Ebola

It is hard to imagine what it was like during the Ebola epidemic and the seven months Liberia shut itself down. Everyone treated everyone else as if they had become infected. As a result there was no school or games allowed for children who just sat in their houses, people were spaced far apart from one another during any gathering, taxis carried only a few passengers at increased fares, money was handled with rubber gloves, businesses closed, employees lost their jobs, and outside every house and business was a container of water with bleach for hand washing.

The people of Liberia went suddenly overnight from singing pop songs and making jokes about Ebola to drastically changing their lifestyles. This is probably the reason why the death toll wasn't higher. The area where I stayed was the first to experience Ebola death when an infected person was brought to the nearby hospital where he and two nurses died. They were the only ones who died of Ebola in my area. Other people I knew did die during this period from the many other causes of sudden death which affect Liberians.

On the nearby campus of Cuttington University stands a memorial to its alumni who Ebola claimed. Most were health care workers.

The U.S. presence during the Ebola crisis came in the form of Marine helicopters landing in the university's soccer field. In three days they built an isolation unit at a leper colony site and left, never to be seen again. It is hard to really get a feel as to what affect these men and machines of both war and peace had on Liberians. The initial impact is great, but the lasting results are hard to measure. The unmanned isolation camp still stands.

What is there now is a greater presence of armed UN soldiers. Six armed soldiers in a convoy in the back of two Toyota pickups patrolled the area. The frequency a UN helicopter flights also was a lot more than I remember, as they supplied the nearby UN garrison.

On the flight to Liberia I asked Americans on the plane if anyone wanted to share a taxi from the airport to Monrovia. Fortunately, I got a ride in a new SUV by a group of Americans there for a few days from a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation collecting blood samples from Ebola survivors for a few days. They got off at a beautiful ocean side resort while their driver took me to my hotel in Monrovia.

To a certain extend both the Marines and the Gates Foundation employees represent how American wealth and power are perceived by others. One wonders, as other Liberians perceive, if our "humanitarian" efforts are driven more by our own self-interests rather than a true desire to help others. When AIDS is thought of as an acronym for "Americans Interested in Discouraging Sex" and using Africans to test vaccines to protect Westerners, one wonders if there is not some truth to their beliefs.

Death of a Child

The death of a child is not suppose to happen, but of course it does. The impact is no less as tragic in a poor, disease riddled place as here in the US. During my period away, two children died from causes explained to me as "African Sun". Both died painfully with bloated stomachs and limbs which may have been some problem with their lymphatic systems. The man, Samuel was Oretha's oldest son, leaves behind a four year old daughter who now is another member of her family. The young girl in pink was a niece.

In what you might loosely call a cemetery, the dead are usually just buried in the ground with a mound of dirt over their bodies, to poor to have a marker, and whose space is later used by another as the body decomposes.

Liberia has a national holiday, Decoration Day, in March when people decorate the grave sites of ancestors and relatives.

Oretha with her best friend, Lorpu, at her son, Samuel, grave marker.

Niece in pink dress died shortly after this photo.

The Monkey and the Dog

The house next to Dr. Nick's has had a pet monkey for years who was spared during the Ebola crisis. The monkey's playmate is the family's dog.

Books for School

One of the real tragedies is the total lack of books. The only material children have to read is what they copy from the blackboard at school. This applies to all schools, universities included. It is a wonder anyone can learn to read and the thirst for books is enormous. I was able to bring some easy-to-read children's books for a nearby school and some for the women's organization. I wish I could have brought more. I did spend a lot of time with children in my house as they read the stories to me.

Principle, seated, with a teacher and donated books

Musu Valentine Mission School

A classroom

Another classroom

Donated Clothing

Along with the books I brought clothing for children and women donated by people in my zumba class and friends of my two daughters. I was able to take two huge duffle bags, just making weight on the airplane. There were a lot of happy women, girls, and boys.

Wolekamah Wowen's Organization

One of the main reasons for returning was to help the local women's organization register their organization with the government and seek NGO status. During my absence they managed to raise enough money to buy land for a community center and began to clear it. They meet once a week, collect dues, and fine members who are late or miss a meeting. My job was to write up their constitution and bylaws, then to get consensus among the members to proceed, since the process was going to cost them quite a bit of money. Due to the fact, the stamp used to approve the organization was in the capital of Monrovia and not due back until after I left, they had to proceed on their own. I am confident they will succeed.

Wolekamah Women Group Photo

A beer after the meeting keeps everyone in good spirits

President, Lorpu, showing property marker for organization's land

President with her husband Chairperson of the Board, Robert

Another Wolekamah activity is harvesting rice on a farm made available to them.

Wolekamah woman tending to her vegetable patch on part of the shared farm.

Crowning of the Wolekamah Queen

Being selected a Queen in Liberia is a big deal. The winner is the person who raises the most money for the organization. This year there were four original contestants but two dropped out. The contest was held the night before the main program. Since the generator broke, the festivities were held in the dark, but none of the excitement was lost.

Crowning of the Queen

Queen doing her thing

Parade with Queen hanging out the window

Program venue with women dressed up