The Germantown Friends School Human Rights Group hosted members of the Women’s Campaign International (WCI) for a special assembly on empowering women in West African communities to help combat the Ebola virus. From left: Human Rights Group student leaders Olenka Jain ’15 and Schuyler Alig ’15; GFS science teacher Alyson Solomon; WCI’s Whitney Oppito and Peter Alter; and Human Rights Group faculty advisors Stephen Holt and Bob Rhoades.[/caption]

The Germantown Friends School Human Rights Group hosted an assembly on Wednesday, Oct. 22, featuring representatives from Women’s Campaign International (WCI) sharing their efforts to empower women in West African communities to help combat the Ebola virus. Peter Alter, WCI program manager, spoke about his work coordinating women’s groups in Liberia and providing them with the education, resources and experience they need to be leaders in the fight against Ebola.

GFS science teacher and medical doctor Alyson Solomon began the assembly by sharing information about the symptoms, care, treatment and spread of Ebola. “It is important to educate ourselves instead of panicking,” she said.

“The situation has become very serious, very quickly in Africa,” Alter said.

He cited 4,665 reported cases (and many cases go unreported) and 2,705 deaths, as well as the estimation of how quickly those numbers could grow without immediate large- and small-scale interventions. Whitney Oppito, WCI Communications and Development Specialist, said that with less than $500, WCI can have a meaningful impact on a West African city or village.

The Human Rights Group organized GFS student groups to donate over $1,300 to WCI to help them continue their work in Africa.