A Doctor Speaks About Lunchboxgift

We caught up with Dr Santigie Sesay, who is working at the Hasting Ebola Treatment Centre in Freetown, to ask how the Lunchboxgift Initiative is impacting on the lives of staff and patients.

Dr. Santigie Sesay, speaking at the Hastings Ebola Treatment Centre

Can you tell me what the LunchBoxGift Initiative means to you and what it means to patients and health workers at the hospital?

Dr. Santigie Sesay: The Lunchbox gift is a welcome initiative for both staff and patients. Since its introduction to the health facility both patients and staff have always been anxious for lunch and look forward to what will be the next surprise lunch package.

How do patients and health workers respond after receiving a Lunch Box? 

Dr. S: Both patients and staff are always eager to receive their lunch pack.

What impact has LunchBoxGift had on your community? 

Dr. S: Everybody is delighted to be served a Lunchbox gift. We are very happy!

How did you feel when the government of Sierra Leone banned holiday gatherings and how does LunchBox help with that?

Dr. S: We received the information with mixed feelings but we were confident that a delicious lunch will be served at all time. We no longer need to go in search of lunch.

What does it mean for you that this initiative is taking place over the holidays? Does that make it particularly meaningful? 

Dr. S: Sure, it is very meaningful. We are pleased that we do not need to leave our place of work in search of food.

What is the mood on the ground in Sierra Leone?

Dr. Santigie  Sesay: Uncertainty. No one is sure  of what will happen in the next couple of days.

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It is great to hear from Dr Sesay that the food that we are providing is being so well received. The initiative is saving the staff from having to go outside the hospital complex to find food, meaning they get a good rest a break times. It sounds like everyone is looking forward to receiving their Lunchbox gift every day, which is nice for our chef to hear! Please keep your donations coming in, and we will continue to feed the heroic healthcare workers in Sierra Leone every day.

Dr Sesay is the Manager of the Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation

Lunch On The Run Update!

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who attended the Lunchboxgift Lunch On The Run fundraiser. We had a great day, and raised lots of money for Lunchbox. Here are some photos of the event. We’re planning a bigger, better run next year. See you there!

Ready, Steady….Lunchbox!

Registration now open!

Click Here To Register

Lunch On The Run

Fun Run – with Food & Craft Fair

Sunday, December 14, 2014

9.30 am

Mile End Stadium & Leisure Centre  – 190 Burdett Rd, London, GB, United Kingdom E3 4HL

 

Join us at the Mile End Stadium, for a 2 k run or 5k run 

If you can’t run, just walk!

Both adults and children welcome

 

1 Prize will be awarded for Fastest Run Time

5 Prizes for Best Costume

 

Dress up as your favourite item of food – maybe something you like eating for lunch…?

Upload pictures of yourself at your fun run to social media. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #EbolaRun.

Food & Crafts Fair immediately afterwards at The Ecology Pavilion, Mile End Park, right next to the Finish line.

Route

2km and 5km courses through Mile End Park and along the canal to the Palm Tree Pub.

Not in London?

Take part wherever you are 

Set up your own fundraising teams and help us raise money for a very good cause.

Upload pictures of yourself at your fun run to social media, stating where you are. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #EbolaRun.

Send an email to campaigns@lunchboxgift.com for more information on team runs.

 

 

with thanks to Broccoli Baby, grainnemccormack, hellotinaphan and others for their fantastic costumes!

Panorama – Ebola Front Line, BBC Two, 10.35

Panorama – Ebola Front Line

Tonight at 10.35, the BBC Panorama team will be reporting on the situation in Sierra Leone.

“NHS doctors and nurses have been working on the frontline against Ebola in clinics in West Africa. Panorama spent a month in Sierra Leone with British-born Dr Javid Abdelmoneim, filming his every moment working at a treatment centre run by the charity MSF. Using specially-adapted cameras, Dr Javid records the physical and emotional impact of this deadly virus on whole families and on the medical staff treating them. Even in these desperately difficult circumstances there are moments of euphoria as patients who have been cured leave the centre.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04plw27

Lunch Is On Me – What is it & Do I join in?

Lunch Is On Me is Lunchbox’s brilliant new viral fundraising campaign. Lunchbox aims to provide much needed food to hospital staff, burial teams, and sick patients at the very heart of the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone. So, what better way to get involved than a food themed challenge? It’s not as chilly as the ice bucket challenge, and you can do it in your lunch hour. In fact, you have to!

So far, Lunchbox has provided 2,600 meals to those in need in Sierra Leone. We aim to provide a further 50,000 in the next 3 months – but it can only happen with your help.

So What Do I Do?

What are you having for lunch today? A sandwich? Five cupcakes? Sushi? Salad? Every lunch is different! To take part in this new viral fundraiser, just

SNAP!

Snap a photo of your lunch and upload it to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #lunchisonme. Then send a donation matching the cost of your lunch and nominate three other people to do the same. It’s as simple as that!

TEXT

If you are in the UK you can text: ONME14 + the value of your lunch ie.  ONME14 £5 to the number 70070.

DONATE ONLINE

Via our donations pages: Paypal or Mycharitypage. Every lunch-match donation will provide lunch on you for front line workers or sick patients in a hospital in Sierra Leone. Each meal costs just £1. Think how many people you could feed today…

So, can we ask – is lunch on you today?

I’m In!

Great! Join us in our fight to feed Sierra Leone’s Ebola patients and healthcare workers. This is your chance to help and make a real difference, today. Tell your friends, colleagues and family members – every penny you send will be paying for meals and meal distribution.

Welcome

Welcome to LunchBox’s new blog! This is where we will be keeping you up to date with the progress of the Lunchbox project, as well as providing news and information about the Ebola epidemic. We aim to bring you a mix of stories, so feel free to suggest a topic you would like covered. Get involved by encouraging all your friends and colleagues to take part in the Lunch Is On Me fundraiser .

Coming up…

Articles

• Ebola for Beginners
• Ebola – What Can You Do To Help?
• Could You Do it? How To Care For Someone With Ebola
• Top Ten Ebola Myths
• Inspirational stories from Sierra Leona
• Sierra Leone Before Ebola
• You’ve Survived Ebola. What next?
• Day in the life of: Lunchbox cook
• Day in the life of: burial team worker
• Interview – Charity founder Memuna Janneh
• Ten Facts About Ebola That Nobody Discusses

News

• How is Lunchbox doing this month?
• What is the current situation in Sierra Leone?
• Global View – Is Ebola coming under control?

Fundraising

• Fun Run – Lunchbox is organising a fun run fundraiser. Stay tuned to find out how you can join in.

 

Don’t forget to drop by our Facebook Page, and the main website, lunchboxgift.com where you can donate.

Lunchboxgift | Now Blogging

Welcome to Lunchboxgift WordPress blog. Please remember to follow us for updates, news and events …. “something to look forward to…”

www.lunchboxgift.com