As the death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa exceeds 2,400 people, Australia's African communities are increasingly feeling the loss of loved ones in nations including Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
In response, African leaders have used an annual cultural festival in Adelaide, Africa Unmasked, to launch a national campaign to raise awareness and funds to tackle the Ebola crisis.
Reagan Bledee, the Africa Unmasked Festival director, says that although the festival is a spiritied celebration, the event this year has an undercurrent of grief.
"I don't think people have got enough awareness regarding the impact," Mr Bledee told SBS.
"There are people right living next to us who have lost loved ones in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, so it's having really a great impact within the community itself."
The chairman of the African Council of South Australia, Mabok Deng Mabok Marial, says the concern is not just to raise money, but to ensure that it is well spent.
Volunteer fundraisers at the Adelaide African festival in Adelaide. (Karen Ashford)
"The theme is All Hands on Deck, to make sure that Australia is aware, I mean, we want to know exactly what Australia is going to do in helping all the affected countries in Africa."
The All Hands On Deck taskforce begins high level meetings this week to ensure Australia's contribution counts.
The federal government recently contributed 1 million dollars to the World Health Organisation's Ebola effort.
Share
