OMPT Joins the Fight Against Ebola

Jan 15

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Partners,

We want to share with you some industry-related news from our friend Matt York, founder of the non-profit OMPT (One Mobile Projector Per Trainer). OMPT was recently selected by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to respond to the Ebola crisis in West Africa.

Matt York and OMPT has embarked on a mission to supply aid organizations engaged in the fight against Ebola with 100-plus specialized mobile video production and projection units. The OMPT units will contain safety procedures videos, created in local languages, that show West Africans how they can adapt traditional practices to stem the spread of the Ebola virus. Because the OMPT projection units are battery-powered, there is no need for a local power source and the videos can be shown in the most rural locations. OMPT is currently running an Indiegogo campaign to help raise more funds to expand the reach of the project, and they are very close to reaching their goal.

Matt left for West Africa a few days ago and sent us the following update on his mission. Here is his update.

“I managed to fit 300 pounds of video gear and training equipment into seven suitcases AND squeeze it into the Prius. This was the first transport of the 30-hour trip to West Africa, and I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity we have to help the people of West Africa.

“We arrived without any problems and immediately started the training sessions. A huge turnout of NGOs, we are running four sessions simultaneously. Two of the sessions will focus on an Ebola survivor’s story and we’ll start interviewing local residents who had contracted the disease and survived. A message of hope for the citizens of Guinea. In this picture, the group is working on their storyboard for the video which they will produce over the next four days.

“The WHO website tells us there were 74 confirmed cases reported in the seven days to 4 January 2015. There is no discernible upward or downward trend. Conakry is the worst affected district (and this is where we are based). There is an incredibly positive feel about the training and many see our intervention efforts as extremely valuable in the fight against the spread of Ebola.