Refugees Empowering Refugees To Rebuild

Liberia is Africa’s oldest independent republic. It lies on the swell of the continent, between Sierra Leone and Cote d’Ivoire, and it forms part of what is known as the Mano River Union countries. Although Liberia was formally founded by freed American slaves in 1822, the vast majority of the population has always been indigenous Africans. Today it is estimated that only 5% of the population is descended from those original freed slaves. The current population is close to 3.3 million. Illiteracy remains high, with a rate of 85% nationally and 90% among women. Education facilities continue to operate at substandard levels, with girls having less access than boys to the facilities that do exist.

Unemployment is also widespread, with over 90% of the population (CIA reports 85% in 2003) currently not gainfully employed. Until the civil war broke out, approximately 70% of the population relied on some form of agriculture for their livelihood, but the country also attracted foreign investment due to its highly successful rubber industry and a wealth of iron ore deposits that made Liberia one of the largest iron ore exporters in the world. However, these developments failed to have an impact on the population as a whole, and Liberia was often characterized as a country experiencing “growth without development.” Access to basic social services – e.g. water, electricity, healthcare – remains vastly inadequate. Facilities are only accessible in major urban communities, a factor which contributes to the continuing high rates of urban migration.

Pupils of CYE Elem. School - Buduburam	CYE fashion design trainees - Buduburam

A military coup in 1980 severely destabilized Liberia and led to increased problems of economic mismanagement and debt for the country as a whole. These problems worsened until finally a civil war broke out in 1989. Between 1989 and 1996, Liberia was devastated by the conflict between a number of factions that represented political, financial and, increasingly, ethnic interests Because the military reign of 1980 executed key former government officials on corruption charges relatives and family members fled the country and went into exile for fear of their lives.  As of 1980 to 86, former government officials under the military reign also fled into exile in the West African sub-region and beyond due to differences. Living in exile as a refugee is one of the difficult tasks, for this reason only few can easily make life in exile particularly so refugees in Africa. The not easy associated with a refugee life many at time lead to wrong decisions for those who can’t bear the hardship.

The challenges encountered by Liberians who fled the country from 1980 to 1986 according to one senior refugee at the time were completely unbearable - that many of them resorted to under go military training to return home through arm struggle the only language they claimed president Doe understood at the time. Without a doubt, every project that is well planned stands to have partners or supporters, thus those Liberians who chose arm struggle as a means to return home got sponsorship. However, every war project generally destroys properties and lives and some time destroyed even its managers.  Liberia, a country widely believed to be built on Christian foundations, while waiting to celebrate the birth of the Lord and savior Jesus Christ observed every 25th December yearly, was greeted with news of rebel war December 24, 1989.  The bloody war saw hundreds of thousands innocent civilians fled the anarchy and genocide into other West African countries. Led by former rebel leader later turned president after elections in 1997 Charles G. Taylor was a former official of the late president Samuel K. Doe reign.

Kebbeh Freeman - WOG Director	Women of Glory (WOG) trainees

Secret killings, mysterious disappearances of people, arbitrary arrests, summary executions and others abuse of human rights climaxed the reign of former president Taylor forcing many out of the country after elections. Former president Taylor is currently in The Hague awaiting war crime charges. Unlike the Liberians of the 80s that return home with arms, Liberian refugees of the 90s in Ghana believed nation building requires skilled personnel. To this end they have formed initiatives aimed to provide skills and education to help returnees rebuild war-torn Liberia.  The lack of income, education and poor health are some of the factors that signify poverty. The 14 years civil war has Deepings Liberia into poverty with 85% of the country’s population unemployed and 85% said to be illiterate. Given the situation in Liberia, education and economic empowerment are major programs Churches and NGOs led by refugees in Ghana at the Buduburam Refugee camp prioritized.

Returning home with these initiatives is the desire of churches and NGOs led by Liberian refugees operating in Ghana.  What are challenges facing Liberian NGOs and churches wishing to return? Refugees’ led-organizations and churches currently running academy schools, medical health clinic and other poverty eradication projects for refugee children and adults, have been discussing challenges they are facing in their quest to return. These organizations on the other hand, make up one of the functional two networks operating within the Buduburam Community, The Network of Liberian Organizations in Ghana (NETLOG). The familiar challenges these organizations currently face are funding and partnership and are therefore calling on local and international NGOs and individuals to get involve through partnership, volunteering, donation of equipment and fund raising.

	The Late Pres. Doe

Center for Youth Empowerment CYE is not-for profit non-governmental organization. CYE executive director currently coordinates NETLOG, a network of 15member organizations. Formerly Liberian Refugee Youth for Sustainable Development, CYE believes youths are future leaders of every nation and if they are to lead education and leadership training must be prioritized.  To prepare Liberian youths in exile acquire vocational skills and basic education, the organization was formed 2002 by war-stricken Liberian youths who fled Liberia during the early part of the civil conflict fearing persecutions and inhumane treatments that characterized the war  CYE task is to facilitate the empowerment of youths; children as well as women through the provision of needed skills and knowledge for sustainable integration to enable them become agents of change in their respective communities.

The organization currently runs a number of projects including:

Peace and Reconciliation: This series aim to transform the feeling of aggression and revenge caused by the atrocities committed during the war. In order to stimulate peace among Liberians at Buduburam, the program facilitates peace education, conflict resolution and reconciliation workshops as well as schools and community out reach peace activities.

Women and Youths Empowerment: under this program refugee woman and youth undergo training workshop raising awareness concerning gender base violence and HIV/AIDS. To help improve women and girls livelihood CYE runs skills training in fashion and beauty care—these two projects had trained over five hundred refugee women and youths.

Children Program to revive the minds of children at the Buduburam Refugee Camp heals from the traumas of war this program facilitates educational and recreational activities for the refugee youth and children. Currently, this program offers an after School Tutorial Program, a school of art and Craft, counseling services and a scholarship program.

Educational Programs during the 14years civil war in Liberia, education centers were closed. As a result the country’s illiteracy rate has increased. To help reduce poverty in Liberia CYE established an Elementary and Junior High School to help refugee children and youth obtain quality education. A scholarship program established with the help of sponsors is currently assisting disadvantaged children and youths. With peace insight in Liberia, CYE desires to return home to provide these services to the greater population. 

Christians United to Serve Humanity (CUSH) is a non-denominational, non-profit and non-governmental organization founded in Ghana at the Buduburam Refugee Camp on January 4, 2004 by four Liberian refugees.

CUSH goals are to provide access to affordable education to disadvantaged women, youth and adults, work with religious groups to integrate gender equality into their programs and conduct leadership training workshop at all level. Formed with the goal to work with religious institutions and communities to help members build sustainable livelihoods, CUSH has established four poverty eradication projects at Buduburam, namely: Beauty Care, Fashion design, Information and Communication Technologies ICT and Adult literacy program.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) project is training women, youths and men in Networking, Hardware, Application Software, and System Administration. Started as the first project in 2004, till now, the ICT initiative has trained over 300 refugees’ in basic ICT skills for the job market.

Beauty Care project recently launched with support coming from two international volunteers, Trine Munkovold Lindset and Alisa Marie Ferris, is dedicated to school drop out youths, teen-mothers and people with disabilities for income generation. At the moment, CUSH teaches basic skills such as hair plaiting/braiding, permanent treatment, weaving, styling, manicure, pedicure, nail design, eyelash application, eyebrow design, and facial treatment.

Fashion Design initiative also started recently is mainly targeting people with disabilities and teen-mothers training in sewing handbags, wallets, dresses, suits (ladies, gents and children), hats, and much more. This project is being implemented in collaboration with an international NGO based in Australia, Asylum Sisters (AS).
  
Adult Literacy Program: One of the negative impact the war had on Liberia is that children who were ten years prior to the civil conflict couldn’t go to school since schools were closed. As a result, many have grown into adulthood. CUSH therefore involved them in adult literacy teaching them how to read and write. After an advance stage of the program, they are given the opportunity to choose either fashion design and beauty care to enable them earn income or for self-employment.

	The Late Pres. Tolbert

Women of Glory (WOG) is a not for-profit non-governmental organization established January 18, 2004 in Ghana at Buduburam Refugee Camp. Formed by a Liberian refugee lady Kebbeh Freeman, WOG goal is to empower women and girls through income generation skills training.

In an effort to provide income generation skills to refugee women and girls at Buduburam Refugee Camp, WOG in 2005 set up a training center housing Beauty Care, Catering, Fashion design and Interior decoration with the Ghana Christian Council providing ($600) six hundred dollars aid. Given the growing demand of trainees registering to benefit from these training programs, the organization obtained ($350) three hundred and fifty dollars in cash and four sewing machines as a loan from the Self-Help Initiative for Sustainable Development (SHIFSD) micro-credit project.

Since its establishment, the organization has trained 600 women and girls including five men. WOG desire is to continue working with the Liberian refugee women and girls as well as men to improve their livelihoods.  With peace in Liberia, Women of Glory executive directress, Kebbeh Freeman said the focus this year 2008 is to begin a recruitment of trainees for a training of trainers program. Ms. Freeman indicated that the over all goals are to establish these training centers in Liberia to benefit the entire population.

The iron lady among women organizations at Buduburam said most Liberian women if not all prior to the 14 years civil conflict in the country depended on men for everything in the home, which is one of the causes for poverty.  WOG wants to encourage more women and girls to get training so that they can be part of the bread winning process of their homes—helping to reduce poverty. “I’m using this medium to appeal to both local and international organizations and individuals in Ghana to help Women of Glory and other organizations with their initiatives”. 

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