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Francis Dove Edwin speaks to BBC World about WOA’s #TargetEbola campaign

14 | 11 | 2014

Two-time Sierra Leone Olympian Dr Francis Dove Edwin has made an impassioned plea to his fellow Olympians to join him in the fight to prevent the spread of Ebola in West Africa. Speaking on BBC World on Thursday, Dove Edwin urged Olympians around the world to support the WOA’s #TargetEbola campaign.

Dr Francis Dove Edwin says the impact of the virus is far reaching and has a domino effect on sport, as can be seen in relation to the African Nations Cup in Morocco. As a result Edwin says Olympians have a duty to get involved.

Speaking to BBC World about the #TargetEbola campaign, Dove Edwin, said:

“It really is for a good cause. This is something that affects the human race, this is something that affects trust and this is something that affects our brothers and sisters that play sports. Right now in most parts of West Africa all types of gatherings are banned, so no one is playing anything, even practicing, you cannot practice more than two of three athletes at a time.

“Together we can achieve a lot, you don’t only have to donate funding but as you’ve seen, you can donate some of your memorabilia. We’re mobilising resources to go into a humanitarian crisis, so we have Medisend working with us, we also have Oxfam and these items will be auctioned and transformed into necessary resources that is needed by the community to prevent the spread of the virus.”

#TargetEbola was launched last month following an appeal to the WOA from Edwin, who has been appointed to the Presidential task force to fight the spread of the virus in his home country, to help raise funds to combat the virus. Working in partnership with international aid organisation Oxfam and US humanitarian NGO Medisend International the WOA has put into motion efforts to deliver much needed supplies to West Africa.

Since the campaign started some of the biggest names and the greatest role models in sport have backed the campaign including Olympic legends Usain Bolt, Carl Lewis, Sergey Bubka, HRH Prince Albert of Monaco, Claudia Bokel, Koji Murofushi, Pernilla Wiberg and Yang Yang.

The WOA is appealing to the rest of its 100,000 strong Olympian community around the world to get involved and promote #TargetEbola, the donation link, www.targetebola.org/donate, and the SMS details, Text TARGET to 70066 [UK only], by posting selfies via social media.

The #TargetEbola selfie kit can be downloaded here: www.targetebola.org/selfie

Olympians and the general public are encouraged to print off the kit and pose for a selfie. Alternatively anyone can write #TargetEbola, www.targetebola.org/donate and the SMS number on a piece of paper and take a selfie with it.