Lessons from Ebola

We are witnessing a big Ebola outbreak in Africa centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This brings back memories from 2014, when I was Peace Corps country director in Guinea during that Ebola pandemic. While Peace Corps volunteers were sent home as a precaution, I stayed behind with our mostly Guinean staff to support the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. My staff used our deep community connections to educate citizens about the disease and the precautions required. We trained respected community members -- homemakers, teachers, students, youth leaders, and others -- about common rumors and how to overcome fear and resistance.  

They went back to their villages and talked with family members, neighbors, and others they knew, and then expanded outward. Ultimately, this initiative was estimated to reach 3.2 million people, one quarter of Guinea’s population, and Ebola was largely eradicated. I wrote about this in WorldView: “Beating Ebola: Peace Corps’ Untold Story of Fighting the Virus in Guinea” https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/articles/beating-ebola.  

I remember back then thinking that Americans, unlike many Guineans, would have trust in our public health system in the event of a national medical emergency. I was obviously very wrong: the COVID pandemic hit the US five years later, severely testing our ability to communicate with each other and trust what the government was telling us. While the worst of COVID may be behind us, it has clearly left deep scars. 

Looking back, I recall that an important lesson from our Guinea work is that you have to be seen as trustworthy if you want to influence others. You earn trust by treating others with dignity and respect, including listening to what they have to say. Asking open-ended questions and not judging people requires enormous patience and practice, conversations that apply courage, humility, and vulnerability.   

These same lessons are needed to help this country overcome our deep divisions, so that it can continue for another 250 years – and hopefully many more. We each have an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, including our own. Don’t underestimate your impact!