Though I only spent a few days in the Liberian capital of Monrovia this past summer, the narrative of a country racked by nearly two decades of civil war wove its way through almost every place I visited and in the stories of those I met along the way.
However, what continually stood out in each account we heard was not simply the brutality inflicted by dictator Charles Taylor and his legion of male warlords, but rather, the significant role that women played in putting an end to the era of conflict. And in fact, two Liberian women -– President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her compatriot, peace activist Leymah Gbowee -– were recently honored with the Nobel Peace Prize for their hand in helping to end the war and steer the country forward in the years following.
PBS will be exploring the power of Liberia’s women in tonight’s “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” as part of their five-part documentary series,“Women, War & Peace.” Tonight’s episode will recount the story of the Liberian women who took on Taylor and his regime amid an escalating conflict, and won seemingly unattainable peace for the country in 2003. Armed only with white T-shirts and iron clad courage, they were instrumental in putting an end to years of inconceivable violence and helped to put their country back on the slow road to recovery.
Watch the preview above to whet your appetite before tonight’s show. Put it on your calendar or set the DVR, because this is definitely a story you’ll want to hear.
Liberian elections. Photo courtesy of United Nations in Liberia
Liberians defied the rains this week and turned out in the thousands to participate in the country’s second election since it emerged from a 14-year civil war in 2003.
This year’s elections are historic for Liberia, as they are the first Liberia-controlled elections. They are being described world over as a test of Liberia’s fragile democracy. The 2005 election was managed by the United Nations.
While in Monrovia, Liberia earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit with some amazing women at the Sister Agnes Maternity Clinic. Located in the Gardnersville area of Monrovia, Sister Agnes was named after the civil war for Sister Agnes Mueller, one of five American nuns killed there. The building was vandalized and looted during the war, but was repaired and is now serving a population of about 35,000. Monthly, Sister Agnes sees more than 1,100 women, delivering approximately 50 babies every month. Sister Agnes is a recipient of funds from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Not only does Sister Agnes provide primary health care, immunizations, and pre- and post-natal care, it provides HIV counseling, testing and drugs to help prevent the spread of HIV from mother to child.
Part of our job here at ONE is to show you the living proof that smart aid is working in the world’s poorest places. So, when we saw this op-ed in the Washington Post by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, we had to share it with you.
In her piece, President Johnson-Sirleaf commends the US’ support to Liberia and urges Congress to continue this aid in next year’s budget. She recognizes that the US is suffering from the global economic crisis, but reassures that US foreign aid is helping to save lives and increase productivity and political stability. And as the goodwill ambassador of WaterAid, she discusses the importance of clean water and sanitation in her efforts to lift Liberia out of poverty.
I recently spent some time in Definah, Liberia. Definah, literally translated from the local language to mean “in front of the bush,” is a small village about 80 miles outside Liberia’s capital city Monrovia. This small community is living proof of the tremendous progress Africa has witnessed in recent years in the fight against preventable and treatable diseases.
The entire population of Liberia is at high risk for malaria and malaria remains a leading cause of death for children. Children under 5 and pregnant women are the most affected groups. Approximately 40 percent of US global health assistance in Liberia is provided by the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) through USAID.
In Liberia’s capital of Monrovia, I had the pleasure of meeting Chid Liberty, the energetic co- founder of the Liberian Women’s Sewing Project. Chid’s family owns Vamoma House, located on one of Monrovia’s biggest boulevards, an imposing multi-story building painted in faded light blue and cream. During the Civil War, Vamoma House was occupied and pillaged, providing a safe haven for warring factions, including Charles Taylor. Chid returned to his native Liberia to bring his family’s building, scarred with bullet holes, back to life. In the basement of Vamoma House, the women of Made in Liberia, Africa’s first free trade-certified garment factory, are filling orders for companies like J.Crew, prAna, and FEED.
I’m going to throw it out there…I’m a farmer groupie. I thrive on fresh, local veggies, getting knee-deep in the dirt, and seeing the fruits of my labor.
So, when I found out I would be visiting an innovative farm program in Bensonville, the capital of Montserrado County in Liberia, suffice it to say I was a little excited.
This farm is one of the sites where members of the Community Youth Network Program (CYNP), a humanitarian youth organization in Liberia, learn an array of agricultural skills, farming techniques and animal husbandry.
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
Part of our job here at ONE is to show you the living proof that smart aid is working in the world’s poorest places. So, when we saw this 
Tenneh and me
