Over the next few weeks, we will analyse each chapter of the book Faith in Action: A Decade of Compassion and Resilience with CADIS.
This will be an opportunity to delve into each experience recounted directly by CADIS leaders who, over the course of a decade, have seen with their own eyes and touched with their own hands the fragility of the people they assist, in every corner of the earth.
Chapter Six - Wounded Healers and Community Trust: A Holistic Approach to Disaster Recovery in Sierra Leone After Ebola
Co-authored with Fr. Anthoni Kunnel, and Fr. Aristelo Miranda, the chapter was presented by Consuelo Santamaria during the webinar presentation. "The Ebola outbreak was a time of profound terror for Sierra Leone. It didn't just take lives; it devastated our social fabric. People were dying in massive numbers, and most tragically of all, many died without ever truly understanding why this was happening to them or how the disease worked. The confusion was as deadly as the virus itself."
Sierra Leone’s landscape is a study in high-stakes geography, where the natural beauty of the Atlantic coastline and forested eastern mountains belies a deep environmental vulnerability. Covering approximately 71,740 square kilometers, the nation is defined by a tropical climate with a punishing wet season from May to October. During these months, intense and prolonged rainfall transforms the terrain into a hazard zone, where coastal plains face devastating storm surges and the sloping urban areas, such as the capital of Freetown, become prone to catastrophic landslides.
The narrative of disaster in Sierra Leone is not merely a story of rain, but of human impact on a fragile ecosystem. Deforestation, unregulated mining, and rapid, uncontrolled urban growth on steep slopes have stripped the soil of its natural anchors. This was tragically illustrated by the 2017 Regent district disaster, where the collapse of Sugar Loaf Mountain buried entire communities in their sleep, leaving over 1,000 dead and thousands homeless. The chapter posits that these events are exacerbated by a lack of infrastructure and planning, turning seasonal weather into recurring national tragedies.
In this context of physical and biological crisis—most notably the terrifying Ebola outbreak—the Camillian Disaster Service (CADIS) stepped in to address a country that was "dying without knowing its cause." The intervention was built on the philosophy that healing a body from a virus is insufficient if the person’s spiritual, emotional, and relational dimensions remain shattered. CADIS focused on a multi-dimensional approach, deploying doctors for clinical care alongside specialized volunteers who provided psychosocial support and grief counseling.
“In the face of this chaos”, explained Consuelo, “CADIS stepped in to coordinate a unified front. We worked hand-in-hand with religious healthcare providers and local authorities to implement a rigorous plan of action. Central to this was our decision to open the Holy Spirit Hospital in Makeni. We transformed it into a sanctuary to provide direct, life-saving care to those infected with the virus.”
Ultimately, the chapter highlights how these strategies were designed to foster long-term social resilience. By implementing specific training plans for local professionals and community leaders, CADIS aimed to strengthen the social fabric in a landscape dominated by grief and mental health crises. The goal was to transform a vulnerable population into a resilient community, capable of not only surviving the next landslide or epidemic but also supporting one another through the inevitable psychological and spiritual aftershocks.
This intervention was designed to foster deep social resilience. By training local people to provide counseling and grief support, we ensured that families weren't left to process their losses alone. The Ebola experience taught us a fundamental lesson: in the wake of a catastrophe, addressing the psychological and spiritual needs of a community is just as vital as treating their physical wounds.
To learn more about this CADIS project, order a copy of the book in ENGLISH or ITALIAN.
All proceeds from sales will support CADIS projects around the world. Thank you!
