

Listen to Francis Koroma's story: An Ebola survivor and young community mobilizer; leading our response in Sierra Leone.