When the whole world is coming together to fight against Ebola, Bitcoin is not far behind in the pursuit. The latest name in the list is a group of entrepreneurs promoting Bitcoin in western Africa. They are called the Sierra Leone Liberty Group or SLLG who is reminding that they are doing their bit to fight against deadly Ebola.
Though SLLG was formed to promote free enterprise and libertarian ideals as the path to prosperity in the country, it is now placing higher priority on fighting Ebola. The group has continued to promote its message despite the frequent need to jump in and assist members’ fellow countrymen more directly.
Talking to media people leader Mustapha Cole said that the group has worked with Ministry of Health vehicles alongside local nurses and has used funds from Bitcoin donations to deliver dwindling medical supplies like disinfectant, goggles and rubber gloves, etc. They are also helping local populations educating them how to avoid Ebola infection.
Cole further said that Sierra Leone is suffering from the Ebola outbreak and every day there is death in his community as people die and food is scarce as the people are quarantined in their homes. According to him Ebola burial teams went on strike due to non-payment of weekly allowances and that is where his group came to help.
The Group Has been Putting Sincere Efforts
Mustapha Cole says that people in the locality don’t have any faith in the government and each is to his own. The SLLG initially asked for donations via Bitcoin to help fight Ebola’s spread in August by that time there had been only 1,400 deaths. The number went up and even the World Health Organization admitted for alarming deaths, the need for assistance has gone up.
The WHO has warned there could be 20,000 cases by next month without an increase in international assistance. Understanding the gravity of the situation the SLLG has started reaching out to people for donations in Bitcoin so that they can help feed people in villages that have been cut off from the world by quarantine and road blocks.
So far Cole and his group have also used the funds to purchase rice, onions, fish, pepper and oil for delivery. The efforts from his group to introduce Bitcoin to the country have two channels, a straight-up donation drive through his group’s website to collect micro-donations, and the other to raise money through local entrepreneurs selling their products.
To contact the reporter of this story: Deepak Tiwari at deepak@forexminute.com
Though SLLG was formed to promote free enterprise and […]
