While my fellowship in Liberia had its share of challenges, there were also many good memories.  As I reflect upon my summer here, as I prepare for departure, I want to highlight some of those best and worst memories.

Worst…
-dealing with clothes that seem to constantly have a mildewy odor since it is difficult for clothes to air dry effectively during the rainy season
-serving as the catalyst for a domestic dispute
-arriving at work, on several occasions, being soaked as a result of the sudden downpours that are common here during the rainy season
-getting into an argument with an immigration official over a ‘mandatory’ $20 fee-all in order to get a stamp in my passport
-finding my backpack chewed through as a result of mice and then, trying unsuccessfully, to keep them out of my room

Best…
-riding on the back of Sekou’s motorcycle to eight villages in and around the North Loma rainforest in Lofa County
-drinking palm wine and eating cola nuts with various town chiefs and community members as I was welcomed to the various villages
-interacting with the children in Konia during my stay at the guesthouse
-sitting with my friends Joscee and Karpo at the ocean-side drinking spot in Congo Town reflecting upon life while seated under a palm-thatch umbrella and a full moon
-eating fresh mangos, bananas, coconut and pineapple

Children in Tubmanburg...the future of Liberia

Children in Tubmanburg...the future of Liberia

I have come to realize that my worst experiences were often mere annoyances to most Liberians who deal with these challenges on an almost daily basis.  And thus, I cannot call them bad experiences but rather, learning opportunities.  Having heard many stories from Liberian friends about the atrocities they witnessed during the war-from beheadings to rape, it seems that while there are still numerous daily struggles, most people are happy that there is no war and are optimistic about the future.

The greatest lesson I have come to learn is of the dire need for education.  Whether from seeing university students who still have trouble reading at the level of an average American 5th grader or learning of the lack of awareness of the importance of forest conservation despite the fact that, according to the Forest Development Authority, 90% of Liberians depend on the forests for their livelihoods, education is key to Liberia’s future development.

Whether teaching mothers about the potential health effects of drinking alcohol while breast feeding or teaching men and women about how to sustainably harvest non-timber forest products, as opposed to cutting down entire trees for a one-time benefit, my summer has helped me to learn of the need for improved educational systems and infrastructure.  I hope that our ongoing collaboration to develop and implement an environmental and conservation education program will be a modest investment in that effort.

Peter Mulbah, Executive Director of SADS, discusses the history of the organization and its approach to social change.

Building the capacity of Liberians to rebuild their country is the goal of many international and domestic organizations working throughout the country.  One domestic organization trying to educate and train future professionals and technicians hopes to one day provide a new cadre of forestry technicians and mechanics, though given its current low capacity, it faces many challenges in adequately educating its students.

On a recent visit to the Forestry Training Institute (FTI), it was readily apparent that the basic infrastructure of the school was in need of repair.  From buildings without roofs to desks that are almost too small to take notes on, the basics needed to hold classes are limited.  The school grounds were home to a contingent of UN Peacekeepers who helped to rehabilitate a few of the buildings but given that the school used to have nine dormitories, staff housing, a cafeteria, and several classrooms, it is disheartening to see the lack of resources now available to students.

Site of former library/resource center at FTI. The contents of the library were looted during the war.

Site of former library/resource center at FTI. The contents of the library were looted during the war.

As the only forestry school in the sub-region (constituting Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast), FTI was a well-regarded establishment before the war.  Recently, the school has begun to again offer courses.  With limited funds from the government, the director was attempting to provide teachers and resources for 120 students.  Now, there are about 75 students remaining as they have either been disheartened by the limited capacity of the school or have decided to pursue other options.

The director expressed the need for qualified instructors to teach curriculum.  Currently there are 19 instructors but only nine are provided any salary.  The rest are volunteering their time-as they understand the importance of training future forestry technicians.  Being that the public and private universities here do not offer environmental science or forestry degrees, this school is vital to the proper functioning of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) in the coming years.  The FDA is the ministry in charge of overseeing the country’s forests and wildlife.

Patrick Garteh teaches botany and dendrology at the Forestry Institute in Tubmanburg

Patrick Garteh teaches botany and dendrology at the Forestry Institute in Tubmanburg

Even with the paid and voluntary instructors, students do not have textbooks or a library in which to study their coursework.  And the texts that the teachers are using seem largely outdated.  I recently perused the botany text being used by instructor Patrick Garteh, which was dated from the 1960s and only had black and white photos.  With no color photos and limited ability to study tree species in the field, the ability for students to identify tree species correctly seems limited.

Director Florma hopes that a partnership with an international logging company or an American university could provide some resources to help augment the current capacity of the school.  Additionally, through some advocacy work, hopefully we can ensure a post or two can be created for a Peace Corps Volunteer to teach at the school, as occurred prior to the war.

As the future budget allocation from the government does not look to be increased substantially, it seems new partnerships will be vital to the ability for FTI to graduate qualified, knowledgeable forestry technicians and mechanics.

“White man, white man, white man.”  The chants from children as I walk to and from the office or when a child sees me seated in a taxi, certainly draws attention to the fact that a foreigner is in their midst.  Having light colored skin is certainly an oddity here.  Being Caucasian or even of Arab descent is generally easily recognized and comes with certain benefits and challenges here in Liberia.  While the children chanting about this oddity is not threatening, there are other instances where it can prove problematic for those living and working here.

One benefit of having white skin-as one of my professors from Fletcher who was here doing some consulting pointed out-is the ability to be quickly attended to for medical care.  She told me about being at JFK Hospital, the main public hospital in Monrovia, for a minor stomach ache and nausea.  As she entered, she saw people bleeding and many with injuries far more severe than hers.  Nonetheless, she was quickly attended to by a doctor from the United States who was in Monrovia interning for a few weeks.  It seemed as though the mere fact that she was a foreigner and was distinctive with her light skin helped her to be examined almost immediately instead of in order of severity of injury or illness.

One of the challenges I have faced repeatedly is getting a fair price for my purchases.  Since much of the economy here operates informally, there are often no posted prices except when visiting a supermarket.  Therefore, as I look to buy bananas from a street side vendor or a bag of water, there is a constant challenge to ensure I am getting told the standard price for goods.  Today, as I purchased a large bag of water packets, I stopped by one man’s shop where I was told it would cost $85 Liberian Dollars (LD).  I knew this price to be a bit exaggerated since I have previously paid $80 LD for such an item.  I refused to purchase the items and proceeded next door where I was told the bag cost $80 LD.

Now, while the man may charge $85 LD to Liberians and foreigners alike, I am inclined to think otherwise since it is the exact same product and the price is fairly standard throughout Monrovia.  Therefore, I am left to believe that I was being asked to pay more since the man thought I would not know the difference.  He may very well have been trying to take advantage of an assumed level of wealth in me-his customer.  I find this to be symbolic of the shortsighted thinking whereby shopkeepers assume foreigners will pay any price instead of telling me the price they charge Liberians.  Instead, they give me an inflated price.  Once I realize this price has been inflated, I am inclined to shop elsewhere the next time.

While as an American I am probably able to pay more than a Liberian for goods and services, I do not think it means I should pay more than they would pay for a similar product simply because salespeople assume I have a higher level of wealth.  As I try to explain to friends here about how I am actually accruing debt to serve as a Fellow and that as a student I do not have a significant amount of income, they nonetheless believe that I have money saved somewhere that allows me to be able to live better and thereby afford to pay more for goods and services than they do.

Another serious challenge for most foreigners living here is robbery or theft.  I have heard many stories of people being robbed at knife point or having their apartments looted while they slept.  It seems as though much of this is targeted at those professionals who probably have much more luxuriously furnished apartments than I.  Nonetheless, crime is a great challenge that seems to be targeted towards those with wealth and those who can be easily picked out as possibly having money or highly valued goods-especially those with lighter skin color.

My Liberian friends tell me that many find white skin to be very attractive.  The risk of being seen as a threat to a married couple, for example, is real as jealousy can create animosity that is largely unwarranted.  I assume that my brief interaction with such an episode was largely due to the fact that I was a Caucasian foreigner.

These stories of the power or the burden of skin color are mere examples.  I do not intend to imply that all Liberians act the same way or believe the same ideals.  In fact, I have found Liberians to be quite dynamic and creative.  Nonetheless, my experience here in Liberia has exemplified that skin color is a powerful physical characteristic that needs to be acknowledged as having these inherent benefits and risks.

Designing an environmental education curriculum for rural Liberians is not a simple task.  As we attempt to compile lessons from organizations that are well known for their environmental education curriculum (i.e. Project WET, National Wildlife Federation), we are finding that most lessons require significant amount of materials or assume a basic understanding of science which is not present amongst many rural Liberians.

Therefore, we are working in partnership with colleagues here in Liberia to identify and create lessons that help to build an appreciation for nature and the basic biological functions that forests provide.  Since science curricula is very limited and often non-existent in most schools in rural areas here, community awareness of environmental issues often needs to begin at the basics.

We are working to develop lessons on the value of biodiversity-that is, the importance of plants, animals, climate and people to a functioning biological system.  Then we hope to explain the idea of a food chain and food web.  Creating awareness about how water circulates through various channels will also be important since rainforests rely upon and are important for the proper functioning of the water cycle.

Many people do not understand that the soil on which they farm-that which was recently rainforest, will only provide adequate nutrients for one or two years of agriculture.  Without fertilizers or natural organic matter to use to increase the productivity of fields, slash and burn clearing of rainforests will continue as farmers seek soil with more nutrients as their current fields fail.  Helping increase community awareness about soil limits and how best to augment the current agriculture system is important (i.e. through agroforestry-a system combining tree crops and more traditional crops so as to preserve forest cover and still provide food production for families).

Another component of clearing of the forests that relates to both water quality and the productivity of soils is the lack of awareness of how erosion occurs.  Creating awareness about what happens when soil is exposed without cover, especially in a tropical country where rainfall is high (nearly 4,300 mm per year in the interior of Liberia), is an important lesson that needs to be better understood amongst rural Liberians.

Children as well as adults are important players in forest conservation efforts

Children as well as adults are important players in forest conservation efforts

A colleague at Flora and Fauna International has helped us to remember that even as we attempt to design lessons for children, we can often use these same activities for adults since often the adults may be illiterate or lack the basic science knowledge that their children also need.

Our goal is to help communities realize how dependent they are upon the forest-something many stated they understand but yet it appeared most do not fully appreciate the intricacies of the relationship.  We believe that once communities understand their relationship with the forest and the limits of ecosystems, they will be better able to manage the forest sustainably.  As animal species decline as a result of hunting, slash and burn clearing of forest areas for planting increases and cutting of trees for building escalates, communities will be the key monitors and enforcers of conservation.  As Liberia aims to expand the presence of community forest ownership and management, environmental awareness will be vital to its long-term success.

The last few weeks in the SADS office, we have faced numerous challenges in attempting to connect to the internet and even just use our computers.  It is obvious how reliant the world has become on the internet as the preferred means of communication.  Liberia is no exception.  As SADS attempts to conduct its work, the challenges of working with inconsistent electricity, unstable internet servers and limited computer literacy limits the ability for the organization to carry out its mission.

While SADS shares an office with Conservation International (CI), which affords it a somewhat reliable electrical source and internet connection, even this proves sporadic.  A recent story will help to illustrate.

Two generators power the office.  Often, midday the one generator that is used overnight runs out of fuel and the office temporarily loses power.  The next generator is usually then booted up to bring lights and computers back to life.  A few weeks ago, when the switch was made, the staff in the SADS office were largely unaware of the loss of power and when the second generator was turned on, the surge of power ended up blowing the battery charger for the organization’s laptop computer.

After a few days, SADS was able to find some funding to pay for a new power strip, which was a considerable expense ($80).  Then, late last week the internet stopped working.  Apparently there were some problems with the server and the connection into the CI office.  For five days the office had no functioning internet connection.

Yesterday we were delighted to get the internet working again only to find that after 15 minutes the server crashed.  And thus, we were unable to write emails or search for potential funding sources.  Nor were we able to research the curriculum we hope to develop for the upcoming environmental education project.

Michael and Josephine work on a computer in the SADS office

Michael and Josephine work on a computer in the SADS office

Thus, Peter and I decided to go to an internet café so that we could at least catch up on email correspondence.  We began browsing but after 10 minutes the connection was lost and we had to wait 20 minutes for the staff at the café to reestablish the connection-which remained quite slow in comparison to most connections in the U.S.

And thus, is the story of the day at the SADS office and in Liberia.

In addition to the challenges posed by the power supply and unstable internet service, there are staff members who lack basic computer skills.  I have begun to train Franklin on basic computer skills but when the computer cannot be turned on and when there is only one computer for three staff persons, the ability to conduct an intensive training is limited.

These issues related to basic infrastructure for a functioning NGO are great challenges as SADS attempts to develop projects, acquire funding and build their own staff’s capacity.

Gender equality still faces many hurdles in sub-Saharan Africa, but Liberia has been able to overcome some of these obstacles.  Electing the first female president on the African continent has helped initiate a new awareness about gender barriers faced by women in Liberia.  President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has helped encourage women to practice their human rights and is working to change old laws that limit women’s roles in society.  Additionally, she is working to combat domestic violence which has been especially problematic following years of civil conflict.

The election of President Sirleaf in 2005 was historic for Liberia and Africa.  Not only was she the first democratically elected female president on the continent, she was also the first elected leader following 14 years of civil war—the anticipated leader to bring peace to the country.  Having studied at Harvard University and worked in various roles within former Liberian administrations and the World Bank, she brings extensive international awareness and connections with her to the presidency.

While President Sirleaf is not without her critics, including a recent report by the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was established to investigate the causes and persons responsible for the civil wars, she continues to help her country develop.  This commission recently listed the President as one of those who should be barred form public office for 30 years for her support of former President Charles Taylor.  The Commission has been criticized for being politically motivated.  Nonetheless, the commission’s recommendations must be approved by the legislature before any final action is taken.

Despite this report, many Liberian and international leaders still support her work and have admired her ability to maintain peace in the country and to advance the level of development.

In addition to a national female leader, I was fortunate to have met a female town chief in rural Lofa County who has helped to challenge stereotypes even while she faces personal struggles. Sonia Bidi has broken gender barriers by becoming the town chief of Luyama.  In the rural areas, the role of town chief is normally reserved for an elder man from the community.  Sonia was recently chosen to be the first female chief after the previous chief was asked to leave his post due to some controversy within the community.

Perhaps most challenging, after returning from refuge during the war, Sonia found her house destroyed and has not yet been able to rebuild.  Thus, she is living with other friends and relatives until such time as she can reconstruct her home.

While President Sirleaf and Town Chief Bidi have broken gender barriers, there are still many challenges ahead for women in Liberia.  Many girls and women faced sexual violence during the war, which caused great trauma.  In addition, access to education, health care and adequate nutrition is still problematic for many, even those in major towns.  As mentioned earlier, domestic violence is common and many women do not know their rights related to this problem.

Though Liberia has helped raise the bar in Africa, there is still much work to be done to help the country heal and rebuild.  Women will be vital to the country’s future—in various roles within families, communities and the government.

With nearly 44% of the population under the age of 14, Liberia, like many other sub-Saharan Africa countries, faces a challenge in empowering young people as they mature.  Unlike many Western countries which have an average of between 15 and 20% of the population under the age of 14, Liberian youth will certainly have many challenges ahead as they search for employment in a country with remarkably high rates of unemployment.

One student whom I spoke with in Lofa County, told me about having to move back a few levels in school.  After spending most of his young life in Guinea as a refugee from the war, and therefore, learning in French, he has great challenges in now learning in English.  Despite being set back a few years, Garcon told me he is eager to continue his education and eventually go to college.

In the case of Liberia, where many decades of development and advancement were lost due to civil war, it seems as though it may be easy to become apathetic.  From what I have seen from Liberians, this is not the case.

As evidenced by the numerous graduation parties and the determination of young students to continue to learn, it is apparent that most Liberians place a high value on education.  As the school year ends for the summer, parents are celebrating their children’s achievements.  Whether completing Kindergarten, 6th grade or 12th grade, Liberian parents encourage their children throughout their educational careers.

Moses and friends in Konia town

Moses and friends in Konia town

Certainly graduation parties are also a great means of socializing which is also important as neighborhoods are reestablished and relationships rekindled.  This past weekend I spent most of my time with friends at a number of different graduation parties.  Dancing, eating, drinking and conversing were omnipresent.  As families continue to support their children through school, there is hope that entrepreneurship, development and creativity can lead to jobs, an increased standard of living and a bright future.  If the determination and optimism of students is any indication, mama Liberia will be able to progress in that direction.

Communities in Lofa County have a symbiotic relationship with the forest and forest resources.  From bush meat for a source of protein, to medicinal remedies for ailments families depend on the forests for their livelihoods.  In conducting an environmental awareness assessment in partnership with two SADS staff in Lofa County, we discovered that most people have a vague understanding of the importance of conservation of the forest, but many are unaware of the challenges posed by deforestation, overhunting and timber harvesting.

As families reestablish their fields and rebuild their homes, there is, as of yet, little ability to raise livestock.  Therefore, most families rely on hunting of various animals in the forest as a source of protein.  While almost all people interviewed recognized the animals as a valuable food source, few acknowledged the decrease in presence of many species.

The forests hold a valuable traditional use as a source of medicines to cure a wide variety of ailments.  In the same vain, the male and female secret societies that permeate the rural culture depend on the forest for their meeting place.  These meeting places are hidden amongst towering trees and winding vines.

Nearly all of those interviewed, whether children or elders, iterated the importance the forest provides as a source of timber, both for building homes and for selling to market.  Related to logging, some families have begun to harvest non-timber forest products, but for the most part, this harvesting has been conducted in unsustainable means, involving cutting down of the entire tree instead of selectively harvesting to allow the tree to produce more fruit over the coming months.

Another key component of our assessment was to determine the awareness of the communities to the proposed protected area as delineated by the Forest Development Authority of the Liberian government.  Some were aware of the proposed boundaries while a few knew that they were not to harvest or hunt within these boundaries.  Many women and young people were completely unaware of the proposed boundaries all together.

It was apparent from our assessment that basic environmental and conservation concepts are needed in Lofa County, especially near the proposed protected area.

In our meetings, I did find one individual, Mulbah G. Mulbah, who was well aware of the challenges faced by global warming, declining animal species and the need for education related to conservation and the environment.

SADS hopes that with a concentration on education and skills training, more people in Lofa County will become aware of the need to conserve forest resources.  Simultaneously, SADS aims to provide people with new skills so that they can begin to make a living without having to rely exclusively on forest resources.

After nearly 15 years of civil war, many families have only recently begun to return to their homes in Liberia.  For the approximate 500,000 displaced persons and refugees that fled their homes to camps within Liberia or to neighboring Guinea, Ivory Coast or Ghana, rebuilding their former lives in incredibly challenging.

Those families in rural Lofa County, who are largely dependent on subsistence agriculture, are returning to their homes only to find that their communities have been destroyed-homes demolished, fields overgrown, and schools and clinics decimated.  While international aid has helped to rebuild many schools and clinics, the tough work of cultivating land that has returned to some resemblance of a forest is incredibly laborious.

Some families have returned without loved ones who were lost due to the violence or died in refugee camps.  One mother in Boi with whom I spoke, is unable to send her young children to school because she needs their help with farming and daily household chores.  Without a husband to help support the family and work load, some families, such as Kai’s, must rely on their children to help with the daily functions of life, sacrificing their ability to learn through the local school.

Kai and her children in Boi, Liberia

Kai and her children in Boi, Liberia

While many people comment on the richness of the soil in Lofa County, the constant upkeep proves incredibly labor-intensive in communities where everything is done with manual labor.  In an attempt to help these families rebuild their lives and move beyond mere subsistence, SADS is working to train and educate young people and women on alternative projects such as soap-making and small livestock rearing.  The hope is that as these families rebuild their lives, they can also begin to build a more sustainable future for themselves.

In my next blog, I hope to highlight the connection rural Lofa County residents maintain with their forest surroundings.