(Feb. 5, 2015 - by Darin Campbell, In ChristCommunications; and Harold Goerzen)  An initiative with a local radio partner in the West African nation of Sierra Leone will provide life-sustaining food and supplies to quarantined families living in remote areas affected by the deadly Ebola virus.

Reach Beyond’s “Bucket Brigade” campaign, coordinated with Believers Broadcasting Network (BBN), a radio ministry led by Ransford Wright in the capital city of Freetown, is designed to help stem the spread of Ebola. The goal is to provide basic supplies to those forced to live in isolation, helping some 500 families (about 2,500 people) by Tuesday, March 31.

There is still no cure for Ebola, so prevention and early care are key. Families and at-risk groups in quarantined areas have no access to food, clean water or disinfectants—all necessary to fighting the disease and preventing malnutrition.

“These simple items may be the difference between life and death for thousands of people in Sierra Leone,” said Reach Beyond President Wayne Pederson. “Every bucket delivered is given in Jesus’ name, sharing His love at a time when those in the most ravaged areas are desperate for physical help and spiritual hope.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently reported that there have been 22,000 cases and 8,800 Ebola deaths in West Africa. The virus has sickened more than 800 health workers and killed more than 400—a massive total for a region with few hospitals, doctors and nurses.

“The Bucket Brigade is one of the best ways to try to get out in front of the Ebola virus,” explained Sheila Leech, vice president of global healthcare. “The outbreak has been unprecedented, and containment is the best way to stop the spread of the disease. It’s invaluable to help bring this [crisis] to an end.”

Each bucket comes with enough food and supplies to sustain a family of five living in isolation for up to four weeks. In addition to food, the large buckets contain soap, gloves, bleach and other vital supplies.

The supplies will be arriving at just the right time for recipients in Sierra Leone, a country where the economy has been deflated by an estimated 30 percent because of Ebola.

“We are definitely expecting a devastating effect not only on labor availability and capacity, but we are also talking about farms being abandoned by people running away from the epicenters and going to areas that don't have the disease,” Sierra Leone’s agriculture minister, Joseph Sam Sesay, told the BBC.

Wright added that Ebola orphans, many living with neighbors who serve as caregivers in quarantined communities, are also grateful beneficiaries of the Bucket Brigade outreach. “The excitement and joy on the faces of these children whilst receiving the gift items indicated the usefulness of Reach Beyond's support,” he said.

According to UNICEF, there are more than 3,700 orphaned children in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone who have lost one or both parents to the disease.

“These children urgently need special attention and support, yet many of them feel unwanted and even abandoned,” said Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF’s regional director for West and Central Africa. “Orphans are usually taken in by a member of the extended family, but in some communities, the fear surrounding Ebola is becoming stronger than family ties.”

Lee Sonius, executive director of the Sub-Saharan Africa Region, added that the Reach Beyond-UK office “recently produced some excellent audio spots, helping to educate and inform the public about Ebola from a Christian perspective. These programs in English and French are being aired on many radio stations in the affected region.”

“Now isn’t a time for panic,” he urged. “It’s a time for action.”

For more information, visit www.reachbeyond.org/ebola.

Sources: InChrist Communications, Reach Beyond, UNICEF, BBC