Liberia: The Action (Day 2)

Tuesday, Oct 27 2009
New project research day! Exploring potential project sites and meeting new people is really my favorite part of my job. While it is emotionally, mentally and physically taxing - it is where the rubber meets the road so-to-speak. We drove to the Red Light market (it is not what you think) and met up with Dennis Aggrey a Liberian church planter with a goal to help his people help themselves, including educating village children and helping orphans. I met Dennis' wife when I jumped into the front seat of his classic safari type Land Cruiser complete with a water crossing package - you've got one don't you? You know, the auto package that allows you to cross small rivers?

Project 1: Woupugiyema Community School
Dennis drove about 40 kilometers in 90 minutes and arrived in Kpondah Town comprised of 7 villages. The school is named Woupugiyema Community School after village that it is in and is made from adobe bricks, sticks and sheet metal. A total of 58 children attend this little dirt school complete with 4 classrooms at this point: ABC class (pre-school), Kinder (kindergarten), 1st-3rd graders; and 4th graders (only 2 kids in the 4th, they share the same teacher with the 1st-3rd graders who is also the pastor of the local church). A church in the United States is helping out by paying the teachers $50/month. More interesting to me is that the community has worked hard to build the school. They've contributed 5 acres of land, some money and labor. They even conducted a "fund-raising" project like making charcoal and selling it to buy the materials for the school. The nearest primary school is a Catholic school 30 minutes away that charges expensive fees.

Village School Facts: No water, No electricity, No Restroom, No windows or screen, No books, No teacher resources. What they do have? Dirt floor, Dirt Walls, Open Air Construction. None of the kids would go to school if this school did not exist.

My initial reaction to this project? This has VisionTrust written all over it. It is community driven, simple and serves 7 villages that have no other alternative. The religious belief of the children are split (guessing 25% Christian and 75% Muslim/Animistic.)

Project 2: KTOE Comfort Orphanage
We said our good-byes and jumped back into the truck and drove back toward Monrovia for about another 60 minutes. When we pulled up to the front door of a war-torn white-washed building with a small sign that read Ktoe Comfort Orphanage, named after the women started it. Comfort and her husband, Peter, recently died (KTOE is the last name). Comfort's daughter, named Mary, is now running the home for 25 girls and 30 boys. The older children are in the home as a result of the recent war. The girls and boys live at opposite ends of the house: 25 girls in one room with 9 beds and 6 mosquito nets / 30 boys in one room with 11 beds and 6 mosquito nets. The youngest is 5 years old and the oldest is 14 years.

The home has a generator for lights but it has not run for days because they can't afford fuel. The home is poorly lit - I could not see what I was stepping on as I walked down the hallway to the bedrooms. I peaked into the locked storage room and praise the Lord, they have a food supply, although not large but sufficient at the moment. Currently, Christian Aid Ministries is donating enough food of 40 children each month. I also got a peak at the staff quarters, one room for 4 caretakers - all women. Mary has her own room. The children looked happy for the most part and seemed in good health given the situation. This was encouraging to me. Mary took us outside to see the new kitchen provided by Christian Aid Ministries. It is not complete, but in good shape for preparing food of 55 kids and staff. The grounds included 4 latrines and one hand dug well. Mary told us (and we inspected it) that the well water is not good to drink but can be used for washing clothes. It also dries up in the dry season. They carry drinkable well-water from about 150 yards away from the home. Imagine carrying enough water to care for 55 kids everyday - morning, noon and night.

To compliment the program, the founders started a small school just across the yard of the orphanage. I met with the Vice Principal named Micah. He explained to me about how the "footer" ditches between the sheet metal school and the orphanage will become a real cement block school someday. The current sheet metal school included classrooms without doors or windows, highest point inside was 5'6" - yes I would hit my head on the ceiling made from twigs complete with long nails coming down. The roof was made with rubber sheets that have been tied down. They are struggling to say the least. They have ABC, Kinder, and grades 1st through 6th. A total of 153 children attend the program, a mixture of children from the orphanage (free) and from the community (pay 475 LD$ or US$7).

I asked Micah, the VP, and Mary, the head of the orphanage, if other schools exist in the area? They told me that the closest school is too far, about 1 hour walk. This information seemed to conflict with my observation on the drive in - I saw a public Primary to Jr.High about 15 minute walk away. In addition, I saw one other "private" school just down the road too. I also asked if the community was involved in any way. For example, did they help put up the temporary school or dig the footer for the "hopeful" new school? Micah told me that they don't help at all - the family running the orphanage and school has done all of the work. He said, "In fact, some people here have told me that they will not send their children until it is a real school with real walls."

As we wrapped things up, I got to play around with some of the children. Don Lampe and Tim Debold from Calvary Church were with me too. Tim spent some time talking with one of the older boys to learn more, in the process he started a running race with a few of the kids - it was great to watch them play.

My initial reaction to this project? The people are good people at the orphanage and they are doing a good job with what they have. They need the kind of help that VisionTrust can offer. However, I am concerned that Mary may not have the "calling" that her mom and dad had. Will she have what it takes? Regarding their school start-up, I don't think that the are being wise in starting the school because it is a large burden for them - spreading themselves too thin. The children in the orphanage could just go to the public school and receive tutoring at the orphanage to help them succeed. The community appears to not need another school. More needs to be researched and clarified.

About 4 PM we got out of the hot sun and jumped back into the Land Cruiser, and headed back to the Red Light market to get Robert's car. We arrived at the guesthouse at 6 PM…just in time for dinner! Don, Tim and I talked while I did some work on the computer. After my daily night-time shower, jumped into bed and started reading the autobiography called "This Child will be Great" by the current president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Lights out at 11:30 PM.