“Liberia presented more opportunities for growth then the U.S., Jefyne Bates explained the reason she left the United States for the West African Country.
    “I was tired of corporate America.” Bates, who had worked
in the U.S. banking industry, found climbing the corporate ladder(in America) to be a daunting task. Liberia, she says, offered moreroom to grow professionally.
    Bates was born in America’s mid‐west to Liberian parents.  Growing up, she says that she did not learn much about the countryher parents referred to as home. According to Bates, her parentsdid not talk much about the country until she was much older. She no idea what it was like. Bates, like many young people raised by Liberian parents in the America (after 1990) knew little about the country except that it was plagued by brutal civil wars and unrest for over a decade. Around age six‐teen, she visited Liberia for the first time. For Bates, the trip was very educational. According to her, Liberia appeared to be “a place that was more or less (the) survival of the fittest.” She says that the country had many opportunities. However, they were not easy to come across. One had to be able to navigate around various obstacles in order to reach or find them. But opportunities were there.
   

Years later, in 2009, Bates, (also the mother of two boys) made the move to Liberia.
The plan was to help her mother (who had returned to Liberia a few years earlier) open and
operate a new bottled water company. After starting the job at her mother’s company, the
new Liberian resident found herself also providing business related services for some of her
mother’s colleagues. They needed help with things like business plans. As she completed
work for them, she got more referrals. Her clientele list began to grow. She then decided to
form Katurah Incorporated, a company that would provide services she was already offering.
According to Bates, after forming Katurah Inc., she was asked (by several people) about job
opportunities in the country. She wanted to help locate these openings, because she was sure that they to existed. Career Expo 2011 was born out of the need to help. Bates organized the event, which provided professional skills workshops and linked job seekers with local companies. She found the event to be a huge success. More companies (have since) contracted Katurah for business services and event planning. Because of the success of the event, Bates organized another, Career Expo 2012. The event, which took place in early 2012, brought together more employers and potential employees.
    “Human resources, and not just infrastructure, is a valuable asset to any economy,”
Bates says. She believes that public and private companies (in Liberia) should be able to hire Liberians instead of importing employees. However, in order for that to happen effectively, an investment must be made in the area of work force development. She says that companies like Katurah can play a major role in helping the country grow in that aspect.
Bates believes that her decision to move to Liberia has been a good one for her family.
    “The boys love being free,” she says about them running around in their yard. “They do
not have to go to daycare.” She does, however, miss little conveniences like the occasional trip to the fast food restaurant.
    Bates does have some advise for anyone relocating to Liberia from the United States.
    “Keep and open mind and do not try to compare Liberia to the States, otherwise you will not make it. Have clear set goals and keep pushing for them. Living in Liberia is not easy, and its only with perseverance you will achieve your goals.”

Visit the link below to learn more about Jefyne and Katurah.
http://katurahinc.com/

    “It was my first time traveling outside of the U.S.  Going to a developing country..., I was nervous.”        
           Twenty-two year old Asalou Givens recalls her feelings about her first visit to the country her parents call home.  She remembers being very anxious about the trip; unsure about what she would see and eat and where she would stay. Givens, at the time, was a high school junior.  She had heard many stories about Liberia.  The ones that resonated with her the most were those of a bloody civil war and unrest that devastated the country for over a decade.  Like many young Liberians born in the United States (because of the war and other political issues), Givens had never traveled to Liberia.  Her mother’s family had left the country in the early eighties because of political persecution. They found refuge in the United States.  Her (Givens) father had also relocated to the U.S. in the mid eighties.  Her parents met while studying in Washington D.C.

     In January of 2007, the family made the trip to Liberia.  After arriving in the country, Givens remembers feeling “at home”.  According to her, everyone she met was “warm and welcoming”.  She recalls seeing a lot of poverty.  However, people seemed to have a sense of joy “in spite of their circumstances”.
       After returning to the U.S., Givens knew that she wanted to give back to Liberia in some way. But she did not know what to do or how to start.  While studying Sociology and International Studies in Washington D.C., the chance to do something came.  According to Givens, she was approached by her best friend (a Nigerian native) who had previously co-led an Alternative Break to Washington D.C.  The Alternative Break is a national program where small groups of college students participate in volunteer services nationally and internationally.  Givens was thrilled when she was asked about organizing a trip to Liberia. She gladly accepted the challenge.  The two friends collaborated to come up with a theme for the trip, “Women’s Empowerment through (holistic) Education”.  After adding a few more details, the two applied to their school’s alternative break office for approval.  Givens was nervous.  She had just cause.  There had never been an Alternative Break trip to Liberia in the history of the program.  Many people (she knew) had never heard of the country. She was unsure if anyone would be interested in going.  Much to her relief, the trip was approved.
    The summer before the trip, the two students began working on detailed plans, including daily activities for volunteers (once in Liberia) and pre trip workshops to help acclimate participants with the country and her people.  They also advertised on various mediums such as Facebook and their school’s website in order to find volunteers.  About ten students applied.  But the ladies faced some obstacles. The trip was costly.  Many of the parents thought the trip was to Libya.  With political tension in Libya at the time, they were somewhat hesitant to send their children to such a place. The two ladies conducted various fundraising activities to help cover cost. 
    In December of 2011, a group of about five Alternative Break students arrived in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia. There their work began with various organizations including the Paramount Young Woman’s Initiative (PAYOWI), a Monrovia based group.  They participated in a girl’s camp organized by PAYOWI in Robertsport, Liberia.  According to Givens one of the highlights of the trip (for her) was a meeting they had with a group of university students, which was organized partially by the country’s Minister of Sports (at the time), Edmonia Tarpeh.  According to Givens the youth are politically active. They are “on fire” and “wanting to see change”.  She also found them to be very “hopeful”. 
    Givens says that the trip helped open her eyes to how much need is out there in the world.  She says that Liberia is in need of so many basic things, like order.  She describes seeing chaos of being the “rule of law”.  According to her, it is evident everywhere. One can even see it in the cars that anywhere and the pedestrians who walk everywhere. Another need she sees for the country is an investment in quality education.  She feels that it is quite unfortunate that so many young people her age are behind academically because of the war. But like the Liberian university students, she sees hope for the country’s future.
     “If enough people are passionate about rebuilding and eliminating corruption, if enough people come together, it can be done quicker.”
     For Givens her first trip to Liberia was an eye opening experience that helped her decide what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.  She sees herself as a part of Liberia’s future.  Givens hopes to work in educational development in the private sector.


   

           

                        by
                F.A. Togba-Mensah

“I have been waiting for this day since 2006,” the young Liberian native said with a smile.  While visiting Liberia for his father’s funeral, Sam Burnett III realized that he had to move back home.  The
country had been devastated by years of fighting and unrest due to a civil war that began in 1989. It had suffered physical and emotional losses.  At the time, the young Liberian was unsure of exactly how the move would happen; but he was quite sure that it would.  So when the opportunity came knocking for his dream to become a reality, Burnett could not resist.

During the Christmas holiday season, many Liberians living in the United States (after fleeing the country due to fighting) return home for visits.  In 2011, Burnett planned a trip home.  However, his was not one to simply visit some friends and family and see his old neighborhood.  The young Liberian was on a mission.  His goal was to use the country’s love of football to reach out to some of the impoverished country’s many orphans.  He planned to spend time with these young people (playing the game they loved) and give out football gear.   
            Burnett, who was a football coach in United States, was able to use his contacts to
collect some much needed contributions of equipment for the trip.  However, it was not
enough.  After mentioning his project to a colleague, he was referred to the Director of
Marketing of a nonprofit organization that donates football and other athletic equipment to
orphanages in developing areas (in addition to organizing football clinics).  The organization,
The Give N Go Project, (which was founded by football player, Amber Tollefson) was
founded with the belief that “soccer has the capacity to transcend socioeconomic status and
serve as the universal language around the world to galvanize communities.”  For Burnett,
learning about the organization was a blessing.  Their philosophy about using soccer to help
motivate people was similar to that of his.  However, the organization had never done any
work in Africa. They had previously been involved in countries in the Caribbean, South and
Central America, and the United States.
            Not fearing rejection (from the organization about proposing a donation to a new part
of the world), Burnett made the contact.  He shared his plans with the Director, who then
introduced him to others in the organization.  Much to his delight, they agreed to sponsor his
trip with donations.  He was ecstatic.   
            Burnett left for Liberia with ten bags filled with football equipment; each grossing over
70 pounds in weight.  He had identified several orphanages (to benefit from the gifts) with the help of a New York based company, United Liberia Outreach.

    Burnett describes the time he spent with the kids as life changing.  He saw utter joy on their faces as they received the football gear and participated in the clinics.   
     “It was one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life, he said.   
       According to Burnett, the experience left him feeling that this was his life’s calling.  It was what God had for him to do.  However, as the sun set on each clinic (at the various orphanages) Burnett was saddened by the thoughts shared by some of the kids.  They told him that people (like him) show up all the time.  They give them things, provide a fun day, and then… they are gone, never to be seen or heard from again.  They (the children) had no time to develop genuine relationships.
            Immediately Burnett knew that he did not want to be like that.  He did not want to simply drop off equipment and leave.  He wanted to build relationships with the children and watch them grow.  He wanted to be more of an influence in their lives.
    After returning from his trip, Burnett was offered the role of Country Director for the Give N Go Project in Liberia.  The title would allow him to spear head any of the groups’ projects in Liberia.  For the young Liberian, this was a dream come true.  Burnett grew up as a fan of football.  His late father, Sam Burnett II, had played the sport professionally in Liberia.  So the game had always been a part of his life.  Now he (Burnett) had the opportunity to use his love and the country’s love for the game to try and impact the lives of young people.  Burnett did not hesitate to accept the offer and begin plans for his move.  

    Burnett knows that he may face some hurdles with this move.  But he is prepared to meet
them head on, he says.  One such thing he talks about is a sense of division between local
Liberians and those who lived in the diaspora.  He recalled attending an event (which was
organized by a nonprofit group, geared to helping young girls.  His escort (to the event) was a friend who was a local and had not lived in the diaspora.  During the evening, he asked for her thoughts about the event.  According to him, she felt that the event was nicely
organized.  However, attending the event, she only saw people who had moved back to Liberia from overseas.  She believed that the diaspora group should include be more inclusive of others.
            Burnett agrees with his colleague.  He too believes that Liberians (like himself) who are now returning home must find ways to relate to locals who never left the country.  According to Burnett, some locals view people (like him) as outsiders who are trying to “impose their western ways on them in order to make a profit.” He (Burnett) wants to start changing that perspective.   
            “Our actions and words have to show local Liberians that we are not outsiders, but
victims of circumstances.  We had to adapt to a new way of life in a strange country, but are
now ready to go back home and be a part of the development process” in order “to see our
country reach its full potential.  If local Liberians and Liberians in the diaspora do not realize
that we are all in this fight together and join as one, there will be unnecessary delays in the
development process.

To learn more about Sam and his work with the Give N Go Project, visit the link
http://www.thegivengoproject.org

                                        by 
                            F.A. Togba‐Mensah 
 
It  had  been  sixteen  years since the then twenty something year old  had last seen the country  in  late  1989.    The  country  had  been  badly 
battered.  Buildings lay in ruins.  Bullet holes lined the walls of 
many  buildings.    Poverty  ruled  the  city  streets.    But  Shoana 
Clarke  Solomon  saw  something  quite  the  contrary.    “This 
country  is  so  beautiful,”  is  all  she  could  think  of  her  native land,  Liberia.        Despite  the  evident  devastation  the country  had  suffered  and  the  apparent  struggles  that  still  plagued  it, the young Liberian was glad to be home. 
 

In  1990,  Solomon  (then  only  a  child)  and  her  family had fled  the country when civil war struck.  The family (like so  many  others)  was  forced  to  take  refuge  in  the  United  States  (and  other  countries),  leaving  behind  their  lives  in  Liberia.  
Solomon  recalls  longing  for  Liberia  (as  she  grew  up  the  States).    “We  had  everything  we  needed  in  Liberia.    We  lived  in America because we had to.”  So they adjusted to their new life. 
    In  2005,  Liberia  elected  its  first  female  president,  Ellen  Johnson  Sirleaf.    Solomon 
received  the  opportunity  to  document  the  Presidential  Inauguration  in  pictures.    After  that  trip, Solomon knew that she had to find her way back home.   
    In  June  of  2009,  the  move  happened.    She  closed  her  photography  studio in the U.S.,  said 
goodbye  to  her  parents,  and  left  with  her  daughter  and  then  husband.    She  was  leaving  so  much  behind  to  take  a  chance  in  a  country  that  had  been  through  so  much  since  she  last  resided in it.  But it was a risk she had to take.  She had to go home. 
    Solomon’s  first  venture  in  Liberia  was  opening  and  operating  a  school  at  an 
orphanage.  She ran the school for two and a half years after which it was turned over to the 
mother  of  the  orphanage  due  to  disagreement  in  operational  decisions.    Heartbroken,  she stood at a crossroads; take the path that led to the familiarity of the States, or stay in Liberia  and  do  more.    She  decided  to  stay.    Since  then  Solomon  has  gone  on  to  open  and  operate  several  successful  businesses  including  a  guesthouse,  a  photography  studio,  a  hair  salon,  a  marketing  and  interior  design  firm.    Her  latest  venture  is  a  creative  arts  center  (which  will  launch  on  July  9,  2012).    The  center  will  provide  classes  in  the  visual  and  performing  arts.  
Solomon plans to provide scholarships for low‐income families.   
    For  Solomon,  achieving  success  in  her  home  country  is  a  dream  come  true.    But  this  dream  does  not  come  without  consequences.    According  to  her,  some  locals  are  very  excited  that  Liberians  (who  had  to  leave  home  for  various  reasons)  are  returning  home  with  their  skills  and  experiences.    On  the  other  hand,  others  believe  that  the  “repats”  are  taking  jobs  away  from  them.    Solomon  says  that  this  often  leads  to  negative  interactions.    She  recalls  a  particular  incident  at  the  passport  office  when  an  apparent  “repat”  politely  asked  an  employee  where  the  line  was  for  ordering  passports.    The  worker  became  extremely enraged with the woman.    “You people think you are better than us because you came from  America!  You think you can just come and jump in front of the line!” 
    Solomon  says  she  has  had  other  experiences  with  people  who  share  the  same 
sentiment as the passport worker.  However, she does not let that bother her.  She is focused 
on  making  a  difference  in  her  country. 
 
To learn more about Shoana and her work in Liberia, visit: 
http://theoceanhouseliberia.wordpress.com/ 
http://cicreativeartscenter.wordpress.com/ 
www.cachellehairandmakeup.wordpress.com 
  
To learn more about the Going Home Project, click here.