Isaac Bayoh, 25, volunteers as an Ebola quarantine and awareness worker. He is part of a team that isolates the houses of those who have the disease, educates the family and neighbours, and monitors the progress of patients. Here, in his own words sent via WhatsApp, he shares his experiences about how people and communities are affected

18 November 2014

I wake up almost every morning feeling pains all over my body – the reason is I have to cover many areas by foot to reach as many people as I can. Our work is making a great difference in these communities.

I get tired, being hit by malaria again and again, and my ulcer is also not making things easier, but even when I am pushed down I get up determined to go forward, determined to see many are saved. And it’s because of that I have decided to cover other districts (Moyamba, Bo and Bonthe), so that even those in remote villages that only have one or two houses will get this help; will know that people are still thinking about them and that they are not alone in this fight.

22 November 2014

Every day in our life is like the last. We don’t know when we are going to get a call saying a friend, brother, sister, father, mother or neighbour that we have shared so many great memories with is positive, or has died. [We] don’t know when the fever, the headache will start. Our life is full with worries, the trust we used to have is fading out, because with Ebola you can’t trust anyone – not even your very self confidence.

We are more than a virus – we are survivors. We are ordinary people, living our ordinary lives. Our sustainability depends on the daily basics. Ebola is here, we can’t go out to find our daily bread. It’s not just Ebola that is killing, hunger is also killing.

The sound of the ambulances has deteriorated the health of so many people. A population of 5 to 6 million – how many of us will survive this virus? It’s hard at times. More than 1,000 people have died. A family friend of ours followed all the preventive measures; she was just an ordinary girl who had her plans for the future, she was so scared and afraid. But she became infected, and how she became infected remained a mystery till her death.

Hope is fading gradually, but we will keep on fighting. You will not know the pains and sorrows until a family or neighbour gets infected – someone you used to see every morning, afternoon, night, or used to hang out with – is there no more. It is hard to believe. What can we do now, what is going to happen next, when are we going to start living our normal lives? When can I see a friend and be happy to hug him or her? It only takes one person to get the virus in a family, but I say we’re not the virus – we are caught between the virus and starvation. We still need to survive, but how can we?

Infected cases are increasing every day, and for every infected person there are going to be five to 10 people who came in contact with the infected person. Why us? Why do we have to suffer like this? Don’t we deserve better lives? Better things? What more can we do? We need food. We need help – people are starving. To those who help, we say thank you for your support, prayers and love.