This week, I received two telephone numbers for Ebola survivors in Liberia. One connection came through a photographer and another through the IOM office in Monrovia. I'm planning to call each of them tomorrow morning. Hopefully, at least one of them is willing to speak with me. The process of finding a survivor has been trickier than I anticipated.
I contacted a dozen or so reporters who are based in and out of West Africa (mostly through Twitter and email), but I only heard back from two of them. One forwarded my request to at least two American survivors. I think I was blind copied because he said he wasn't at liberty to share email addresses. But Ashoka Mukpo and Nancy Writebol both wrote to me (!).
I'd love to interview them and have been corresponding, but I'm not sure these leads will convert into interviews in time. It's tricky on many fronts. I remember how difficult it was to reach people when I lived in Turkmenistan. The Internet does not travel around in your pocket. It is not a necessary part of existence. It is a luxury item that few can afford and even fewer think about. I had to travel at least 45 minutes to get an Internet cafe. On a 110-degree day, the trip alone was a lot to ask, especially if I had already been to work and needed to wash laundry or cook dinner or attend a wedding. The Internet might or might not have had an Internet connection at the time I arrived. Well, you get the point. I understand the challenges and am hoping for the best.
Here goes.
I contacted a dozen or so reporters who are based in and out of West Africa (mostly through Twitter and email), but I only heard back from two of them. One forwarded my request to at least two American survivors. I think I was blind copied because he said he wasn't at liberty to share email addresses. But Ashoka Mukpo and Nancy Writebol both wrote to me (!).
I'd love to interview them and have been corresponding, but I'm not sure these leads will convert into interviews in time. It's tricky on many fronts. I remember how difficult it was to reach people when I lived in Turkmenistan. The Internet does not travel around in your pocket. It is not a necessary part of existence. It is a luxury item that few can afford and even fewer think about. I had to travel at least 45 minutes to get an Internet cafe. On a 110-degree day, the trip alone was a lot to ask, especially if I had already been to work and needed to wash laundry or cook dinner or attend a wedding. The Internet might or might not have had an Internet connection at the time I arrived. Well, you get the point. I understand the challenges and am hoping for the best.
Here goes.
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