Meliandou Marks Its Place In History As Ground Zero For Ebola

He is known as patient zero to the world. But his real name is Emile Ouamouno. Far removed from the escalating Ebola statistics, the short life of Emile along with his sister Philomène and his mom, Sia, is remembered only by his grieving father Etienne and his small community.

"My two children Emile and Philomène – before they died they were always playing with a ball and she liked to carry the baby on her back and they liked finding food to eat. Then, all the children had food to eat." Emile's Father Etienne Ouamouno says.

From the Ouamouno family, the disease spread and in just four months 21 graves were filled in this little village of Meliandou - leaving behind a palpable trail of trauma.

For children living here as in other affected areas -- consequences are extreme. Children have fallen sick, many like Emile have died, others are now orphans. And the loss of life and livelihood is accompanied by stigma.

Despite a growing epidemic in Guinea – there have been no new cases reported in Meliandou since April. The community now knows how to identify the symptoms and avoid its spread.

But Meliandou now marks its place in history as ground zero for an epidemic. It is also the resting place for a boy known as Emile who never reached his second birthday and a grief-stricken father who only has faded photographs and the memory of his son dancing to music.

SHOTLIST:
16 OCTOBER 2014, MELIANDOU, GUECKEDOU, GUINEA

List of Meliandou community members who have died from Ebola
Emile and family
Etienne sorting through photographs
Meliandou sign
Grave
Children
Children
Woman drying wheat
Woman drying wheat
Children playing instrument
Meliandou
Family photo
Etienne with radio
Radio

SOUNDBITE: (Kissi) Etienne Ouamouno, Emile's Father:
"My two children Emile and Philomène – before they died they were always playing with a ball. She liked to carry the baby on her back and they liked finding food to eat. Then, all the children had food to eat. "

SOUNDBITE (French) Fassou Isidor Lama, UNICEF Child Protection Officer:
"The impact of Ebola on the population in affected communities is so serious that children and women are the most affected. We noticed that with this crisis, which is almost a humanitarian catastrophe and that makes people flee their villages, and abandon their families and their children. They reject the infected children and the other infected family members. That's why UNICEF plans to give an immediate response that not only ranges from direct support of the children but also to accompany the family to avoid stigmatization of the families and facilitate reintegration."

DURATION: 02:14