In 2014, Legatum joined forces with Geneva Global to launch the Ebola Crisis Fund to assist on the front lines of Ebola prevention and awareness. The Fund raised almost $1 million, impacting the lives of over 5.7 million people.
In 2014, Legatum joined forces with Geneva Global to launch the Ebola Crisis Fund to assist on the front lines of Ebola prevention and awareness. The Fund raised almost $1 million, impacting the lives of over 5.7 million people.
In 2014, Ebola, a contagious and highly lethal hemorrhagic fever, swept through West Africa. International health workers and resources in the field were stretched beyond capacity. Providing community-based organisations with training and vital equipment became a priority to stop the virus from being spread further.
In August that same year, Legatum joined forces with Geneva Global, a philanthropic advisory firm, to launch the Ebola Crisis Fund which raised almost $1 million and disbursed funds to 34 organisations in the three affected countries. The Fund enabled these organisations to positively impact the lives of over 5.7 million people.
The 2014 Ebola virus outbreak was the largest in history, primarily affecting Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in West Africa. Ebola typically originates in rural communities, however the 2014 outbreak spread to major cities and transportation hubs. The virus can be transmitted from wild animals to humans, and spread through contact with infected bodily fluids. It is severe and often a fatal illness with a death rate of around 50% in the recent outbreak.
Ebola-stricken communities had many needs, beyond the initial call for treatment centres, medical supplies and doctors. Due to the damaging effects of Ebola, communities have faced ongoing economic struggles, food shortages and psycho-social challenges related to more than a year of severe disruption. In addition, survivors - including thousands of orphaned children - have faced isolation, homelessness and poverty as a result of social stigma.
The Ebola Crisis Fund was created to support a community-based response in affected countries by giving support to grassroot community organisations who were responding to the crisis in their own communities.
Taking a bottom up approach, the fund looked to address the crisis in three ways to address the spread of the virus and also to help the affected communities. Providing intermediate relief by training community volunteers to raise awareness, run contract tracing programmes and deliver food. Helping to support rehabilitation by strengthening social and physical community infrastructure through psychosocial support and strengthening the local market. Addressing socioeconomic needs of the community by providing orphan care, strengthening women’s healthcare services and helping equip communities to help them be prepared for responding to future outbreaks.
The Ebola Crisis Fund disbursed funds to 34 community organisations in the three affected countries over a 4 month period, impacting over 5 million people.
Geneva Global addressed the gap in the humanitarian response, by being able to act in such a swift and focused way.
Legatum’s involvement in such a rapidly conceived of and executed initiative reflects how impactful our principle of being quick and nimble can be, and how our preparedness to act quickly when an opportunity to have an impact arises can have a transformative impact in a very short period of time.
Legatum’s communications team spent the night creating the website that would help draw in new donors; an example of the collaborative spirit between Legatum and Geneva Global
Dubai International Financial Centre
Dubai, United Arab Emirates