Ann Norman is a public relations professional who has worked in Sierra Leone for years. When the Ebola breakout began last year, she decided not to travel to the country. Nine months later, she is confident that it’s safe to travel there again.
“I am planning right now to go, and I have a four-and-a-half-year-old son and he’s coming with me," Norman said. "So I’m confident, I’m that confident that Ebola’s over that I’m taking my dearly beloved four-year-old son with me at the end of June. I’m quite confident that it’s contained to the point that we’ll be fine. I’m genuinely not worried about it.”
Although the country may be safe for travel, Sierra Leone is still in a state of emergency. Norman believes the economy in Sierra Leone will take years to recover from the Ebola outbreak.
“It’s been devastating economically to small businesses, devastating, and that’s nowhere near ending anytime soon, Norman said. "Even though markets open and things are ok, you know, they’re much better now. It’s going to take years and years and years to recover economically, if they can, from how Ebola has devastated the economy.”
Norman also said that companies like hers making the move back to western Africa will help in the first steps toward economic recovery.