I emailed Ashoka Mukpo yesterday afternoon in a last ditch effort to connect with an Ebola survivor. And this time he wrote back with his telephone number! Talking with him was incredible. He has a lot to share, and I could have happily talked with him for hours about his experience. He was kind enough to give me a half an hour and I am certain some of the lessons he passed on will stay with me for some time.
Mukpo is originally from Rhode Island, but he doesn't strongly identify with that place. He's currently living in London and is focusing on his recovery. He has spent the past couple years living in Liberia. He focused on worker's rights, particularly surrounding the mining industry. He freelanced for media organizations as well. He contributes to Vice News, Africa is a Country and others. When the epidemic raged back last summer, he returned to help raise awareness of the virus. He is most proud of a piece called "To live and die with Ebola in Liberia," which ran in Africa is a Country. The article digs into some of the economic and political underpinnings of the crisis. He addresses the quarantine in West Point and why many of the residents living in that slum distrust the government and the aid workers. He critiques the corruption and provides an inside view of why the government itself is fueling the distrust. He uses a thematic frame and includes great contextual and historical information. He is able to write with authority because he understands the issue. Unfortunately, comments are not a feature on this blog, so I'm not sure how people reacted to it. But it does have hundreds of shares on social media. My own response to this article is admiration. He offered an inner-sanctum view of the situation, which I didn't often read in the Western media. I didn't see this piece when it came out and I didn't find it through search either. This article shows that searching out African-based media outlets is a good idea because it offers viewpoints that might not be included in the Western media.
Mukpo also covered Ebola for Vice, Al Jazeera and the Washington Post. He wrote three opinion pieces for Al Jazeera from August through December and called for more international assistance. Many in Liberia knew the epidemic was worsening, but international leaders acted too late, he said.
His most recent article for Al Jazeera, published today, is called "Survivor guilt: Former Ebola patients struggle with virus' legacy." This article addresses the depression, lingering physical effects of Ebola, such as eye problems and joint pain, and the financial hardships that result from losing the breadwinner. Many people have been stigmatized and are left out of the aid programs meant to help them, he reported. This is a later Act 2 piece about survivors and where they are now. One survivor said when he found out he had survived, he was not happy. He was alone. He had no reason to survive. This article was difficult to read. I admit I teared up at one point. The woman who lost her child and her parents reminded me a little of Sonali Deraniyagala. There's a picture of woman in the article holding up pictures of her mom and her dad, and it's really hard to look at. Readjusting to this new reality must be hell for her.
Mukpo's writing is heartbreaking and real. I hope he continues writing Act 2 stories and slowly begins to move to Act 3. We need more stories like this one that reminds people that Ebola is not over. The trauma of the crisis last fall continues for thousands.
Mukpo is originally from Rhode Island, but he doesn't strongly identify with that place. He's currently living in London and is focusing on his recovery. He has spent the past couple years living in Liberia. He focused on worker's rights, particularly surrounding the mining industry. He freelanced for media organizations as well. He contributes to Vice News, Africa is a Country and others. When the epidemic raged back last summer, he returned to help raise awareness of the virus. He is most proud of a piece called "To live and die with Ebola in Liberia," which ran in Africa is a Country. The article digs into some of the economic and political underpinnings of the crisis. He addresses the quarantine in West Point and why many of the residents living in that slum distrust the government and the aid workers. He critiques the corruption and provides an inside view of why the government itself is fueling the distrust. He uses a thematic frame and includes great contextual and historical information. He is able to write with authority because he understands the issue. Unfortunately, comments are not a feature on this blog, so I'm not sure how people reacted to it. But it does have hundreds of shares on social media. My own response to this article is admiration. He offered an inner-sanctum view of the situation, which I didn't often read in the Western media. I didn't see this piece when it came out and I didn't find it through search either. This article shows that searching out African-based media outlets is a good idea because it offers viewpoints that might not be included in the Western media.
Mukpo also covered Ebola for Vice, Al Jazeera and the Washington Post. He wrote three opinion pieces for Al Jazeera from August through December and called for more international assistance. Many in Liberia knew the epidemic was worsening, but international leaders acted too late, he said.
His most recent article for Al Jazeera, published today, is called "Survivor guilt: Former Ebola patients struggle with virus' legacy." This article addresses the depression, lingering physical effects of Ebola, such as eye problems and joint pain, and the financial hardships that result from losing the breadwinner. Many people have been stigmatized and are left out of the aid programs meant to help them, he reported. This is a later Act 2 piece about survivors and where they are now. One survivor said when he found out he had survived, he was not happy. He was alone. He had no reason to survive. This article was difficult to read. I admit I teared up at one point. The woman who lost her child and her parents reminded me a little of Sonali Deraniyagala. There's a picture of woman in the article holding up pictures of her mom and her dad, and it's really hard to look at. Readjusting to this new reality must be hell for her.
Mukpo's writing is heartbreaking and real. I hope he continues writing Act 2 stories and slowly begins to move to Act 3. We need more stories like this one that reminds people that Ebola is not over. The trauma of the crisis last fall continues for thousands.
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