Articles and Stories from Liberia, Africa
Thank You...
...for taking the time to learn more about Mission
Honduras International's efforts to break the cycle
of poverty in Liberia, Africa through education in a
safe, faith-based environment.
How did all of this start?
The idea comes from prayer and volunteer work with
the poor in Honduras. The basic idea is to help
today's orphans and poor children become tomorrow's
leaders of families and communities.
Father Emil Cook, a Franciscan Priest, and Dave Dionisi discussed helping with the suffering in Africa. Father Emil founded Mission Honduras and has helped thousands of people in Honduras since 1970. Both Father Emil and Dave Dionisi independently concluded that Liberia would be the best place to start in Africa. The country of Liberia was selected because of the suffering, historic ties to the United States, and because the official language is English. To highlight this point, in 2003 the Economist Magazine selected Liberia as the worst place on earth to live. The "worst place" selection by the Economist Magazine helped confirm our "best place" decision. With Liberia's previous history of 133 years of consecutive peace, the combination of factors indicated that our efforts to break the cycle of poverty would have the greatest impact in Liberia.
The prayer for the end of the war was answered when the United Nations approved 15,000 peacekeepers in September of 2003. Liberia is currently the largest UN peacekeeping mission in the world. The peaceful transition of the interim government took place in October 2003. This signaled the time to start Liberia Mission. The Liberian corporation named Liberia Mission was created on November 17, 2003. We welcomed our first six children into the program in 2003. The goal is to replicate the successful program in Honduras that creates local sustainability, provides hope and transfers knowledge to help bring about a world at peace by breaking the cycle of poverty.
You are likely frequently hearing about programs to help the poor around the world. While there are many programs that are doing good work, there is a world of difference between providing aid or even caring for children and aggressively working to successfully end the cycle of poverty. Their volunteer work at Mission Honduras International has shown how leaders of families and communities can be developed from the poorest of the poor. In addition, a difference relative to most volunteer programs is the goal of educating sponsors, extending an open invitation to visit the children, and helping them stay personally involved. This goal of educating sponsors is how we provide "reverse mission" benefits.
There is something very "leveling" about spending time with people who can open your eyes to the realities of our world. The Liberian people are incredibly welcoming and you will see a richness of spirit that will no doubt leave you thinking about the world in a different way.
When we started in 2003 the suffering in Liberia was beyond belief. Unfortunately this still continues, although there is slow progress. If you read the articles on this site in the Articles section or just a few of the backgrounds of the orphans in the Our Children section, you will obtain a better sense for the needs in Liberia.
Each child who is helped literally is saved from a life from intense suffering and a future without hope. If people from one of the world's richest places do not help the people in one in the world's poorest places, who will?
Father Emil Cook, a Franciscan Priest, and Dave Dionisi discussed helping with the suffering in Africa. Father Emil founded Mission Honduras and has helped thousands of people in Honduras since 1970. Both Father Emil and Dave Dionisi independently concluded that Liberia would be the best place to start in Africa. The country of Liberia was selected because of the suffering, historic ties to the United States, and because the official language is English. To highlight this point, in 2003 the Economist Magazine selected Liberia as the worst place on earth to live. The "worst place" selection by the Economist Magazine helped confirm our "best place" decision. With Liberia's previous history of 133 years of consecutive peace, the combination of factors indicated that our efforts to break the cycle of poverty would have the greatest impact in Liberia.
The prayer for the end of the war was answered when the United Nations approved 15,000 peacekeepers in September of 2003. Liberia is currently the largest UN peacekeeping mission in the world. The peaceful transition of the interim government took place in October 2003. This signaled the time to start Liberia Mission. The Liberian corporation named Liberia Mission was created on November 17, 2003. We welcomed our first six children into the program in 2003. The goal is to replicate the successful program in Honduras that creates local sustainability, provides hope and transfers knowledge to help bring about a world at peace by breaking the cycle of poverty.
You are likely frequently hearing about programs to help the poor around the world. While there are many programs that are doing good work, there is a world of difference between providing aid or even caring for children and aggressively working to successfully end the cycle of poverty. Their volunteer work at Mission Honduras International has shown how leaders of families and communities can be developed from the poorest of the poor. In addition, a difference relative to most volunteer programs is the goal of educating sponsors, extending an open invitation to visit the children, and helping them stay personally involved. This goal of educating sponsors is how we provide "reverse mission" benefits.
There is something very "leveling" about spending time with people who can open your eyes to the realities of our world. The Liberian people are incredibly welcoming and you will see a richness of spirit that will no doubt leave you thinking about the world in a different way.
When we started in 2003 the suffering in Liberia was beyond belief. Unfortunately this still continues, although there is slow progress. If you read the articles on this site in the Articles section or just a few of the backgrounds of the orphans in the Our Children section, you will obtain a better sense for the needs in Liberia.
Each child who is helped literally is saved from a life from intense suffering and a future without hope. If people from one of the world's richest places do not help the people in one in the world's poorest places, who will?
Timeline
1847 - Constitution modeled on the USA is created.
1847 - Liberia becomes independent in July.
1917 - Liberia declares war on Germany, giving the Allies a base in West Africa.
1936 - Forced-labour practices are abolished.
1943 - William Tubman is elected president.
1926 - Firestone Tire and Rubber Company opens rubber plantation on land granted by government. Rubber production becomes backbone of economy.
1944 - Government declares war on the Axis powers.
1951 - Women and indigenous property owners vote in the presidential elections for the first time.
1958 - Racial discrimination is outlawed.
1971 - Tubman dies and is succeeded by William Tolbert Jr.
1974 - Government accepts aid from the Soviet Union for the first time.
1978 - Liberia signs trade agreement with the European Economic Community.
1979 - More than 40 people are killed in riots following a proposed increase in the price of rice.
1980 - Master Sergeant Samuel Doe stages military coup. Tolbert and 13 of his aides are publicly executed. A People's Redemption Council headed by Doe suspends constitution and assumes full powers.
1984 - Doe's regime allows return of political parties following pressure from the United States and other creditors.
1985 - Doe wins presidential election.
1989 - National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) led by Charles Taylor begins an uprising against the government.
1990 - Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) sends peacekeeping force. Doe is executed by a splinter group of the NPFL.
1991 - Ecowas and the NPFL agree to disarm and set up an Interim Government of National Unity.
1992 - The NPFL launches an all-out assault on West African peacekeepers in Monrovia, the latter respond by bombing NPFL positions outside the capital and pushing the NPFL back into the countryside.
1993 - The warring factions draw up a plan for a National Transitional Government and a cease-fire, but this fails to materialize and fighting resumes.
1994 - The warring factions agree on a timetable for disarmament and the setting up of a joint Council of State.
1995 - Peace agreement is signed.
1996 - Factional fighting resumes and spreads to Monrovia in April.
1996 - West African peacekeepers initiate disarmament program, clear land mines and reopen roads, allowing refugees to return in August.
1997 - Presidential and legislative elections held. Charles Taylor wins a landslide and his National Patriotic Party wins a majority of seats in the National Assembly. International observers declare the elections free and fair in July.
Tentative ceasefire from 1994 to 1997
1999 - Ghana and Nigeria accuse Liberia of supporting Revolutionary United Front rebels in Sierra Leone. Britain and the US threaten to suspend aid to Liberia in January.
1999 - Rebel forces thought to have come from Guinea attack town of Voinjama. Fighting displaces more than 25,000 people in April.
1999 - Guinea accuses Liberian forces of entering its territory and attacking border villages in September.
2000 - Liberian forces launch "massive offensive" against rebels in the north. Liberia accuses Guinean troops of shelling border villages in September.
2001 - Liberian government says Sierra Leonean rebel leader Sam Bockarie, also known as Mosquito, has left the country in February.
2001 - UN Security Council re-imposes arms embargo to punish Taylor for trading weapons for diamonds from rebels in Sierra Leone in May.
2002 - More than 50,000 Liberians and Sierra Leonean refugees flee fighting. In February Taylor declares a state of emergency in January.
2002 - President Taylor lifts an eight-month state of emergency and a ban on political rallies, citing a reduced threat from rebels in September.
2003 - Rebels open several battlefronts and advance to within 10km of Monrovia. Tens of thousands of people displaced by fighting in March.
2003 - Talks in Ghana aimed at ending rebellion are overshadowed by indictment accusing President Taylor of war crimes over his alleged backing of rebels in Sierra Leone in June.
2003 - Fighting intensifies; rebels battle for control of Monrovia. Several hundred people are killed. Mortars are fired near the U.S. Embassy killing civilians. West African regional group Ecowas agrees to provide peacekeepers in July.
2003 - Nigerian peacekeepers arrive. Charles Taylor leaves Liberia after handing power to his deputy Moses Blah. US troops arrive. Interim government, rebels sign peace accord in Ghana. Gyude Bryant chosen to head interim administration from October in August.
2003 - US forces pull out by October 1. UN launches major peacekeeping mission, deploying thousands of troops.
2003 - Fighting continues outside UN Military controlled territory. The Nimba town of Tappeta is attacked by Rebel forces on November 7.
2003 - The Liberian corporation, Liberia Mission, Inc. is established on November 17, 2003. A staff of 7 full time and 2 part time people are hired. The initial 6 children are welcomed and the Duport home site clears probate court with a 5 year lease for Liberia Mission.
2003 - Liberia Mission begins as countrywide peace grows
2004 - In January, all ten of the founding sponsors are matched with the first ten children. By February the home is repaired so that it is suitable for children and a well is dug to provide safe drinking water. In March the process of welcoming additional children begins.
2004 - In April, sponsorship update information is distributed with current photos of the children. The port city of Buchanan is disarmed on April 20 (this is where the rebel MODEL fighters had their headquarters).
2004 - In May, sponsors participate in a conference call with the children they sponsor and the staff in Liberia. The supplies sent to the mission and the bus to transport the kids to school arrives.
2004 - In July, Liberia Mission is accredited by the Liberian Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs as a National Private Voluntary Organization/Non-Governmental Organization (registered under the laws of Liberia, signed and sealed by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs on July 16, 2004).
2004 - On November 4, the three former warring factions jointly announce they have disarmed and disbanded their forces.
2004 - On November 17 (the second anniversary of Liberia Mission), a farming cooperative is started to help internally displaced people return to their villages and simultaneously help the orphans with their first self-sustaining business. The money earned by helping the farmers sell their products will help the orphanage pay for a portion of the ongoing operating costs.
2005 - In January we purchase ten acres of land near the University of Liberia. This land is being used to store products for the farming cooperative as well as grow food for the orphanage. The property is beautiful and located in a place that will help reduce sickness from malaria. In addition, we plan to relocate the program to this property as the lease on the Duport Road home ends in 2008. Someday we plan on having children who are going to the University of Liberia and this property will allow them to walk to school.
2005 - In February, the Hendrix family started a children's library for the orphanage. The kids are excited to see books that will no doubt leave a lifetime of special memories and help them improve their reading skills.
2005 - On November 8, the first female president in the history of the continent of Africa was elected in Liberia.
2005 - In November, Father Cook travels to Liberia for the first time with seven other people from the United States and Honduras. Hector Lanza, a graduate of Mission Honduras, takes over program leadership from Dave Dionisi. Hector and Norman agree to live in Liberia for two years (an incredible sacrifice, especially for Hector, as he has three young daughters in Honduras).
2006 - In January the work for the a new school and an expansion of the farm from ten acres to forty acres begins.
2006 - In September the new St. Anthony of Padua school is completed.
2007 - In January to May, the entire staff is working extremely hard to stay on track with the development plans. The children are continuing to make good progress at the new school. The expansion of the Liberia Mission farming project is complete and in time with increasingly provide food for the children.
2007 - In May a team from the US and Honduras visited to evaluate the progress. The original ten-acre farm, expanded to a 24.5 acre oasis of hope, is in a word miraculous. The development includes housing for the children and staff with running water and electricity! All the children and program supplies were moved from Duport Road to our Blacktom site. The last group to go include our dog Unity and the chickens, which were very reluctant to move to the new location.
2007 - In November, Hector and Norman leave Liberia. Another graduate of the program in Honduras, Omar, is currently in Liberia. After six months of training, he will be ready to continue the fantastic accomplishments of the current staff.
Today, Liberia Mission makes miraculous progress with APUFRAM leading the way!
Source: Multiple, but initially modified from a timeline created for BBC.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material that has been modified but the original material has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Liberia Mission distributes this material without profit to those who have a need for educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
1847 - Liberia becomes independent in July.
1917 - Liberia declares war on Germany, giving the Allies a base in West Africa.
1936 - Forced-labour practices are abolished.
1943 - William Tubman is elected president.
1926 - Firestone Tire and Rubber Company opens rubber plantation on land granted by government. Rubber production becomes backbone of economy.
1944 - Government declares war on the Axis powers.
1951 - Women and indigenous property owners vote in the presidential elections for the first time.
1958 - Racial discrimination is outlawed.
1971 - Tubman dies and is succeeded by William Tolbert Jr.
1974 - Government accepts aid from the Soviet Union for the first time.
1978 - Liberia signs trade agreement with the European Economic Community.
1979 - More than 40 people are killed in riots following a proposed increase in the price of rice.
1980 - Master Sergeant Samuel Doe stages military coup. Tolbert and 13 of his aides are publicly executed. A People's Redemption Council headed by Doe suspends constitution and assumes full powers.
1984 - Doe's regime allows return of political parties following pressure from the United States and other creditors.
1985 - Doe wins presidential election.
1989 - National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) led by Charles Taylor begins an uprising against the government.
1990 - Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) sends peacekeeping force. Doe is executed by a splinter group of the NPFL.
1991 - Ecowas and the NPFL agree to disarm and set up an Interim Government of National Unity.
1992 - The NPFL launches an all-out assault on West African peacekeepers in Monrovia, the latter respond by bombing NPFL positions outside the capital and pushing the NPFL back into the countryside.
1993 - The warring factions draw up a plan for a National Transitional Government and a cease-fire, but this fails to materialize and fighting resumes.
1994 - The warring factions agree on a timetable for disarmament and the setting up of a joint Council of State.
1995 - Peace agreement is signed.
1996 - Factional fighting resumes and spreads to Monrovia in April.
1996 - West African peacekeepers initiate disarmament program, clear land mines and reopen roads, allowing refugees to return in August.
1997 - Presidential and legislative elections held. Charles Taylor wins a landslide and his National Patriotic Party wins a majority of seats in the National Assembly. International observers declare the elections free and fair in July.
Tentative ceasefire from 1994 to 1997
1999 - Ghana and Nigeria accuse Liberia of supporting Revolutionary United Front rebels in Sierra Leone. Britain and the US threaten to suspend aid to Liberia in January.
1999 - Rebel forces thought to have come from Guinea attack town of Voinjama. Fighting displaces more than 25,000 people in April.
1999 - Guinea accuses Liberian forces of entering its territory and attacking border villages in September.
2000 - Liberian forces launch "massive offensive" against rebels in the north. Liberia accuses Guinean troops of shelling border villages in September.
2001 - Liberian government says Sierra Leonean rebel leader Sam Bockarie, also known as Mosquito, has left the country in February.
2001 - UN Security Council re-imposes arms embargo to punish Taylor for trading weapons for diamonds from rebels in Sierra Leone in May.
2002 - More than 50,000 Liberians and Sierra Leonean refugees flee fighting. In February Taylor declares a state of emergency in January.
2002 - President Taylor lifts an eight-month state of emergency and a ban on political rallies, citing a reduced threat from rebels in September.
2003 - Rebels open several battlefronts and advance to within 10km of Monrovia. Tens of thousands of people displaced by fighting in March.
2003 - Talks in Ghana aimed at ending rebellion are overshadowed by indictment accusing President Taylor of war crimes over his alleged backing of rebels in Sierra Leone in June.
2003 - Fighting intensifies; rebels battle for control of Monrovia. Several hundred people are killed. Mortars are fired near the U.S. Embassy killing civilians. West African regional group Ecowas agrees to provide peacekeepers in July.
2003 - Nigerian peacekeepers arrive. Charles Taylor leaves Liberia after handing power to his deputy Moses Blah. US troops arrive. Interim government, rebels sign peace accord in Ghana. Gyude Bryant chosen to head interim administration from October in August.
2003 - US forces pull out by October 1. UN launches major peacekeeping mission, deploying thousands of troops.
2003 - Fighting continues outside UN Military controlled territory. The Nimba town of Tappeta is attacked by Rebel forces on November 7.
2003 - The Liberian corporation, Liberia Mission, Inc. is established on November 17, 2003. A staff of 7 full time and 2 part time people are hired. The initial 6 children are welcomed and the Duport home site clears probate court with a 5 year lease for Liberia Mission.
2003 - Liberia Mission begins as countrywide peace grows
2004 - In January, all ten of the founding sponsors are matched with the first ten children. By February the home is repaired so that it is suitable for children and a well is dug to provide safe drinking water. In March the process of welcoming additional children begins.
2004 - In April, sponsorship update information is distributed with current photos of the children. The port city of Buchanan is disarmed on April 20 (this is where the rebel MODEL fighters had their headquarters).
2004 - In May, sponsors participate in a conference call with the children they sponsor and the staff in Liberia. The supplies sent to the mission and the bus to transport the kids to school arrives.
2004 - In July, Liberia Mission is accredited by the Liberian Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs as a National Private Voluntary Organization/Non-Governmental Organization (registered under the laws of Liberia, signed and sealed by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs on July 16, 2004).
2004 - On November 4, the three former warring factions jointly announce they have disarmed and disbanded their forces.
2004 - On November 17 (the second anniversary of Liberia Mission), a farming cooperative is started to help internally displaced people return to their villages and simultaneously help the orphans with their first self-sustaining business. The money earned by helping the farmers sell their products will help the orphanage pay for a portion of the ongoing operating costs.
2005 - In January we purchase ten acres of land near the University of Liberia. This land is being used to store products for the farming cooperative as well as grow food for the orphanage. The property is beautiful and located in a place that will help reduce sickness from malaria. In addition, we plan to relocate the program to this property as the lease on the Duport Road home ends in 2008. Someday we plan on having children who are going to the University of Liberia and this property will allow them to walk to school.
2005 - In February, the Hendrix family started a children's library for the orphanage. The kids are excited to see books that will no doubt leave a lifetime of special memories and help them improve their reading skills.
2005 - On November 8, the first female president in the history of the continent of Africa was elected in Liberia.
2005 - In November, Father Cook travels to Liberia for the first time with seven other people from the United States and Honduras. Hector Lanza, a graduate of Mission Honduras, takes over program leadership from Dave Dionisi. Hector and Norman agree to live in Liberia for two years (an incredible sacrifice, especially for Hector, as he has three young daughters in Honduras).
2006 - In January the work for the a new school and an expansion of the farm from ten acres to forty acres begins.
2006 - In September the new St. Anthony of Padua school is completed.
2007 - In January to May, the entire staff is working extremely hard to stay on track with the development plans. The children are continuing to make good progress at the new school. The expansion of the Liberia Mission farming project is complete and in time with increasingly provide food for the children.
2007 - In May a team from the US and Honduras visited to evaluate the progress. The original ten-acre farm, expanded to a 24.5 acre oasis of hope, is in a word miraculous. The development includes housing for the children and staff with running water and electricity! All the children and program supplies were moved from Duport Road to our Blacktom site. The last group to go include our dog Unity and the chickens, which were very reluctant to move to the new location.
2007 - In November, Hector and Norman leave Liberia. Another graduate of the program in Honduras, Omar, is currently in Liberia. After six months of training, he will be ready to continue the fantastic accomplishments of the current staff.
Today, Liberia Mission makes miraculous progress with APUFRAM leading the way!
Source: Multiple, but initially modified from a timeline created for BBC.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material that has been modified but the original material has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Liberia Mission distributes this material without profit to those who have a need for educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Five Year Plan
Year 1 (11/2003 -11/2004)
- Establish contacts with local authorities to obtain advice on where to begin, who to hire, how to obtain orphans and the best practices for caring for the children.
- Create the core staff roles and responsibilities.
- Recruit a core staff to care for the children and administer the program. Desired staff will view our mission of building tomorrow’s leaders from today’s orphans as a calling and not just a job.
- Pick the initial operating location to support up to 30 children and sign a 5 year lease.
- Establish security for the staff and children.
- Arrange for banking and financial oversight of program expenses.
- Establish an independent and local advisory board.
- Work with certified social workers to help identify and select the children.
- Begin caring for 10 orphans.
- Establish the legal entity in Liberia called Liberian Mission, Inc.
- Make the changes needed to the property leased to better care for children (e.g., dig a well for clean water, add beds, establish a working kitchen, etc.).
- Enroll the children in school.
- Improve practices so the staff and care for an additional 10 children.
- Complete period program reviews (e.g., individual progress reports for the children and a review of the program finances).
- Begin recruiting additional orphans to start Year 2 with 20 children in our care.
- Purchase a bus for transportation.
All year 1 goals were accomplished on schedule.
Year 2 (11/2004 -11/2005)
- Care for 20 children.
- Provide clean drinking water for 300 people.
- Create a library for children to access materials to help them learn to read.
- Develop a video explaining the program in DVD format and begin distributing this to expand the support for the program.
- Strengthen relationships with local authorities.
- Help the people in the local community with free and safe drinking water.
- Start a farming cooperative business and study alternative business opportunities to build self-sufficiency over time.
- Purchase 10 acres for the new headquarters of Liberia Mission, Inc. and beginning growing food on this land.
- Plan for skills and resources that can be leveraged from the Mission Honduras program in Central America. The objective is to receive two Mission Honduras workers in Novembers to strengthen the Liberia Mission program.
Year 3 (11/2005 -11/2006)
- Start a school for the 20 orphans and another 250 children.
- Expand the farm to 40 acres and provide clean drinking water for another 300 people.
- Evaluate business opportunities and start the second business (the first is the farming cooperative) to help Liberia Mission become self-sufficient.
- Welcome the talented people from Honduras who will help lead the program.
- Establish formal rules for the transfer of the Liberian Mission, Inc. to our future graduates. This transition will take time to build a population of graduates and businesses that are self sustaining.
- Begin construction of the new homes for the orphans on the 10 acres previously purchased so that the children will have places to live once we are no longer renting the Duport Road compound.
- Build a warehouse for the farming cooperative business.
- Buy a replacement vehicle for the small bus.
Year 4 (11/2006 -11/2007)
- Care for hundreds of children (orphans and students at our school).
- Implement new ideas to help large numbers of children go to school.
- Implement new ideas to increase the availability of clean water.
- Continue construction projects at the property. Finish construction of a school.
Year 5 (11/2007 -11/2008)
- Care for hundreds of children (orphans and students at our school).
- Finish moving the program and children from the Duport Road facility by November 2008.
- Evaluate business opportunities that are sustainable to help grow the program so that we are on track with our goal of helping a 1,000 children permanently break the cycle of poverty.
- Establish contacts with local authorities to obtain advice on where to begin, who to hire, how to obtain orphans and the best practices for caring for the children.
- Create the core staff roles and responsibilities.
- Recruit a core staff to care for the children and administer the program. Desired staff will view our mission of building tomorrow’s leaders from today’s orphans as a calling and not just a job.
- Pick the initial operating location to support up to 30 children and sign a 5 year lease.
- Establish security for the staff and children.
- Arrange for banking and financial oversight of program expenses.
- Establish an independent and local advisory board.
- Work with certified social workers to help identify and select the children.
- Begin caring for 10 orphans.
- Establish the legal entity in Liberia called Liberian Mission, Inc.
- Make the changes needed to the property leased to better care for children (e.g., dig a well for clean water, add beds, establish a working kitchen, etc.).
- Enroll the children in school.
- Improve practices so the staff and care for an additional 10 children.
- Complete period program reviews (e.g., individual progress reports for the children and a review of the program finances).
- Begin recruiting additional orphans to start Year 2 with 20 children in our care.
- Purchase a bus for transportation.
All year 1 goals were accomplished on schedule.
Year 2 (11/2004 -11/2005)
- Care for 20 children.
- Provide clean drinking water for 300 people.
- Create a library for children to access materials to help them learn to read.
- Develop a video explaining the program in DVD format and begin distributing this to expand the support for the program.
- Strengthen relationships with local authorities.
- Help the people in the local community with free and safe drinking water.
- Start a farming cooperative business and study alternative business opportunities to build self-sufficiency over time.
- Purchase 10 acres for the new headquarters of Liberia Mission, Inc. and beginning growing food on this land.
- Plan for skills and resources that can be leveraged from the Mission Honduras program in Central America. The objective is to receive two Mission Honduras workers in Novembers to strengthen the Liberia Mission program.
Year 3 (11/2005 -11/2006)
- Start a school for the 20 orphans and another 250 children.
- Expand the farm to 40 acres and provide clean drinking water for another 300 people.
- Evaluate business opportunities and start the second business (the first is the farming cooperative) to help Liberia Mission become self-sufficient.
- Welcome the talented people from Honduras who will help lead the program.
- Establish formal rules for the transfer of the Liberian Mission, Inc. to our future graduates. This transition will take time to build a population of graduates and businesses that are self sustaining.
- Begin construction of the new homes for the orphans on the 10 acres previously purchased so that the children will have places to live once we are no longer renting the Duport Road compound.
- Build a warehouse for the farming cooperative business.
- Buy a replacement vehicle for the small bus.
Year 4 (11/2006 -11/2007)
- Care for hundreds of children (orphans and students at our school).
- Implement new ideas to help large numbers of children go to school.
- Implement new ideas to increase the availability of clean water.
- Continue construction projects at the property. Finish construction of a school.
Year 5 (11/2007 -11/2008)
- Care for hundreds of children (orphans and students at our school).
- Finish moving the program and children from the Duport Road facility by November 2008.
- Evaluate business opportunities that are sustainable to help grow the program so that we are on track with our goal of helping a 1,000 children permanently break the cycle of poverty.
Child Soldiers
Kids as young as 5 and more often closer to 9 to 11
were actively involved in combat. This civil wars had
three groups fighting for control of the country. The
first was the Liberian Government which was led by
Charles Taylor. Charles Taylor left Liberia and is
now wanted by a number of nations for his role in
numerous crimes against humanity in West Africa. The
second group is Liberians United for Reform and
Democracy or LURD. The third group split from LURD
and is the Movement for Democracy in Liberia or
MODEL.
All three groups recruited children to fight. Typically the children would be given cocaine, marijuana and alcohol. The children were taught that certain actions, like dressing as women, would make them safe from bullets. Unfortunately, these children lacked even a basic education and often only learned about the realities of war when they or their friends were actually hit by a bullet.
On November 17, 2003, I talked with Shugbeh Kuyathen at the Don Bosco home for children soldiers in Monrovia. Shugbeh, who is currently 11 years old, fought with the Liberian Government Militia in the Ivory Coast. One of the reasons Charles Taylor is wanted for crimes in the Ivory Coast is the fact he sent fighters into the Ivory Coast to overthrow the existing government.
I asked Shugbeh where he was from and said the bush. This kid was separated from his family living with a friend in the bush. He still does not realize the magnitude of what he has done. He was very happy when he told me how he killed enemies with his AK-47. After they killed the enemy they cut the people into pieces with their machetes. The bottom line is Shugbeh was happy when he killed the enemy because he survived and his commander was proud of him. Unlike many kids, Shugbeh was not doped up at the time and would typically only drink palm wine and cane juice before combat. If Shugbeh had access to drugs or he would have gladly used them.
I also spoke with Bollay Deddah. He was a Colonel that led 25 boys. He is currently 12 years old. He was encouraged to fight while hiding with a friend in the bush. Hungry and with no where to go, he joined the Red Devils within the LURD command.
To this day when the boys he led see him they still call him chief. Seeing these little boys as killers would be hard to believe if it were not so common in Liberia. A key to sustainable peace is getting these children in school and engaged in activities that will help them become productive members of society. The challenge of educating child combatants is one of the greatest barriers to peace that Liberians will face in the upcoming years.
Source: Dave Dionisi interview with Shugbey and Bollay on November 17, 2003.
All three groups recruited children to fight. Typically the children would be given cocaine, marijuana and alcohol. The children were taught that certain actions, like dressing as women, would make them safe from bullets. Unfortunately, these children lacked even a basic education and often only learned about the realities of war when they or their friends were actually hit by a bullet.
On November 17, 2003, I talked with Shugbeh Kuyathen at the Don Bosco home for children soldiers in Monrovia. Shugbeh, who is currently 11 years old, fought with the Liberian Government Militia in the Ivory Coast. One of the reasons Charles Taylor is wanted for crimes in the Ivory Coast is the fact he sent fighters into the Ivory Coast to overthrow the existing government.
I asked Shugbeh where he was from and said the bush. This kid was separated from his family living with a friend in the bush. He still does not realize the magnitude of what he has done. He was very happy when he told me how he killed enemies with his AK-47. After they killed the enemy they cut the people into pieces with their machetes. The bottom line is Shugbeh was happy when he killed the enemy because he survived and his commander was proud of him. Unlike many kids, Shugbeh was not doped up at the time and would typically only drink palm wine and cane juice before combat. If Shugbeh had access to drugs or he would have gladly used them.
I also spoke with Bollay Deddah. He was a Colonel that led 25 boys. He is currently 12 years old. He was encouraged to fight while hiding with a friend in the bush. Hungry and with no where to go, he joined the Red Devils within the LURD command.
To this day when the boys he led see him they still call him chief. Seeing these little boys as killers would be hard to believe if it were not so common in Liberia. A key to sustainable peace is getting these children in school and engaged in activities that will help them become productive members of society. The challenge of educating child combatants is one of the greatest barriers to peace that Liberians will face in the upcoming years.
Source: Dave Dionisi interview with Shugbey and Bollay on November 17, 2003.
Helping the Disabled
I observed the life-saving work of Catholic Relief
Services (CRS) on November 8, 2003. CRS came to the
aid of over 150 disabled children who were starving
due to the civil war in Liberia.
The CRS organization is a good friend according to Sr. Mary Sponsa Beltran, the founder of the Our Lady of Fatima Rehabilitation Center in Johnsonville, Liberia. CRS has helped since 2000 with food aid from the Life Center Program and construction of a well.
CRS directly helped all of the people associated with the center on October 9, 2003. The aid allowed children who had not eaten for days to start to regain their strength. The children continue to struggle, not only with severe medical problems from their disabilities, but also from extreme poverty. Food is no longer the primary problem, but the children need many basic things for their day-to-day survival.
The October 9, 2003 CRS shipment was made possible by a grant from the Canadian Center for Peace & Development. The aid included:
• 46 tins of vegetable oil
• 36 bags of table salt
• 2 bags of sugar
• 300 eating bowls
• 10 lanterns
• 10 shovels
• 10 rakes
• 3 wheel barrels
Sr. Beltran observed, “This is the worst I have seen. I never saw people so poor.” This is an amazing statement from a women who has been a Bernadine missionary for 52 years with over 30 years in Liberia alone.
Sr. Beltran became disabled herself in 1990. She cannot walk and also has very limited eyesight. Her powerful presence and hard work with her disability makes her connection to the children even more unique.
I echo Sr. Beltran’s comments; the suffering in Liberia is shocking. The civil war that lasted 14 years produced this poverty. The Liberians refer to the recent wars as World War I, II and III. The suffering may be more comprehendible in this context. The location of the center near Monrovia put the residents and children in the cross fire of this civil war.
The Our Lady of Fatima center serves people in extreme need. Currently 700 children attend school in a building that would serve 100 kids in the United States. Over 300 people are able to eat one meal a day and 150 people sleep in the unbelievably crowded dormitory.
Without CRS and direct support from the United States, the disabled will experience suffering on a level unimaginable in the United States.
One 15 year old girl at the center, Makule Dullah, shared with me that she has Polio and Kyphosis. Her mom died and her aunts and father were unable to care for her due to her condition. Makule came to Sr. Beltran with the dream of going to school. She is now at the top of her class and will be a teacher when she graduates.
Makule has a beautiful smile. She especially loves books about human beings. She has many friends at the center. One friend, Marie, is also disabled. Marie does her best to contribute to the center by helping put buttons on clothes.
Christians and Muslims have strong friendships in Liberia. This is because each religion is respectful of the other and fundamentally sees each other as children of God. Makule’s father, Mohammed, is a Muslim. He works at the center and is famous for his skill with his one hand.
Makule recently became a Christian. Her father respects her decision and is very proud of his daughter.
Lorpu Kalubah, a six year old girl with Polio, asked Sr. Beltran to never leave the center. Her fear was born in August when the people were fighting. The combatants, often young boys doped up with drugs, terrorize everyone. At one point in August, Sr. Beltran was away from the center and the children had nothing to eat. Fortunately, CRS was able to come to the rescue before it was too late.
Lorpu’s mother joined the rebel forces in a place in Liberia called Loffa county. Many people were presented with the option of fight or be killed. Lorpu’s grandmother brought her to the orphanage after her mom left with the soldiers.
Lorpu likes ducks and dogs but she can’t play with them anymore because they were eaten during the war. She also mentioned that she loves chocolate which she had for the first time when Sister returned from the United States.
I think Lorpu is a smart girl. I too asked what would happen if CRS, Sr. Beltran and the center itself were not there to help.
Even with the previous aid, the situation is still desperate. Sr. Beltran said that she would do anything to help these kids, and I don’t doubt that for a second. She has given her life to serve those most in need.
Sr. Beltran is assisted by Victor S. Wilson. He is the leader of the center. Victor was one of the first disabled children at the center. During the war Victor was forced at gunpoint to surrender the money the center had to feed the children and adults. Miraculously, the soldiers failed to see two bags of money in the safe. The two bags enabled the center to meet the survival needs of the people.
I visited the dormitory, and the sight was not pretty. Children sleep on rat eaten mats. These disabled kids are crowded in the few rooms with 2 or 3 children for every bed. The smell is unpleasant, but the center does the best it can. Given the alternative of sleeping outside, the dormitory is a slightly better alternative.
One man who touched my heart was Sackor Freeman. Sackor is a severely disabled young man. Look at his hands in the picture below to obtain a sense of his suffering.
This 17 year old has a smile and a voice that is none-the-less inspiring. Sr. Beltran said that Sackor’s wasting away. I felt his arm and it was no wider than two fingers. I wonder if Sackor will be at the center the next time I visit?
Sackor coaches soccer for 23 children between the ages of 9 to 14. He looks forward to coaching when the center obtains a soccer ball. Apparently, the crutches can pop a soccer ball.
Sackor wrote a song about the war. He sang the song for me. The words are:
"Thank you God for saving us! Jesus, I love you! During the war people were running from place to place and bullets were flying and falling all around. People were dying. Thank you God! Thank you God for saving us!"
CRS is a life-line in this world of week-to-week survival. I encourage you in donating to CRS and asking the CRS phone representative how you can help the disabled children at the Our Lady of Fatima Rehabilitation center in Liberia, Africa.
You can also help Sr. Beltran directly by sending donations to her representative in the United States.
Make checks payable to: Our Lady Of Fatima Rehabilitation Center, 47 Harford Avenue, Shavertown, PA 18708, attention Eileen Rockensies. If you would have questions or would like to receive a video on Sr. Beltran's good work, please call Eileen Rockensies at 570-675-3397.
Source: Dave Dionisi interview of Sr. Beltran and members of the Our Lady of Fatima Rehabilitation Center in November of 2003.
The CRS organization is a good friend according to Sr. Mary Sponsa Beltran, the founder of the Our Lady of Fatima Rehabilitation Center in Johnsonville, Liberia. CRS has helped since 2000 with food aid from the Life Center Program and construction of a well.
CRS directly helped all of the people associated with the center on October 9, 2003. The aid allowed children who had not eaten for days to start to regain their strength. The children continue to struggle, not only with severe medical problems from their disabilities, but also from extreme poverty. Food is no longer the primary problem, but the children need many basic things for their day-to-day survival.
The October 9, 2003 CRS shipment was made possible by a grant from the Canadian Center for Peace & Development. The aid included:
• 46 tins of vegetable oil
• 36 bags of table salt
• 2 bags of sugar
• 300 eating bowls
• 10 lanterns
• 10 shovels
• 10 rakes
• 3 wheel barrels
Sr. Beltran observed, “This is the worst I have seen. I never saw people so poor.” This is an amazing statement from a women who has been a Bernadine missionary for 52 years with over 30 years in Liberia alone.
Sr. Beltran became disabled herself in 1990. She cannot walk and also has very limited eyesight. Her powerful presence and hard work with her disability makes her connection to the children even more unique.
I echo Sr. Beltran’s comments; the suffering in Liberia is shocking. The civil war that lasted 14 years produced this poverty. The Liberians refer to the recent wars as World War I, II and III. The suffering may be more comprehendible in this context. The location of the center near Monrovia put the residents and children in the cross fire of this civil war.
The Our Lady of Fatima center serves people in extreme need. Currently 700 children attend school in a building that would serve 100 kids in the United States. Over 300 people are able to eat one meal a day and 150 people sleep in the unbelievably crowded dormitory.
Without CRS and direct support from the United States, the disabled will experience suffering on a level unimaginable in the United States.
One 15 year old girl at the center, Makule Dullah, shared with me that she has Polio and Kyphosis. Her mom died and her aunts and father were unable to care for her due to her condition. Makule came to Sr. Beltran with the dream of going to school. She is now at the top of her class and will be a teacher when she graduates.
Makule has a beautiful smile. She especially loves books about human beings. She has many friends at the center. One friend, Marie, is also disabled. Marie does her best to contribute to the center by helping put buttons on clothes.
Christians and Muslims have strong friendships in Liberia. This is because each religion is respectful of the other and fundamentally sees each other as children of God. Makule’s father, Mohammed, is a Muslim. He works at the center and is famous for his skill with his one hand.
Makule recently became a Christian. Her father respects her decision and is very proud of his daughter.
Lorpu Kalubah, a six year old girl with Polio, asked Sr. Beltran to never leave the center. Her fear was born in August when the people were fighting. The combatants, often young boys doped up with drugs, terrorize everyone. At one point in August, Sr. Beltran was away from the center and the children had nothing to eat. Fortunately, CRS was able to come to the rescue before it was too late.
Lorpu’s mother joined the rebel forces in a place in Liberia called Loffa county. Many people were presented with the option of fight or be killed. Lorpu’s grandmother brought her to the orphanage after her mom left with the soldiers.
Lorpu likes ducks and dogs but she can’t play with them anymore because they were eaten during the war. She also mentioned that she loves chocolate which she had for the first time when Sister returned from the United States.
I think Lorpu is a smart girl. I too asked what would happen if CRS, Sr. Beltran and the center itself were not there to help.
Even with the previous aid, the situation is still desperate. Sr. Beltran said that she would do anything to help these kids, and I don’t doubt that for a second. She has given her life to serve those most in need.
Sr. Beltran is assisted by Victor S. Wilson. He is the leader of the center. Victor was one of the first disabled children at the center. During the war Victor was forced at gunpoint to surrender the money the center had to feed the children and adults. Miraculously, the soldiers failed to see two bags of money in the safe. The two bags enabled the center to meet the survival needs of the people.
I visited the dormitory, and the sight was not pretty. Children sleep on rat eaten mats. These disabled kids are crowded in the few rooms with 2 or 3 children for every bed. The smell is unpleasant, but the center does the best it can. Given the alternative of sleeping outside, the dormitory is a slightly better alternative.
One man who touched my heart was Sackor Freeman. Sackor is a severely disabled young man. Look at his hands in the picture below to obtain a sense of his suffering.
This 17 year old has a smile and a voice that is none-the-less inspiring. Sr. Beltran said that Sackor’s wasting away. I felt his arm and it was no wider than two fingers. I wonder if Sackor will be at the center the next time I visit?
Sackor coaches soccer for 23 children between the ages of 9 to 14. He looks forward to coaching when the center obtains a soccer ball. Apparently, the crutches can pop a soccer ball.
Sackor wrote a song about the war. He sang the song for me. The words are:
"Thank you God for saving us! Jesus, I love you! During the war people were running from place to place and bullets were flying and falling all around. People were dying. Thank you God! Thank you God for saving us!"
CRS is a life-line in this world of week-to-week survival. I encourage you in donating to CRS and asking the CRS phone representative how you can help the disabled children at the Our Lady of Fatima Rehabilitation center in Liberia, Africa.
You can also help Sr. Beltran directly by sending donations to her representative in the United States.
Make checks payable to: Our Lady Of Fatima Rehabilitation Center, 47 Harford Avenue, Shavertown, PA 18708, attention Eileen Rockensies. If you would have questions or would like to receive a video on Sr. Beltran's good work, please call Eileen Rockensies at 570-675-3397.
Source: Dave Dionisi interview of Sr. Beltran and members of the Our Lady of Fatima Rehabilitation Center in November of 2003.
Seeking Safety
Steven Nyanti, a Catholic Relief Services employee’s
personal story
Steve works in the Catholic Relief Services office in Monrovia, Liberia as the finance officer. He and his family have experienced a lot with the 14 year civil war in Liberia, Africa. Steve shared one story with me when we met in November 2003.
The story begins in March of 2003. At that time Steve and his family lived in Brewerville City which is about a 35 minute drive from Monrovia. His home is also 30 miles from Tubmanburg. His home is approximately in the middle of these two important cities in Liberia. In addition, Brewerville City is also the home for thousands of Internally Displaced People (IDP). There are five very big IDP camps in town.
Unfortunately, people attract the soldiers. While the people have little to steal, the soldiers raid the IDP camps anyway to take their food and rape the women and girls. Steve’s home, about 2 minutes away from the Voice of America radio station, was surrounded by these IDP camps.
In late March, Steve was at work in Monrovia. He heard from friends that fighting had broken out in the IDP camps near his home. Steve immediately left the office to find his family. Steve attempted to cross the St. Paul bridge that separates Monrovia from the road to Brewerville. The Liberian government soldiers had blocked the bridge so that the soldiers would have uninterrupted “stealing access” to the homes on the other side of the bridge. Many people tried to swim across and drowned in the process. The people on both sides could see people screaming for help and going under for the last time.
Late that evening Steve saw his family come across the St. Paul bridge. Unbelievably, with all the fighting and thousands of people, the family was reunited! Steve did make it across the bridge two days later only to find his home looted and severely damaged.
As a pre-cautionary measure, Steve decided to move his family to an area closer to work called Hotel Africa. In May, Steve was at work and received another report of fighting in the Hotel Africa area. At this point he decided to move to town because the rebel forces had advanced to the Hotel Africa area. The family stayed at the Mamba Point CRS guest apartment. Two weeks later the family relocated to Ducor Palace hotel near Ashmun Street in Monrovia. The Ducor Palace was no longer a hotel but now the home for the Anti-Terrorist Unit government soldiers. Steve and family stayed there as the fighting continued. After each round of fighting, more people were killed and more property was looted.
The worst fighting took place in the middle of July. This is when the embassy area became a densely populated place. People felt the United States would protect the area known as the Greystone Compound. When the mortar shells started to fall around the compound, everyone was terrified.
Steve and family moved to his sister’s basement which was below the Ducor Palace in a place called Snapper Hill. The family was crowded in a little basement with 25 people in this normally three person room. The group stayed in the room for ten days as the fighting continued. The basement was suffocating and they would only leave to seek water when the shelling stopped.
Two of the rockets landed in a nearby house. Fortunately no one was wounded in that blast. Another rocket landed near the community well and killed the son of Steve’s friend. Several others were severely injured by this explosion on July 22. On July 24, about 40 mortars exploded. Steve’s only comfort was listening to the radio for when the United States Marines would come and save them.
The Catholic Church Sacred Heart Cathedral was a target because the Archbishop was an outspoken opponent of the former President Charles Taylor. The ATU soldiers looted all the vehicles and threaten to kill Steve because he was known to be an employee of a Catholic organization. On July 25, the commander of the ATU force went around the neighborhood and said he was searching for rebel collaborators. One of the boys who was with him was 15 years old. He recognized Steve and said “he is a CRS big man.” The ATU commander went into a rage and threatened to kill Steve on the spot.
That afternoon, the ATU commander told his girlfriend that he was going to “take people out.” The women told her mom who then notified the people in the neighborhood. People went from home to home spreading the word. People began to barricade their homes. The men went on alert and were prepared to blow their whistles as soon as the ATU soldiers arrived.
Steve called his friend at the Catholic radio station called Veritas. Unfortunately his friend could not help. The radio station was closed down.
That night there was a lot of fear as the sound of weapons being fired continued until the morning of July 26. The morning of July 26 was peaceful. At mid-day the fighting resumed with an even greater intensity.
Since Steve was identified as a CRS big man, he was in more danger than most. He decided to try to leave and go to a place called Sinkor. One of the relatives of Charles Taylor was a personal friend. Steve called him and he said he would help by sending a vehicle. The vehicle could only take one person at a time. Late that evening Steve’s wife was able to leave. She traveled with shots being fired in all directions. She made her way by foot to Salvatores Restaurant. At 6 p.m. on July 27, she made it to the car and was taken to Congotown. Steve remained in the basement as fighting continued all night.
Steve’s wife arranged for a United Nations ambulance to come and pick him up. Steve walked to the Merlin office about 15 minutes away. There was intense firing and during his walk Steve saw three people get hit by bullets. The Merlin office had become a displaced persons facility. Steve waited 3 hours before the ambulance arrived. The ambulance driver took Steve to Congotown to be with his wife. Later that day the ambulance came back and picked up Steve’s daughter. She also made it safely to Congotown.
Steve and family stayed near the Charles Taylor residence in Congotown. Unfortunately, the rebels were now headed for this part of town. With no where else to go, Steve decided to try to leave Liberia. Early on the morning of the 30th, Steve and family traveled in a van to the airport outside Monrovia. The airport was total chaos. Most people had tickets on Ghana Airways and all Ghana Airways flights had stopped. The owner of Weasua Airlines made a plane available to fly to the Ivory Coast. Steve and family made it on to this plane and arrived in the Ivory Coast on the night of the 30th. In the Ivory Coast they were greeted with strong anti-Liberian feelings as Charles Taylor, Liberia’s President, was responsible for many deaths in the Ivory Coast. The local authorities harassed all the Liberians and said they could not spend even one night there. Fortunately a South African Airline flight was headed to Accra. Steven and family made it on this flight and arrived in Ghana at midnight.
Upon touching down in Ghana, Steve and family were finally safe!
Source: Dave Dionisi interview with Steven Nyanti on November 12, 2003.
Steve works in the Catholic Relief Services office in Monrovia, Liberia as the finance officer. He and his family have experienced a lot with the 14 year civil war in Liberia, Africa. Steve shared one story with me when we met in November 2003.
The story begins in March of 2003. At that time Steve and his family lived in Brewerville City which is about a 35 minute drive from Monrovia. His home is also 30 miles from Tubmanburg. His home is approximately in the middle of these two important cities in Liberia. In addition, Brewerville City is also the home for thousands of Internally Displaced People (IDP). There are five very big IDP camps in town.
Unfortunately, people attract the soldiers. While the people have little to steal, the soldiers raid the IDP camps anyway to take their food and rape the women and girls. Steve’s home, about 2 minutes away from the Voice of America radio station, was surrounded by these IDP camps.
In late March, Steve was at work in Monrovia. He heard from friends that fighting had broken out in the IDP camps near his home. Steve immediately left the office to find his family. Steve attempted to cross the St. Paul bridge that separates Monrovia from the road to Brewerville. The Liberian government soldiers had blocked the bridge so that the soldiers would have uninterrupted “stealing access” to the homes on the other side of the bridge. Many people tried to swim across and drowned in the process. The people on both sides could see people screaming for help and going under for the last time.
Late that evening Steve saw his family come across the St. Paul bridge. Unbelievably, with all the fighting and thousands of people, the family was reunited! Steve did make it across the bridge two days later only to find his home looted and severely damaged.
As a pre-cautionary measure, Steve decided to move his family to an area closer to work called Hotel Africa. In May, Steve was at work and received another report of fighting in the Hotel Africa area. At this point he decided to move to town because the rebel forces had advanced to the Hotel Africa area. The family stayed at the Mamba Point CRS guest apartment. Two weeks later the family relocated to Ducor Palace hotel near Ashmun Street in Monrovia. The Ducor Palace was no longer a hotel but now the home for the Anti-Terrorist Unit government soldiers. Steve and family stayed there as the fighting continued. After each round of fighting, more people were killed and more property was looted.
The worst fighting took place in the middle of July. This is when the embassy area became a densely populated place. People felt the United States would protect the area known as the Greystone Compound. When the mortar shells started to fall around the compound, everyone was terrified.
Steve and family moved to his sister’s basement which was below the Ducor Palace in a place called Snapper Hill. The family was crowded in a little basement with 25 people in this normally three person room. The group stayed in the room for ten days as the fighting continued. The basement was suffocating and they would only leave to seek water when the shelling stopped.
Two of the rockets landed in a nearby house. Fortunately no one was wounded in that blast. Another rocket landed near the community well and killed the son of Steve’s friend. Several others were severely injured by this explosion on July 22. On July 24, about 40 mortars exploded. Steve’s only comfort was listening to the radio for when the United States Marines would come and save them.
The Catholic Church Sacred Heart Cathedral was a target because the Archbishop was an outspoken opponent of the former President Charles Taylor. The ATU soldiers looted all the vehicles and threaten to kill Steve because he was known to be an employee of a Catholic organization. On July 25, the commander of the ATU force went around the neighborhood and said he was searching for rebel collaborators. One of the boys who was with him was 15 years old. He recognized Steve and said “he is a CRS big man.” The ATU commander went into a rage and threatened to kill Steve on the spot.
That afternoon, the ATU commander told his girlfriend that he was going to “take people out.” The women told her mom who then notified the people in the neighborhood. People went from home to home spreading the word. People began to barricade their homes. The men went on alert and were prepared to blow their whistles as soon as the ATU soldiers arrived.
Steve called his friend at the Catholic radio station called Veritas. Unfortunately his friend could not help. The radio station was closed down.
That night there was a lot of fear as the sound of weapons being fired continued until the morning of July 26. The morning of July 26 was peaceful. At mid-day the fighting resumed with an even greater intensity.
Since Steve was identified as a CRS big man, he was in more danger than most. He decided to try to leave and go to a place called Sinkor. One of the relatives of Charles Taylor was a personal friend. Steve called him and he said he would help by sending a vehicle. The vehicle could only take one person at a time. Late that evening Steve’s wife was able to leave. She traveled with shots being fired in all directions. She made her way by foot to Salvatores Restaurant. At 6 p.m. on July 27, she made it to the car and was taken to Congotown. Steve remained in the basement as fighting continued all night.
Steve’s wife arranged for a United Nations ambulance to come and pick him up. Steve walked to the Merlin office about 15 minutes away. There was intense firing and during his walk Steve saw three people get hit by bullets. The Merlin office had become a displaced persons facility. Steve waited 3 hours before the ambulance arrived. The ambulance driver took Steve to Congotown to be with his wife. Later that day the ambulance came back and picked up Steve’s daughter. She also made it safely to Congotown.
Steve and family stayed near the Charles Taylor residence in Congotown. Unfortunately, the rebels were now headed for this part of town. With no where else to go, Steve decided to try to leave Liberia. Early on the morning of the 30th, Steve and family traveled in a van to the airport outside Monrovia. The airport was total chaos. Most people had tickets on Ghana Airways and all Ghana Airways flights had stopped. The owner of Weasua Airlines made a plane available to fly to the Ivory Coast. Steve and family made it on to this plane and arrived in the Ivory Coast on the night of the 30th. In the Ivory Coast they were greeted with strong anti-Liberian feelings as Charles Taylor, Liberia’s President, was responsible for many deaths in the Ivory Coast. The local authorities harassed all the Liberians and said they could not spend even one night there. Fortunately a South African Airline flight was headed to Accra. Steven and family made it on this flight and arrived in Ghana at midnight.
Upon touching down in Ghana, Steve and family were finally safe!
Source: Dave Dionisi interview with Steven Nyanti on November 12, 2003.
Life Expectancy Cut in Half
According to the recent World Health Organization
2003 report, global health is a study in contrasts.
While a baby girl born in Japan today can expect to
live for about 85 years, a girl born at the same
moment in Sierra Leone has a life expectancy of 36
years. How is this possible?
The Japanese child will receive vaccinations, adequate nutrition and good schooling. If she becomes a mother she will benefit from high-quality maternity care. Growing older, she may eventually develop chronic diseases, but excellent treatment and rehabilitation services will be available; she can expect to receive, on average, medications worth about US $550 per year and much more if needed.
Meanwhile, the girl in West Africa has little chance of receiving immunizations and a high probability of being underweight throughout childhood. She will probably marry in adolescence and go on to give birth to six or more children without the assistance of a trained birth attendant. One or more of her babies will die in infancy, and she herself will be at high risk of death in childbirth. If she falls ill, she can expect, on average, medicines worth about US $3 per year. If she survives middle age she, too, will develop chronic diseases but, without access to adequate treatment, she will die prematurely.
These contrasting examples reveal much about what medicine and public health can achieve, and about unmet needs in a world of vast and growing health inequalities. The World Health Report 2003 affirms that the key task of the global health community is to close the gap between such contrasting lives.
How would your thinking about the world change if your life expentancy was to age 36?
Source: World Health Organization 2003 Report.
The Japanese child will receive vaccinations, adequate nutrition and good schooling. If she becomes a mother she will benefit from high-quality maternity care. Growing older, she may eventually develop chronic diseases, but excellent treatment and rehabilitation services will be available; she can expect to receive, on average, medications worth about US $550 per year and much more if needed.
Meanwhile, the girl in West Africa has little chance of receiving immunizations and a high probability of being underweight throughout childhood. She will probably marry in adolescence and go on to give birth to six or more children without the assistance of a trained birth attendant. One or more of her babies will die in infancy, and she herself will be at high risk of death in childbirth. If she falls ill, she can expect, on average, medicines worth about US $3 per year. If she survives middle age she, too, will develop chronic diseases but, without access to adequate treatment, she will die prematurely.
These contrasting examples reveal much about what medicine and public health can achieve, and about unmet needs in a world of vast and growing health inequalities. The World Health Report 2003 affirms that the key task of the global health community is to close the gap between such contrasting lives.
How would your thinking about the world change if your life expentancy was to age 36?
Source: World Health Organization 2003 Report.
Today's Orphans - Tomorrow's Leaders
Our vision is a world at peace, made possible by
breaking the cycle of poverty.
The cycle of poverty, while in different forms, exists not only in Africa but also in wealthy nations like the United States. We see a Liberia at peace and a United States that is using our resources wisely. We see this made possible by respecting diverse beliefs and educating people in Africa and America.
Odd as it may sound, in many respects we think the people of the United States need the people of Africa as much as the people of Africa need a hand up from the United States.
How is Liberia Mission different from other organizations?
We have a lot in common with other humanitarian efforts around the world. We are focused on Liberia and children who have lost both parents. While orphanages are not unique, what is unique is the fact we are working to develop leaders of families and communities from these children. We actively seek orphans from each of the tribes in Liberia. The Liberia Mission organization will be ultimately led by these children. The formula is unique but simple. When the children graduate from the University, they apply from existing members for a voting share. In 20 to 25 years, the program should be run by the children.
Liberia Mission is a part of the Mission Honduras program. Mission Honduras is a program started by a Franciscan Priest named Father Emil Cook, O.F.M. Conv. This program promotes self help through education in the context of the Catholic faith. Mission Honduras has an amazing 35 year track record. Today thousands of kids are served, and our dream is to replicate the success of Mission Honduras.
The goal of interdependence is being achieved. Men and women who have benefited from the Mission Honduras program will be helping their brothers and sisters in Africa with much needed agricultural skills. This hand-up from Honduras helps bring a sense of dignity to both the adults and little children in Mission Honduras.
How do we measure success?
Creating peace takes time but can be measured. We have three primary measures for breaking the cycle of poverty.
1. The number of children that we provide care for.
2. The number of children that we support that graduate high school and from college.
3. The number of people in the United States that we educate about how to help the poor around the world.
Our 20 year goal is to help 1,000 kids become leaders of families and communities!
The cycle of poverty, while in different forms, exists not only in Africa but also in wealthy nations like the United States. We see a Liberia at peace and a United States that is using our resources wisely. We see this made possible by respecting diverse beliefs and educating people in Africa and America.
Odd as it may sound, in many respects we think the people of the United States need the people of Africa as much as the people of Africa need a hand up from the United States.
How is Liberia Mission different from other organizations?
We have a lot in common with other humanitarian efforts around the world. We are focused on Liberia and children who have lost both parents. While orphanages are not unique, what is unique is the fact we are working to develop leaders of families and communities from these children. We actively seek orphans from each of the tribes in Liberia. The Liberia Mission organization will be ultimately led by these children. The formula is unique but simple. When the children graduate from the University, they apply from existing members for a voting share. In 20 to 25 years, the program should be run by the children.
Liberia Mission is a part of the Mission Honduras program. Mission Honduras is a program started by a Franciscan Priest named Father Emil Cook, O.F.M. Conv. This program promotes self help through education in the context of the Catholic faith. Mission Honduras has an amazing 35 year track record. Today thousands of kids are served, and our dream is to replicate the success of Mission Honduras.
The goal of interdependence is being achieved. Men and women who have benefited from the Mission Honduras program will be helping their brothers and sisters in Africa with much needed agricultural skills. This hand-up from Honduras helps bring a sense of dignity to both the adults and little children in Mission Honduras.
How do we measure success?
Creating peace takes time but can be measured. We have three primary measures for breaking the cycle of poverty.
1. The number of children that we provide care for.
2. The number of children that we support that graduate high school and from college.
3. The number of people in the United States that we educate about how to help the poor around the world.
Our 20 year goal is to help 1,000 kids become leaders of families and communities!
Liberia-USA Special Connection
President Monroe approved the transfer of freed
slaves and Liberia was created in 1847. Today,
Liberians say the Pledge of Allegiance that is
identical to the US with the exception of the country
specified is Liberia. The flags look very similar
with the most obvious difference being Liberia's one
star. Towns in Liberia often have names that are
directly derived from the US or powerful people from
the US. For example, Monrovia is named after
President Monroe and the second largest city Buchanan
is named after President Buchanan.
Liberia is one of only two African countries that were not colonies of Western powers and developed uniquely. By the dawn of the 19th century, many American states within the Union were considered slavery-free states, and slaves from below the infamous Mason-Dixon Line risked their lives to reach this new Promise Land. But with few skills and no education, ex-slaves found themselves living in poverty in the large cities and contributing to a swelling black underclass.
The idea of ‘repatriating’ blacks to Africa originated with Robert Finley, a Presbyterian minister from New Jersey. Finley felt that freed slaves in America had little hope of integrating into society and would be able to improve their lot by returning to their homelands.
Although Finley’s motives were primarily charitable, pro-slavery groups eager to exile black revolutionaries agreed with him. The result was the establishment of the American Colonization Society -- an organization tasked with handling the emigration. The Society’s first president was Bushrod Washington (nephew to President Washington). Other prominent officers and members included Henry Clay, Francis Scott Key, James Monroe and Daniel Webster. Leading blacks thoroughly disenchanted with America, such as Absalom Jones and Richard Allen, also became leading members. A majority of freed slaves, however, did not approve of the emigration scheme, arguing that they were fully American and had a duty to fight for those still enslaved.
The American Colonization Society raised funds for its venture through membership subscriptions, but also won backing from the US Congress. The first ship, the Elizabeth, sailed in 1816 with eight-eight voluntary emigrants, three white company officials, and supplies. The ship landed off the coast of Liberia where the new immigrants immediately began to construct their new settlement. But after three weeks, twenty-two blacks and all three white officials died of yellow fever. The second ship, the Nautilus, soon arrived with new passengers and fresh supplies [www.pbs.org; "Africans in America: Brotherly Love Part III 1791-1831]. The land occupied by the American Colonization Society in Liberia was not void of native inhabitants when the emigrants arrived. Much of the area was under the control of the Malinke tribes who resented the expansion of these settlers. In addition to disease, poor housing conditions and lack of food and medicine, these new emigrants were also forced into armed combat with the natives.
During these formative years, white administrators from the American Colonization Society ran the Liberian colony. But as the colony expanded and became more self-sufficient, colonists were given more and more control in running the colony. In 1841, Joseph Jenkins Roberts became the first black governor of the colony. Under Roberts, the colony drafted a constitution based on the US Constitution and achieved the status of an independent republic in 1847. The new Liberian flag adopted Old Glory’s red and white stripes with one white star over a blue rectangle in the upper left corner. Britain was the first to recognize the new country in 1848. The United States delayed its recognition of Liberia until 1862 over concerns by southern states of a black ambassador from Liberia residing in Washington.
The biggest challenge for the fledging nation was the establishment of its boundaries. The colony had consolidated mostly along the coast with its capital at Monrovia. Much of the country’s interior was unexplored territory occupied by hostile Malinke. Large loans from Europe and the United States added to the Americo-Liberians might, and slowly they began to dominate large tracks of the country. In exchange for such cooperation from the US, Liberia allowed the US military to use its land as a base from which to fight the Germans in World War I and the Axis Powers in World War II.
Although Americo-Liberians had been denied their freedom in America, many did not think to extend their new liberty to the native Malinke. Liberians treated many Malinke like second-class citizens and denied them voting rights under their US-based constitution. Natives were also used as forced labor until an admonishment from the League of Nations in 1931 halted the practice.
Although aligned to the US democratic principles, Liberian politics in practice have been more totalitarian.
Source: Friends of Yekepa, Liberia Network
Liberia is one of only two African countries that were not colonies of Western powers and developed uniquely. By the dawn of the 19th century, many American states within the Union were considered slavery-free states, and slaves from below the infamous Mason-Dixon Line risked their lives to reach this new Promise Land. But with few skills and no education, ex-slaves found themselves living in poverty in the large cities and contributing to a swelling black underclass.
The idea of ‘repatriating’ blacks to Africa originated with Robert Finley, a Presbyterian minister from New Jersey. Finley felt that freed slaves in America had little hope of integrating into society and would be able to improve their lot by returning to their homelands.
Although Finley’s motives were primarily charitable, pro-slavery groups eager to exile black revolutionaries agreed with him. The result was the establishment of the American Colonization Society -- an organization tasked with handling the emigration. The Society’s first president was Bushrod Washington (nephew to President Washington). Other prominent officers and members included Henry Clay, Francis Scott Key, James Monroe and Daniel Webster. Leading blacks thoroughly disenchanted with America, such as Absalom Jones and Richard Allen, also became leading members. A majority of freed slaves, however, did not approve of the emigration scheme, arguing that they were fully American and had a duty to fight for those still enslaved.
The American Colonization Society raised funds for its venture through membership subscriptions, but also won backing from the US Congress. The first ship, the Elizabeth, sailed in 1816 with eight-eight voluntary emigrants, three white company officials, and supplies. The ship landed off the coast of Liberia where the new immigrants immediately began to construct their new settlement. But after three weeks, twenty-two blacks and all three white officials died of yellow fever. The second ship, the Nautilus, soon arrived with new passengers and fresh supplies [www.pbs.org; "Africans in America: Brotherly Love Part III 1791-1831]. The land occupied by the American Colonization Society in Liberia was not void of native inhabitants when the emigrants arrived. Much of the area was under the control of the Malinke tribes who resented the expansion of these settlers. In addition to disease, poor housing conditions and lack of food and medicine, these new emigrants were also forced into armed combat with the natives.
During these formative years, white administrators from the American Colonization Society ran the Liberian colony. But as the colony expanded and became more self-sufficient, colonists were given more and more control in running the colony. In 1841, Joseph Jenkins Roberts became the first black governor of the colony. Under Roberts, the colony drafted a constitution based on the US Constitution and achieved the status of an independent republic in 1847. The new Liberian flag adopted Old Glory’s red and white stripes with one white star over a blue rectangle in the upper left corner. Britain was the first to recognize the new country in 1848. The United States delayed its recognition of Liberia until 1862 over concerns by southern states of a black ambassador from Liberia residing in Washington.
The biggest challenge for the fledging nation was the establishment of its boundaries. The colony had consolidated mostly along the coast with its capital at Monrovia. Much of the country’s interior was unexplored territory occupied by hostile Malinke. Large loans from Europe and the United States added to the Americo-Liberians might, and slowly they began to dominate large tracks of the country. In exchange for such cooperation from the US, Liberia allowed the US military to use its land as a base from which to fight the Germans in World War I and the Axis Powers in World War II.
Although Americo-Liberians had been denied their freedom in America, many did not think to extend their new liberty to the native Malinke. Liberians treated many Malinke like second-class citizens and denied them voting rights under their US-based constitution. Natives were also used as forced labor until an admonishment from the League of Nations in 1931 halted the practice.
Although aligned to the US democratic principles, Liberian politics in practice have been more totalitarian.
Source: Friends of Yekepa, Liberia Network
11 Million Orphans in Africa
AIDS has already orphaned more than 11 million
African children under the age of 15, and "the worst
is yet to come," warns a report issued by the U.N.
Children's Fund.
By 2010, there will be about 20 million children in sub-Saharan Africa who have lost at least one parent to AIDS, bringing the total number of orphans in the region to 42 million.
In the worst affected countries more than one in five children will be orphans by 2010. According to a report titled "Africa's Orphaned Generations" by the U.N. Children’s Fund on November 25, 2003, 80 percent of the orphans will have lost their parents because of AIDS.
These children — half of them between the ages of 10 and 14 — are left without critical guidance, protection and support, the report warned. They are also at risk of malnutrition, physical and sexual abuse, and exposure to HIV infection.
"We need to move beyond feeling beleaguered to feeling outraged by the unacceptable suffering of children," UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said in a statement Wednesday.
To make matters worse, many of the most severely affected countries have no policies to address the needs of orphans, the report found.
The failure to respond to the orphan crisis jeopardizes not only the children's future, but also the development prospects of their communities and countries, it said.
Children in HIV affected households begin to suffer even before a parent dies. Not only do they go through the trauma of witnessing their parents' illness and death, but they are likely to be poorer and less healthy than other children, the report said.
Many children are forced to drop out of school because they can't afford the fees, have to care for a sick parent, or need to earn money.
As a result, they are more likely to suffer damage to their cognitive and emotional development, to have less education, and to be subjected to the worst forms of child labor and commercial sex work.
The report argues that the course of the crisis can be altered by providing immediate help to families and communities, including offering free basic education, giving them safe and viable options for earning a living, and providing them with financial and other assistance.
"We must keep parents alive and ensure that orphans and other vulnerable children stay in school and are protected from exploitation and abuse," Bellamy said. "The future of Africa depends upon it."
Source: November 25, 2003 report by the U.N. Children’s Fund titled from "Africa's Orphaned Generations" and November 26, 2003 Associated Press report by Alexandra Zavis.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material that has been modified but the original material has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Liberia Mission distributes this material without profit to those who have a need for educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
By 2010, there will be about 20 million children in sub-Saharan Africa who have lost at least one parent to AIDS, bringing the total number of orphans in the region to 42 million.
In the worst affected countries more than one in five children will be orphans by 2010. According to a report titled "Africa's Orphaned Generations" by the U.N. Children’s Fund on November 25, 2003, 80 percent of the orphans will have lost their parents because of AIDS.
These children — half of them between the ages of 10 and 14 — are left without critical guidance, protection and support, the report warned. They are also at risk of malnutrition, physical and sexual abuse, and exposure to HIV infection.
"We need to move beyond feeling beleaguered to feeling outraged by the unacceptable suffering of children," UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said in a statement Wednesday.
To make matters worse, many of the most severely affected countries have no policies to address the needs of orphans, the report found.
The failure to respond to the orphan crisis jeopardizes not only the children's future, but also the development prospects of their communities and countries, it said.
Children in HIV affected households begin to suffer even before a parent dies. Not only do they go through the trauma of witnessing their parents' illness and death, but they are likely to be poorer and less healthy than other children, the report said.
Many children are forced to drop out of school because they can't afford the fees, have to care for a sick parent, or need to earn money.
As a result, they are more likely to suffer damage to their cognitive and emotional development, to have less education, and to be subjected to the worst forms of child labor and commercial sex work.
The report argues that the course of the crisis can be altered by providing immediate help to families and communities, including offering free basic education, giving them safe and viable options for earning a living, and providing them with financial and other assistance.
"We must keep parents alive and ensure that orphans and other vulnerable children stay in school and are protected from exploitation and abuse," Bellamy said. "The future of Africa depends upon it."
Source: November 25, 2003 report by the U.N. Children’s Fund titled from "Africa's Orphaned Generations" and November 26, 2003 Associated Press report by Alexandra Zavis.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material that has been modified but the original material has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Liberia Mission distributes this material without profit to those who have a need for educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
AIDS in Liberia
February 7, 2005
Liberia: Extremely Vulnerable to HIV
“AIDS is going to be a big problem in Liberia,” said the doctor in Nimba county. “We are seeing full blown cases of AIDS but there is nothing we can do for them. We can’t test them to see if they have AIDS since the nearest testing facility is a 14-hour drive away. We don’t have the facilities to treat them and we certainly don’t have drugs to help them. We feel helpless in the face of this epidemic.” While the official prevalence HIV rate is 8.2%, health providers and others believe that the HIV infection rate is much higher. There hasn’t been a survey since before the war but all indicators of a problem are evident.
The civil war in Liberia was characterized by gender-based violence, forced abduction of women and girls to act as sex slaves for the fighting forces, and large numbers of rapes. Former combatants are returning to their communities to start over. “During the demobilization process, we provided reproductive health services to the former combatants. We screened them for sexually transmitted infections (STIs),” said one health provider. “For male combatants, 93% had at least one STI; the female prevalence rate was 83%. Most had multiple partners. They suffer from gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia.” For a young sexually active population already weak with STIs and malnutrition, the onset of HIV infection could be devastating. Child protection agencies have reported some former female combatants turning to prostitution because of lack of opportunities since the demobilization trust fund has dried up. But the problem is not only one for former combatants, a relatively small group of people. It also impacts the general population.
According to health care agencies, the sexually transmitted infections rate in the general population is around 75-80%. There is inadequate treatment of STIs. Health clinics don’t have a steady supply of medicines. According to a local NGO, “We tell people to go to the clinic to get medicine to treat their infections and there is nothing there, so the people are very frustrated and do not trust the clinics to help them.” One Liberian woman told Refugees International, “If I go to the clinic and there are no medicines for me, why should I come back? I have to walk a long distance to come here. They treat us for everything as if it were malaria.” A member of the Liberian Ministry of Health (MOH) also complained bitterly that “the international communities are interested in numbers rather than providing good care. They may substitute inappropriate drugs or send you home with nothing.” There are four testing centers for HIV in Monrovia but these are not nearly enough.
Another problem with treating STIs and providing health care is that Liberia is suffering from a shortage of health care workers. The Ministry of Health has problems paying salaries and must rely on international NGOs to provide stipends to health workers. There is no standard stipend, however, so health workers “shop around” for the best paid job, leaving many areas severely under-served. The rural areas are suffering the most from the health care crisis. Many clinics that RI visited were crowded with people but had few staff.
While there are billboards warning about HIV lining the streets of Monrovia, there is little evidence of real education about HIV infection. Teenage pregnancy is high, with girls as young as 13 getting pregnant. “This is an indicator for HIV,” said an official of the Liberian Ministry of Health. “The people are very uneducated about HIV. It is very difficult to talk to them about something as abstract as HIV. UNFPA reiterated this concern, “I’ve never seen so many pregnant teenagers! We’re talking about very young girls – as young as eleven. One wonders if the sex they are having is consensual.” Another problem is the lack of options for youth. There are no schools, no jobs, and not many activities for this young sexually active population. While many would like to start cultivating the fields for agriculture, there are no seeds or tools. Returning displaced persons find little in the communities to assist them with recovery. The lack of money generating activities can lead women to enter commercial sex work to support themselves and their families.
In addition to the problems with lack of access to good health care and HIV prevention education, Liberia is next to countries such as Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea, which face continuous conflict and have high HIV prevalence rates. The borders between these countries are very porous; people move back and forth quite freely. While it would be impossible and foolish to try to close borders to prevent the spread of HIV, the response from donors should be regional rather than country-specific. For example, the U.S. government has targeted Côte d'Ivoire for the President’s AIDS Initiative, but Liberia and Sierra Leone do not get similar programs. According to UNFPA, there has been a rapid development of a sex industry along the border towns in response to the influx of truck drivers, uniformed personnel, and ex-combatants.
The concern about the peacekeepers is not new to post-conflict countries. Sexual exploitation in Liberia is rampant. There has been a boom in commercial sex work. In Monrovia, brothels and discos target UN peacekeepers as preferred customers while in the rural areas, many of the African peacekeeping troops live intermingled with the community. According to one local NGO, “We are also concerned about peacekeepers from sub-Saharan countries. No one is testing them to see if they have HIV. The young girls in the villages where they live receive money and food from their ‘boyfriends’ in the peacekeeping missions. They do not see it as a problem so no one is reporting it.” A recent article in the New York Sun reported that three Namibian peacekeepers stationed in Liberia died of AIDS recently.
While the UN does draw peacekeeping troops from countries with high HIV rates, some of the countries, such as Nigeria, have mandatory testing policies and do not deploy HIV-positive soldiers. The UN also provides medical facilities for its troops, but RI is concerned that peacekeepers will not use these facilities if they fear that they have HIV. Health care providers in neighboring Sierra Leone told RI in April 2004 that they had treated peacekeepers with obvious symptoms of AIDS who refused to seek treatment from UN facilities for fear of being repatriated and losing their stipends.
According to a recent study by International Crisis Group, nations with high or near-high AIDS prevalence contribute 37% of all U.N. peacekeepers. UNMIL has a unit solely dedicated to HIV/AIDS training and has the full backing of the mission’s force commander. But behavior change takes time and cannot be addressed simply by training during the soldiers’ deployment. HIV prevention needs to be fully mainstreamed into standard training for national and military personnel. Pre-deployment training is essential to change behaviors and attitudes in the troop contributing countries.
An UNMIL officer told RI that “it is a waste of time for me to attend these events [HIV awareness and prevention sessions]. My men obey orders and do not fraternize with the locals. I do not worry about them becoming infected with HIV.”
Sarah Martin of Refugees International visited Liberia in December 2004.
Liberia: Extremely Vulnerable to HIV
“AIDS is going to be a big problem in Liberia,” said the doctor in Nimba county. “We are seeing full blown cases of AIDS but there is nothing we can do for them. We can’t test them to see if they have AIDS since the nearest testing facility is a 14-hour drive away. We don’t have the facilities to treat them and we certainly don’t have drugs to help them. We feel helpless in the face of this epidemic.” While the official prevalence HIV rate is 8.2%, health providers and others believe that the HIV infection rate is much higher. There hasn’t been a survey since before the war but all indicators of a problem are evident.
The civil war in Liberia was characterized by gender-based violence, forced abduction of women and girls to act as sex slaves for the fighting forces, and large numbers of rapes. Former combatants are returning to their communities to start over. “During the demobilization process, we provided reproductive health services to the former combatants. We screened them for sexually transmitted infections (STIs),” said one health provider. “For male combatants, 93% had at least one STI; the female prevalence rate was 83%. Most had multiple partners. They suffer from gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia.” For a young sexually active population already weak with STIs and malnutrition, the onset of HIV infection could be devastating. Child protection agencies have reported some former female combatants turning to prostitution because of lack of opportunities since the demobilization trust fund has dried up. But the problem is not only one for former combatants, a relatively small group of people. It also impacts the general population.
According to health care agencies, the sexually transmitted infections rate in the general population is around 75-80%. There is inadequate treatment of STIs. Health clinics don’t have a steady supply of medicines. According to a local NGO, “We tell people to go to the clinic to get medicine to treat their infections and there is nothing there, so the people are very frustrated and do not trust the clinics to help them.” One Liberian woman told Refugees International, “If I go to the clinic and there are no medicines for me, why should I come back? I have to walk a long distance to come here. They treat us for everything as if it were malaria.” A member of the Liberian Ministry of Health (MOH) also complained bitterly that “the international communities are interested in numbers rather than providing good care. They may substitute inappropriate drugs or send you home with nothing.” There are four testing centers for HIV in Monrovia but these are not nearly enough.
Another problem with treating STIs and providing health care is that Liberia is suffering from a shortage of health care workers. The Ministry of Health has problems paying salaries and must rely on international NGOs to provide stipends to health workers. There is no standard stipend, however, so health workers “shop around” for the best paid job, leaving many areas severely under-served. The rural areas are suffering the most from the health care crisis. Many clinics that RI visited were crowded with people but had few staff.
While there are billboards warning about HIV lining the streets of Monrovia, there is little evidence of real education about HIV infection. Teenage pregnancy is high, with girls as young as 13 getting pregnant. “This is an indicator for HIV,” said an official of the Liberian Ministry of Health. “The people are very uneducated about HIV. It is very difficult to talk to them about something as abstract as HIV. UNFPA reiterated this concern, “I’ve never seen so many pregnant teenagers! We’re talking about very young girls – as young as eleven. One wonders if the sex they are having is consensual.” Another problem is the lack of options for youth. There are no schools, no jobs, and not many activities for this young sexually active population. While many would like to start cultivating the fields for agriculture, there are no seeds or tools. Returning displaced persons find little in the communities to assist them with recovery. The lack of money generating activities can lead women to enter commercial sex work to support themselves and their families.
In addition to the problems with lack of access to good health care and HIV prevention education, Liberia is next to countries such as Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea, which face continuous conflict and have high HIV prevalence rates. The borders between these countries are very porous; people move back and forth quite freely. While it would be impossible and foolish to try to close borders to prevent the spread of HIV, the response from donors should be regional rather than country-specific. For example, the U.S. government has targeted Côte d'Ivoire for the President’s AIDS Initiative, but Liberia and Sierra Leone do not get similar programs. According to UNFPA, there has been a rapid development of a sex industry along the border towns in response to the influx of truck drivers, uniformed personnel, and ex-combatants.
The concern about the peacekeepers is not new to post-conflict countries. Sexual exploitation in Liberia is rampant. There has been a boom in commercial sex work. In Monrovia, brothels and discos target UN peacekeepers as preferred customers while in the rural areas, many of the African peacekeeping troops live intermingled with the community. According to one local NGO, “We are also concerned about peacekeepers from sub-Saharan countries. No one is testing them to see if they have HIV. The young girls in the villages where they live receive money and food from their ‘boyfriends’ in the peacekeeping missions. They do not see it as a problem so no one is reporting it.” A recent article in the New York Sun reported that three Namibian peacekeepers stationed in Liberia died of AIDS recently.
While the UN does draw peacekeeping troops from countries with high HIV rates, some of the countries, such as Nigeria, have mandatory testing policies and do not deploy HIV-positive soldiers. The UN also provides medical facilities for its troops, but RI is concerned that peacekeepers will not use these facilities if they fear that they have HIV. Health care providers in neighboring Sierra Leone told RI in April 2004 that they had treated peacekeepers with obvious symptoms of AIDS who refused to seek treatment from UN facilities for fear of being repatriated and losing their stipends.
According to a recent study by International Crisis Group, nations with high or near-high AIDS prevalence contribute 37% of all U.N. peacekeepers. UNMIL has a unit solely dedicated to HIV/AIDS training and has the full backing of the mission’s force commander. But behavior change takes time and cannot be addressed simply by training during the soldiers’ deployment. HIV prevention needs to be fully mainstreamed into standard training for national and military personnel. Pre-deployment training is essential to change behaviors and attitudes in the troop contributing countries.
An UNMIL officer told RI that “it is a waste of time for me to attend these events [HIV awareness and prevention sessions]. My men obey orders and do not fraternize with the locals. I do not worry about them becoming infected with HIV.”
Sarah Martin of Refugees International visited Liberia in December 2004.
Credit Cards Not Accepted Here
Liberia is a country where your American Express card
won't help you. Credit cards are not accepted here.
Cash, preferably US, is the best form of currency.
The Liberian dollar bounces up and down daily, but in
late 2005 the exchange rate averaged around 55
Liberian dollars for one US dollar.
Many things cannot be taken for granted in Liberia. You won't find one street light, road signs and even in the capital the houses are not numbered. The house Liberia Mission has on Duport Road for the orphans is "the green one just after the bend and a half mile down from the main intersection." The need for urban planners is severe.
Don't drink the water here. Liberia has a range of diseases that don't exist in most places. The population also suffers with life-threatening Malaria. Most people who live in Liberia gets Malaria at some point during the year. The lucky ones can pay for treatment. UN health experts estimate that 3,000 people die a day in Africa from Malaria alone. That equates to a September 11 every day!
Polio is common. Disabled people are in my opinion suffering the most. This is hard to say in a country with so much suffering. The Rebel forces routinely cut of limbs and a visitor to Liberia will be surprised by the number of people in the street missing an arm or leg.
Fortunately, the UN peacekeeping presence is starting to be felt. The Non-Government Organizations or NGOs are rushing to the aid of the people. Unfortunately there are so many people in need, a much greater response from people around the world is needed to prevent a level of suffering that is unimaginable in the US.
A good sign of progress and peace for Liberia will be when Traveler Checks and "Visa, Mastercard or AMEX accepted here" signs are everywhere.
Source: Dave Dionisi visit to Liberia in November of 2003.
Many things cannot be taken for granted in Liberia. You won't find one street light, road signs and even in the capital the houses are not numbered. The house Liberia Mission has on Duport Road for the orphans is "the green one just after the bend and a half mile down from the main intersection." The need for urban planners is severe.
Don't drink the water here. Liberia has a range of diseases that don't exist in most places. The population also suffers with life-threatening Malaria. Most people who live in Liberia gets Malaria at some point during the year. The lucky ones can pay for treatment. UN health experts estimate that 3,000 people die a day in Africa from Malaria alone. That equates to a September 11 every day!
Polio is common. Disabled people are in my opinion suffering the most. This is hard to say in a country with so much suffering. The Rebel forces routinely cut of limbs and a visitor to Liberia will be surprised by the number of people in the street missing an arm or leg.
Fortunately, the UN peacekeeping presence is starting to be felt. The Non-Government Organizations or NGOs are rushing to the aid of the people. Unfortunately there are so many people in need, a much greater response from people around the world is needed to prevent a level of suffering that is unimaginable in the US.
A good sign of progress and peace for Liberia will be when Traveler Checks and "Visa, Mastercard or AMEX accepted here" signs are everywhere.
Source: Dave Dionisi visit to Liberia in November of 2003.
Red Cross Work
The Red Cross is tracking more than 1,800 Liberian
children separated from their families during this
west African country's recent fighting. This is a
fraction of the thousand of children displaced in the
14 years of conflict.
The Red Cross reports that about 800 other children have been reconnected with parents or other relatives. The tracing effort is the largest ever attempted by the Red Cross in West Africa, said Marcel Stoessel, part of the program.
The reunion campaign is one of many humanitarian programs getting under way as Gyude Bryant, a longtime civilian campaigner against Liberian warlords, settles into office. Warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor resigned in August ahead of the signing of a peace deal, and now lives in exile in Nigeria.
More than 4,000 U.N. troops are in Liberia to keep the peace. It is a force that will grow to about 15,000 — the largest U.N. force in the world.
Stoessel acknowledged that a small number of the children being traced were fighters in the war. "But they are just like other children and need to find their families," he said.
Not all parent-child reunions are joyous ones. The parents often do not have food to feed themselves. Stoessel, of the Red Cross, said such unhappy reunions were "relatively rare" in Liberia.
"There's not much we can really do about it," said Stoessel. "Everyone here is in a really bad situation."
Source: Direct observation and includes information from a Reuters report on October 17,2003.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material that has been modified but the original material has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Liberia Mission distributes this material without profit to those who have for educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
The Red Cross reports that about 800 other children have been reconnected with parents or other relatives. The tracing effort is the largest ever attempted by the Red Cross in West Africa, said Marcel Stoessel, part of the program.
The reunion campaign is one of many humanitarian programs getting under way as Gyude Bryant, a longtime civilian campaigner against Liberian warlords, settles into office. Warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor resigned in August ahead of the signing of a peace deal, and now lives in exile in Nigeria.
More than 4,000 U.N. troops are in Liberia to keep the peace. It is a force that will grow to about 15,000 — the largest U.N. force in the world.
Stoessel acknowledged that a small number of the children being traced were fighters in the war. "But they are just like other children and need to find their families," he said.
Not all parent-child reunions are joyous ones. The parents often do not have food to feed themselves. Stoessel, of the Red Cross, said such unhappy reunions were "relatively rare" in Liberia.
"There's not much we can really do about it," said Stoessel. "Everyone here is in a really bad situation."
Source: Direct observation and includes information from a Reuters report on October 17,2003.
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Compassionate Transitional Leader
Gyude Bryant, who was chosen on August 21, 2003 to
lead postwar Liberia, is seen as a consensus-builder
who was a longtime campaigner against the warlords,
including former president Charles Taylor, who tore
apart the West African nation.
Bryant, a 54-year-old businessman, led a 1997 effort to unite political parties behind a civilian candidate in Liberia's first elections after a ruinous 1989-96 civil war. The six-party alliance's effort failed, and Taylor — the Libyan-trained guerrilla fighter who launched the war — won the presidency, boosted by his charisma, illicit profits from trafficking and fears he would restart the war if he lost.
Now, with Taylor in exile and Liberia again emerging from bloodletting, the gentle-mannered Bryant is in charge.
"I see myself as bringing about a balance across the board," he told The Associated Press, hours after his selection to lead Liberia's two-year interim government under a peace deal brokered Monday.
"I don't see myself as being a contentious person. I have taken this job because I think my country needs a cooling-off period," he said.
Bryant (whose first name is pronounced "JOOD-eh") is a member of Liberia's Grebo ethnic group, unlike many prominent Liberians, including Taylor himself, who come from an elite of descendants of the freed American slaves who founded the country.
He is president of a mining- and port equipment company and chairman of the Liberian Action Party.
Bryant graduated from Liberia's Cuttington University with a bachelor's degree in economics. He served in the 1970s as the head of the national port authority's planning and development department.
Bryant's wife and three children rode out the bloody final stages of Liberia's latest war in exile. Bryant stayed, unlike many politicians and other prominent Liberians, who were forced out for fear of torture, jailing or killing by Taylor's regime.
He said his interim government will have a role for all Liberians — except Taylor. But he ruled out a war-crimes tribunal for Liberia, which saw combatants on all sides routinely rape, rob, torture, mutilate and kidnap civilians.
His first concern, he said, was getting AK-47s out of the hands of Liberia's fighters — a generation of young men and boys who grew up knowing nothing but terrorizing civilians, using alcohol, marijuana and cocaine, and killing.
"We need to change the psychology," Bryant said, adding that he wanted to set up "an effective program for them that will ensure their future as good citizens."
Source: Modified from Associated Press reports on August 5 and 6, 2003.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material that has been modified but the original material has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Liberia Mission distributes this material without profit to those who have for educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Bryant, a 54-year-old businessman, led a 1997 effort to unite political parties behind a civilian candidate in Liberia's first elections after a ruinous 1989-96 civil war. The six-party alliance's effort failed, and Taylor — the Libyan-trained guerrilla fighter who launched the war — won the presidency, boosted by his charisma, illicit profits from trafficking and fears he would restart the war if he lost.
Now, with Taylor in exile and Liberia again emerging from bloodletting, the gentle-mannered Bryant is in charge.
"I see myself as bringing about a balance across the board," he told The Associated Press, hours after his selection to lead Liberia's two-year interim government under a peace deal brokered Monday.
"I don't see myself as being a contentious person. I have taken this job because I think my country needs a cooling-off period," he said.
Bryant (whose first name is pronounced "JOOD-eh") is a member of Liberia's Grebo ethnic group, unlike many prominent Liberians, including Taylor himself, who come from an elite of descendants of the freed American slaves who founded the country.
He is president of a mining- and port equipment company and chairman of the Liberian Action Party.
Bryant graduated from Liberia's Cuttington University with a bachelor's degree in economics. He served in the 1970s as the head of the national port authority's planning and development department.
Bryant's wife and three children rode out the bloody final stages of Liberia's latest war in exile. Bryant stayed, unlike many politicians and other prominent Liberians, who were forced out for fear of torture, jailing or killing by Taylor's regime.
He said his interim government will have a role for all Liberians — except Taylor. But he ruled out a war-crimes tribunal for Liberia, which saw combatants on all sides routinely rape, rob, torture, mutilate and kidnap civilians.
His first concern, he said, was getting AK-47s out of the hands of Liberia's fighters — a generation of young men and boys who grew up knowing nothing but terrorizing civilians, using alcohol, marijuana and cocaine, and killing.
"We need to change the psychology," Bryant said, adding that he wanted to set up "an effective program for them that will ensure their future as good citizens."
Source: Modified from Associated Press reports on August 5 and 6, 2003.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material that has been modified but the original material has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Liberia Mission distributes this material without profit to those who have for educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.