I am not a Unity Party Partisan but I’m supporting Joseph N. Boakai for Liberia’s Presidency and I think you should think about it too. Here’s why

Kula V. Fofana- Liberian Activist

kvf2007@yahoo.com

October 8, 2017

In few minutes, election campaign activities will come to an end in Liberia. The country is expected to hold a third in a series of elections since the end of the civil war in 2003. This election will be recorded as a historic one as it will be the first time in more than 70 years that a democratically elected government will be turning power over to another democratically elected president.

Liberia story is not a unique one. The challenges are many. The war years left indelible scars that may take forever to heal. More than anything else, Liberians need an assurance of a secured nation. Security in this sense goes beyond tradition security. Human security is what is necessary for Liberia's transition. A 1994 United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report defines security as for people rather than territories, with development rather than arms. It further equates human security to economic security, food security, health security, environmental security, political security, community security, personal security etc. 

For Liberians, what matters is the economic viability for all and not the 1950s "growth without development" under President Tubman's leadership. 

In these elections, there are twenty presidential candidates in the race to replace H.E President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Each of these candidates has sold to you their platforms throughout the campaign period. Some did so explicitly while others did vaguely. Some used larger stages like debates while others thought there isn't value added to debates and boycotted. However you received the messages, some are meant to be given serious thoughts. Electronic and Print media were flooded with those messages. 

Yes, you have heard and seen a lot.  If you are a non-partisan like myself, it makes it challenging to pick a choice as elections are not of saints. It took me a long time to finally decide who to support in these elections. Though primarily it was due to the respect of the Code of Conduct. This also is in no violation of the Code as it protects respect of opinions of public officials. After several pondering, and in my opinion, the best choice for Liberia's transition is H.E Joseph N. Boakai, Vice President of the Republic of Liberia. 

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ran a "transitional government" and we must all give her a standing ovation and due credit. Before 2006, Liberia was a total mess. The physical and mental shells of the guns and bullets were present everywhere. Education, health, infrastructure, social services were all non-existent.  The country's image internationally was bleak. Being a Liberia outside of Liberia drew pity and sorrow. She knew it was not going to be an easy task.She was the "Danielle" thrown in the Lion's den.  

The destruction of more than 14 years cannot be built in 12 years.

Under her leadership, Liberia has done amazingly in many areas and will do more with JNB at the helm. The last 12 years was a transition from our bitter past to a more sustained and prosperous nation. 

Looking ahead, we must own up to our challenges of reconciliation and corruption and JNB has promised to do just that. 

When he said and emphasized ROAD, ROAD, ROAD as a necessity for development, I couldn't help but nod in agreement. In 2010 as a research assistant on a project to study Liberian schools with the American Research Institute, we traveled across the country and saw how deplorable roads were. Again in 2012, as Co-Chairperson on Liberia's Vision 2030, I had the opportunity to travel to majority of the counties and saw how access to market was impeding growth and development. In 2009, on my way to Grand Bassa for a project, we had to sleep in our truck because the roads were damaged and impassable. I partly grew up in Caldwell. For the longest i could remember, Caldwell Road was a messy stretch. It took us hours from Samukai Camp to Caldwell Junction. When the road was paved, my elder sister decided to pay a visit to relatives in Samukai Camp. She drove less than 20 minutes and was in Lousiana very far from Samukai Camp. She had to be reminded by passersbys that she has passed the Camp and was redirected. Today, many of those stories have changed and others would change with JNB. 

Opportunity squandered and parked Race Car Anology

Many people like to make a mountain out of a molehill. When VP Boakai talked about squandering opportunity, he meant collectively as a government- including the legislature- there were many missed opportunities. Squandered may have been a harsh choice of word but the legislature and judiciary had a role as well in the governance.  His reference to a race car was not to blame in any way H.E Madam President but to state the limation within our constitution for the role of the VP.

He has been a loyal, down to earth, and humble Vice President with integrity and I believe his Presidency will do more and make Liberia work for us all in continuation of Madam President's legacy.

Think Liberia, Love Liberia, Build Liberia

Vote Wisely! 

Colleagues have asked why do I hate Senator Taylor this Much? No, I don’t and here’s why I’m critical of her. Kula V. Fofana, a Liberian Activist kvf2007@yahoo.com

Well, I do not hate Sen. Taylor and do not hate anyone for that matter. As a matter of fact, I love humanity and humankind hence my advocacy role throughout these many years. Madam Taylor and I are members of a network and at some point, we both worked briefly on the “Affirmative Action for Political Representation Bill of 2016”. Our relationship has been cordial and respectful. She is a beautiful woman with admirable eloquence.

However, my love for Liberia supersedes everything else. I began closely following Mrs. Taylor a few years ago when she publically supported a divisive call by few Liberians to “Christianize” Liberia. As a senator of a religiously and tribally diverse county such as Bong, she has stated on many occasions that she is “going to work for the Kpelleh people”.[1] This piece intends to summarize why my critical stance is nothing “personal” or hateful. However, my love for Liberia is personal.

In 2012 during an interview with the Voice of America (VOA),[2]  Madam Taylor craved the indulgence of the Liberian people to see her for who she is as an individual and not align her with her ex-husband Charles Taylor and that she was not responsible for crimes he committed. Ironically in the same interview, she said she is proud to associate herself with the name and is honored to carry it. "But I am just happy to say that that name also carries a lot of positivity because I work for the people of my country and that has enabled me to be the senator you see today. So, some people might look at the negatives, but I’d like to look at the positive”.[3] Madam Taylor intoned. Many politicians today associate themselves with the successes at the same time distance themselves from the failures of their associates.

Critics of Madam Taylor often question her role during the crisis her ex-husband led. During a town hall meeting in Philadelphia[4], quizzed about her role in the crisis as her ex-husband reined terror in Liberia, Madam Taylor said she provided relief items to victims.

Marriage to Mr. Taylor, sudden rise to the Bong Legislature and women’s rights advocacy

The two were joined in holy matrimony in 1997 few months before he would be sworn in as Liberia’s 22nd President. A wedding that was televised by the national broadcaster. Before their marriage, the two dated for many years while he was married to Mrs. Enid Tupee Taylor and had their son [first and only for Madam. Taylor-one of 14 children for Mr. Taylor].[5]  In December of 1989, he launched the revolution that displaced, killed and raped many as well as using young children as members of his Small Boys Unit (SBU). During Mrs. Taylor reigned as the first lady of Liberia, many Liberians were in exile in neighboring countries and some in displaced and refugee camps in Liberia. Under their rulership, Liberians lived in fear and intimidation. While she does not want to be associated with Mr. Taylor’s crimes, she believes that he did nothing and that he is and was being misunderstood. In a video interview with the Guardian News Agency, she defended her ex-husband that he shouldn’t be held liable for crimes committed in Sierra Leone as he was in Liberia and could not have been actively involved.[6] Mrs. Taylor returned to Liberia in 2004 after spending some nine months with him while in exile in Nigeria. She filed for divorce in 2005 and was grated in 2006 the same year Mr. Taylor was arrested for crimes he committed in Sierra Leone. 

Jan 1996. Mr. & Mrs. Taylor Photo Credit: BBC

 

Madam Taylor is aware of the benefits of the Taylor name that she enjoys today. Bong County was Taylor “Country” where he settled and had his military base. Madam Taylor herself is from Zorzor, Lofa County. Citizens of Bong County are sympathetic to Taylor and see him as their “godfather” or their protector. By herself, she couldn’t have won the Senatorial seat of that county. Before 2005, Mrs. Taylor wasn’t an active politician. The 2005 election was a special one and special rules were adopted by the National Elections Commission as an outcome of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement.  The National Elections commission encouraged political parties to ensure that their final listing must include at least 30% women candidates. That call enabled the NPP to bring on board Mrs. Taylor and CDC submitted the name of the late Hannah Brant. Many parties followed. Women occupied 14% of the Legislature in 2005[7].  2014 senatorial election came rather quickly. This time the contending parties were many and Madam Taylor saw that she was losing the county. In the eleventh hour of the campaign, she allegedly used a voice recording believed to be Mr. Taylor’s calling on his loyalist to support his former wife. It can be argued that that was a game changer for Mrs. Taylor. She became senator for the second time. Madam Taylor was never a women’s rights advocate but only became a beneficiary as the result of the 30% representation call in 2005.  

Christianization Campaign 

Liberia being a Christian nation is a faulty assumption but widely spread by divisive religious clerics. Prior to 2008 when the most recent census was conducted, about 40% of Liberians practice Christianity while 40 percent were believed to practice Traditional African Religion and 20% Muslims with the remaining distributed among Bahai’, Hindu etc.[8]  The 2008 census placed Christianity at 85.5% while Islam was at 12.2%. Many Islamic clergymen contested this but there wasn’t any empirical evidence to prove otherwise due to resource -financial & technical- challenges. They believed the census report was an attempt to marginalize a certain group of people.

Madam Taylor joined[9] the call to make Liberia a Christian nation in order to put Liberia into chaos as if the mayhem her ex-husband did wasn’t enough.

Religious identities and other lineages have led to the destruction of people and places. And for a fragile country like Liberia and someone who wants to serve as Vice President to join such a call only shows how divisive and intolerant they are. 

In retrospect, 2004 an alleged land dispute between two people metamorphosed into religious violence and landed the city and its surrounding in total chaos with the burning of mosque, churches, schools, and businesses. There was also a spillover impact in other counties.[10] 

The Resuscitation of Charles Taylor’s NPP Agenda    

Charles Taylor came to power with guns. His rebel group the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) was transformed to the National Patriotic Party and the leaders of NPFL were all active players in the Taylors administration that came to power in 1997.  What is the NPP’s agenda that Madam Taylor is using the Congress for Democratic Change platform to resuscitate? [11]

Mrs. Taylor Comforting her then-husband.video Photo: CNN

In his six years rule, Liberians lived in fear. His military groups, the Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU) and Special Operations Division (SOD) of the Police instilled fear in peaceful citizens. For the most part of his presidency, we lived in the Sierra Leonean Refugee camp in Caldwell and later fled to neighboring Sierra Leone as a result of constant harassment from his boys. During his presidency, the economy was at its lowest. He was a tyrant and dealt with everything in similar form. For instance, he dealt with issues of price control with a radio announcement. “All foreign exchange bureaus and businesses must reduce their rates now or else their businesses will remain closed”. He warned. Without studying the economic implications, he would make those decisions and the after effect would be devastating. Freedom of speech and of expression was none existent. Critical journalists were intimidated, abused, harassed, imprisoned and their establishment shutdown and some were forced to leave the country.[12] The widows of the Armed Forces of Liberia and any pressure group couldn’t dare come on the streets to protest or they would meet Taylor’s ATU and SOD well-armed. As if that wasn’t enough, Mr. Taylor himself would use the radio to warn citizens not to take the streets else, they would bear the consequences. Is that the NPP agenda Madam Taylor wants to revive?[13]   Fear, intimidation, suppression, violence, rape, etc. During all of this, Mrs. Taylor was the First Lady of the Republic of Liberia. Liberians must think! 

Salary increment and financial autonomy

In April of this year, Madam Taylor spoke to an audience in the United States at a Town Hall meeting. In her meeting with a cross session of Liberians, Senator Taylor justified the necessity to increase lawmakers salaries because as she put it, “they cater to their constituents who come to their offices daily for assistance and in some cases they pay tuition, underwrite burial cost and make other expenditure for their constituents”[14]  and that they complain about the huge salaries they are making. She further stated that while their constituents lived in so much poverty which “is demeaning” so their salaries need to be increased because it is not “enough”. She says the ten thousand monthly salary excluding benefits is insufficient. In 2016, Madam Taylor was a key proponent of the Financial Autonomy Bill[15] that intended to give the Legislation full leverage over the decision of the finances they receive. Since its formation, the National Legislature has not been audited. They approved the final budget. How can you be the referee and the player at the same time? Where is the accountability?

Conclusion

Many would ask with all these views you hold of Mrs. Taylor why now and why only George Weah and Madam Taylor and not the other candidates? Is it because of job protection (as is often insinuated)? Well, to simply put it, there is a place and time for everything and they are the closest opposition to the Presidency with the most divisive agenda.  Prior to entering mainstream government, I was actively involved with advocacy and activism and was satisfied with the impact and inroads I was making through the several organizations I served. In 2012 I applied for a job vacancy (Adolescent Girls Unit Coordinator) at the then Ministry of Gender and Development and was interviewed, assessed and given the job. I later became the Director when the Unit was elevated to a division.  In March of 2016, I was appointed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as Assistant Minister for Youth Development a position that I am honored to serve. (Thankful to Madam President) I began work in May of 2016 after confirmation hearing and it has been less than two years. If the argument of job protection is valid, all those who worked with Madam Sirleaf in 2005 and supported her should have still been around. This is for the greater good of the Liberian people and I owe it to my conscience and love for country. Additionally, my advocacy for religious tolerance dates back as far as 2006 when I joined the National Muslim Students Association of Liberia to advocate for Muslims holiday and remove the teaching of Bible from the National Curriculum to replace it with General Religious knowledge among many things the organization did.

As someone who wants to serve the country at that higher level, Madam Taylor needs to understand she cannot use the “divide and rule” theory. Liberia’s path to sustained peace has been long and challenging. Many of our compatriots shared their tears, blood, sweat, and life for this great nation. She must understand that the Vice Presidency is a powerful space that can be used to unite instead of divide. The thought of reigniting the Taylor’s NPP agenda scares me terribly with nightmares too. With all that has happened and all that she continues to portray is as if she is a selfish, divisive, and intolerant senator. Liberia needs a unifier; certainly not Madam Jewel H. Taylor. 

As she is intending to reinstitute Taylor’s agenda, George Weah, on the other hand, doesn’t understand simple rudimentary of governance. It makes it even scarier.

For me, this election is about sustaining the gains, strengthening the peace and making Liberia work for all Liberians. I will hope that Vice President Joseph N. Boakai wins. However, I wouldn’t mind if Liberians decide Mills Jones, Alexander Cummings or Charles Brumskine but certainly not a Weah Howard-Taylor Presidency. If Weah and Howard-Taylor take on the leadership the motherland, I pray a million times not, I will join the intellectual and armless revolution to save the motherland.

For me, Liberia before anything else!

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men (and women) to do nothing"- Edmond Burke

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[1] https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=716256281864574&set=pb.100004406254932.- 2207520000.1507341352.&type=3&theater

[2] https://www.voanews.com/a/liberian-former-first-lady-on-first-us-visit-after-nine-years-of-sactions/1519310.html

[3] https://www.voanews.com/a/liberian-former-first-lady-on-first-us-visit-after-nine-years-of-sactions/1519310.html

[4] https://thenewdispensation.com/2017/04/10/liberia-for-me-usd10000-00-salary-not-enough-says-vice-standard-bearer-of-opposition-party-senator-jewel-howard-taylor-

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Taylor_(Liberian_politician)

[6] https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2012/apr/25/charles-taylor-wife-war-crimes-video

[7] http://www.necliberia.org/others.php?&7d5f44532cbfc489b8db9e12e44eb820=NTk3

[8] https://2001-2009.state.gov/p/af/rls/24149.htm

[9] http://www.theperspective.org/2012/0301201202.html

[10] https://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2005/51480.htm

[11] http://frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/politics/5474-liberia-taylor-s-agenda-back-on-the-table-ex-wife-deals-weah-cdc-a-major-conundrum

[12] https://www.ijmonitor.org/2010/02/charles-taylor-did-not-encourage-press-freedom-in-liberia-prosecutors-say/

[13] http://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/politics/5406-coalition-for-democratic-change-echoes-fulfillment-of-charles-taylor-return

[14] https://thenewdispensation.com/2017/04/10/liberia-for-me-usd10000-00-salary-not-enough-says-vice-standard-bearer-of-opposition-party-senator-jewel-howard-taylor-

[15] https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/legislature-wants-financial-autonomy/

Diaries of the Innocent: The story of Salimatu (Part II)

At home, she was cut!
We grew up speaking Vai. Mommy is Vai inside out. Daddy, hmm, he got a whole lot of ethnicity thing going on. But one thing crystal about my family is that we are of the Mande speaking group. There you will find Vai, Mandingo, Gola, Mende etc. Put daddy there, he would speak all those languages perfectly. I wouldn't be a stranger in Cape Mount, Bomi, Gbapolu, Lofa and Sierra Leone. Daddy shares all those lineages and because he did, and as patriarchy depicts, I share similar. To sum this up, we are of the Mande clan. The Sande Society is a big deal for my people. It is a cultural practice that has lasted for as long as life itself. It is a way of life of my people. There is the economic part too. Unlike Matu and the Fula tradition, there is a whole lot of ceremony about the Sande Society. Families lived to see their daughters initiation. I know this not just by reading literature and being of the Mande clan but by the proximity of how close I came to it for several years. We lived in Samukai camp, Upper Caldwell where Sierra Leonean refugees sought refuge during their crisis. We were not refugees neither were we Sierra Leoneans. We were too poor to handle the challenges of Liberia at that time and with the rumors of war, a refugee camp was the safest zone. That meant free school, free medical, free food and most importantly safety. Though it came with its own baggage, my parents would settle for a better system for their children then-refugee life- We became "Sierra Leonean Refugees". The Camp was predominantly occupied by the Mendes.(the largest in Sierra Leone ) When they came to Liberia, of course, their culture would follow especially when culture is a people's way of life.We lived about 5-7 minutes walk from the Sande Bush. We could hear the girls sing daily, we would pass by the bush to fetch water, to go to the creeks to do laundry.(Washing) Our kind of laundry was nothing fancy" no electricity involve, no washing or drying machine whatsoever. In fact, we never knew what those were. We only read about them on the tags of our clothes with instructions like "Machine Wash with like colors, tuber dry, iron as needed"..lol...we didn't understand what those words were. Our kind of doing laundry was like you taking a tub full of dirty clothes to the creek, dip the tub in the running water, get some water, throw in your clothes, rub soap on them, hit them as hard as you can on those huge rocks until the stains are out. Rinse them with clean water and lay them on the street, grass and whatever was available. That was our dryer.No, we didn't die and didn't get any rashes from the clothes being placed on the ground for drying.Normally, when we were going to the creek as young girls we would go in group or supervised by an older person for fear of us being caught by the ladies of the Bush and send to sande or on the other hand some girls would want to put their families in "problem " they would escape home and run to the Bush.. Once you are in there, your family will have to do everything to cater for your needs. Food clothing and everything. The ceremony is huge no joke. And that also lured young girls into it. The ceremonies are like: after the girls spend some time in the bush (here, timing varies. From 3 weeks to several months and it also depends on how financially fluid your family is.), when it is time to brought out, there would be dance everywhere on the camp for the members and it's like all day all night. Now finally the girls made their first outdoor appearance- they would be dressed in all white. White satin like shorts and bras made of white wool beautifully patterned and white headties. They would all be covered in white chalk from head to toe, face included beautifully designed. Of course as a young child who wouldn't want that? They would sing and dance the whole time. They would visit the elders and zoes in the town singing and greeting them. They would go home to greet their families too.This would take up half the day. Of course, we would leave our chores and follow them around the whole day to every corner of the town. When they are about to retreat to their bush we would run from them. On their first appearance, they don't sleep in the town. At the end of the day, they would go back to their bush. The bush was like a house with one entry faced outside and fenced with Palm tree branches all around in a circle that you wouldn't see a thing from the outside beside the face of a house outside and the fence. I was the quiet but stubborn one. My kid sister was the outgoing and frisky one. We would do all our ish, but we'd dare not venture closer to the bush. On their final appearance, mannn, this was the thing! The night before, it is like no sleeping in the town. Drums, Sassas and all kinds of traditional instruments. Singing, dancing and everything in between. This would go on until the girls are prepared to come out. There is an obvious OMG moment when they step out.This time, they would be beautifully dressed in all kinds, colors and make of fabrics. Their makeups would all be "fleeking", hairstyles would be popping and footwears wouldn't be left out of the party. Indeed the occasions are colourful. Unlike their first appearance, this time they wouldn't be doing any dancing. People would do all of that for them.They would only walk slowly around the town and return greetings. There would be someone holding for them an umbrella over their heads. This whole celebration would also involve the drumming, singing etc. During both appearances, they would receive money, gifts and any token of appreciation. From this time to about two weeks, they would be treated as queens. During the first days at home, their porches would be redesigned to welcome the new queen. The porches would be covered with new fabric to create a cover for where the queen would sit. A chair would be designed with beautiful soft pillow where she would sit. A table to put her feet on. She would eat three times a day. Someone would be on duty at her call. There would be someone there to fan her. She would change outfits twice or three times a day. This was no joke. Indeed a queen! She would sit from A.M. TO P.M. People would troop in to greet her. On the fourth day, she would go around dressed up to greet people and receive gifts. They would take their umbrellas along. This was so beautiful and colourful. As kids my sister and I had one day plan to mimic the ceremony. Our mom and aunt weren't home and we decided my kid sister and myself would be the zoes. Our two cousins were the girls. We took mom's hair relaxer and relaxed our cousins hair. We took everything from mommy's makeup to shoes to new outfits and everything. We dressed up the girls and sat them down on our porch and used mommy's wrapper (lappa) to create the blinds for the girls. After our hard work, the girls were both seated and we decided to go get them food. Before we turned, we saw our friend running toward us nearly breathless. By this time now the news had gone around in our neighbourhood to let our friends come and join us to play Sande. Jumah, after managing to regain her life, tells us that there was one of the Sande women coming in our neighbourhood.She was the Sande announcer going around with announcement for the members. If she catches us playing Sande, we would all (the girls, my sister and I, our friends who'd come to witness) be taken to the bush. Upon hearing that, oh boy, our cousins started crying, we all were confused. They jump down from their chair. We begin ripping everything apart.Removed the blinds, tried to undress the girls to their normal self and reset our house. We tried. we failed . You see, in our town they provided "safety nets" for all their members. You are not allowed to talk back at a member or even exchange words harshly. You and a member should never fight even if you both are age mates or classmates. You both are not on the same level. You are called names and provoked. In school, you can be the smartest, you are still ranked lower as per their scale. 
After I left Matu's house that day, I couldn't sleep. My head would go all over just asking myself why...I would retrospect on our life in Samukai Camp and my Sande experiences and would say to myself, poor Matu didn't get all that celebration that would've made her mentally escape her agony for a little while. She didn't get that!
The Sande Announcer arrives at our Sande Playing station, we have not succeeded in clearing everything and certainly, the girls aren't completely undressed. What happened next? Follow the story.

No! We will not be silenced by your tactics of Intimidation!

August 28. 2017 

Monrovia- “The only thing needed for evil to triumph, is for good men (and women) to do nothing” Edmond Burke

It has been an increasing tactic employed by elements within the Coalition/Congress for Democratic Change to spew insults and invectives at folks who disagree with them, their candidates, their thoughts and ideology. This tactic is archaic, out of date, uncivilized and doesn’t hold a place in our society. Beware that Liberia is for all Liberians and everyone is protected under our constitution to express his/her opinion(s). Everyone in this includes public servants and as elevated in Section 5.8 of the Code of Conduct and enshrined in Articles 14 & 15 of the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia. 

Particularly in these political times, the insensitivity is belligerent and must be condemned in the strongest possible term.

My dear friends of Coalition of Democratic Change, we will not be silenced. Oh no, not this person, not this time, and not ever. If this presupposes the trend your government, if elected will take, I will pray, if prayer is all that is needed, that your party doesn’t win.

If you must know, at a very tender age, particularly during the 1990 war, my family was made refugee in neighboring Sierra Leone and again in 2001. Until the last 14 years, my life and that of my family have been in a nomadic state as the result of the brutal civil war. My partner’s father was brutally killed and remains mislaid because of his tribal and religious affiliation. My father on the other hand was made to change his name, identity, and denial his religion so as not to be killed by Charles Taylor’s NPFL rebels. Because of our last name and religion, my family suffered prosecution. While living as a refugee in Liberia, (well, yeah refugee in Liberia we were! We had to illegally take on Sierra Leone refugee status so be safe on the refugee camp and attend school. A tough but reasonable choice my parents had to make because everywhere else was unsafe.), we endured some very difficult moments. Our childhood was tattered. With all that I saw around me, I stood up to advocate at age seven for underprivileged children even though we were still on the refugee camp. A cause that I have dedicated my life, time and resources to, a cause to speak up for what is right, a cause to use my voice, a cause to empower young women and girls, and that cause is for –the people. No matter what space and time I find myself, I will add my voice to the discourses. I owe it to my conscience and country! We cannot retrogress! We owe it to the memory of our lost compatriots and families! 

The political choice for 2017 is everyone’s right to discuss. The rights to free speech and freedom of expression that were denied to many during previous regimes where some of our compatriots were thrown behind bars, killed, and made homeless is being enjoyed today. It has been a long struggle for this freedom and we will not allow you to take that away. Not through your personal attacks on my person, families and friends. Your attempt to defame our hard earned character with nothing but gibberish, babbles and to bring our families to public disrepute because we disagree with you is nothing but laziness and feebleness. Trust me my friends, we will not be perturb by your stratagem, it only strengthens our resolve to continue speaking our minds and opinions on all and every subject that is deemed necessary. If it is your way to manifest patriarchy and your quest for power, you’ve got the wrong person to mess with.

“Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.” John Milton

Diaries of the Innocent (The Story of Salimatu) Part 1

Matu, I will call her that to conceal her real identity. She was so full of life. She must have been 4 or 5 when we first met. We connected. She was a curious little gem. I love kids and the curious ones get me all the time. I met her through her older sister who was a mentee. This must be 2010 or thereabouts. Whenever I visited, she would hug me so tight and we would chat about her school, my work and the fun she'd had the day...She was a happy little one. One day I would visit her house and received a shocker that I least expected. It would hit me so hard and sap the life out of me for a moment..No she isn't dead and she wasn't raped.

She was going to be a teacher. She loves to teach. Teaching for her was a big deal. She gets to hold the cane. Yay. She feels authoritative. She thinks that's all the teachers do. Well, for her class, the teachers go around with a cane and all the kids fall in line. The hard-headed ones tasted the teacher's wrath. She seldom gets whipped. She was quiet but very curious. She sees the cane in her English class and her Arabic class. At home and everywhere. In Arabic class, she would explain, the Ustaz (teacher) can beat bad way. That was no joke. I remember going to Arabic classes after school in the Mosque. OH boy...Our Ustaz used to flog.I really didn't know why they whip us so bad. They would tell us, -the students- the Quran came down with rattan and by that, and in their personal dictionary, it is literally a rattan. I got flogged one day my mom had to come and warned the Uztaz seriously. He never did it to me again. So when Matu says her Ustaz beat on the kids, it's no joke. She wants that authority to hold the rattan. Teaching was the way! She would go on and on explaining. I love how she would be so convinced in her thoughts. I love the fact that she wanted to teach but her reasons were lil off. I would try to tell her other beautiful things about being a woman teacher beyond holding the cane.

 In Liberia, many prefer other fields to teaching. For obvious reasons: ie low salary, meager benefits where there are, and the overall incentive doesn't look attractive. And yet, we need teachers in every classroom. I wasn't going to discourage my incoming teacher,-- with the cane-- may I add. We would go on. When I try to discourage her about the cane, I would notice she's getting disinterested. Then, I would remind her. You know most of your teachers and your friend's teachers are women right? I would ask. Yeah, she would respond. Ask your big sis Bintu (Not her real name) who's in the senior high. Most, if not all of her teachers are males. Oh but why? You see, that's why we need women teachers. This was the Matu I knew. Until that fateful day! We talk on many subjects. When she realize we are about to eat, Bintu and I, she would hurriedly get her food and say, Aunty Kula, come eat with me na..She would beg me to eat her food. A spoon or two would satisfy her. I'm walking up the stairs and felt something heavy. But it didn't matter. They lived in a two-story building house downtown Monrovia. It's the busy part of town. You would hear the normal city noise. Cars, bikes, generator and just everything in between. Their flat was the upper one. Normally there is always a happy atmosphere all the time in their house. This day I'm at the door and Bintu welcomed me. She didn't look happy. There is a sad mood now. Where is Matu? Bintu reluctantly says, she's inside. The room door was opened. It is normally open all the time. It's a one bedroom where everyone sleeps. I looked in the room. I see my Matu. My heart leaped. I'm shaking. My mouth goes dry. Teardrops came rolling from nowhere. I want to take a step back, forth, side, at that moment, I didn't know what to do. Mom is in the room. Others are there. Dried eyes. Normal conversation. I'm I the stranger? I thought to myself. Matu is Fula. She is 4/5. What did I see? 
She is Fula. Fula women are very beautiful same as the men. As young as she was, you could see an emerging queen. Little Matu has these eyes that sparkled once in the presence of others. Bintu was already a queen. Her naturally flowing hair, blended with an oval-shaped face, and long chin and high chick-bone that only required a little smirk and a perfect face is formed. She also had a "perfect body" shape. Average height, curves in all the right places and long legs. Indeed they were both beautiful inside out. With good manners too. This isn't to say some Fulas aren't "Uncle George Loves You"..(You know what that means). Like every other group of people, the Fulas have tradition and culture. Traditions and cultures are passed down from one generation to the other. As time goes by, traditions and cultures are modified to cope with the reality of the day. Unfortunately, some norms remain as constant as the northern star. Even if they are scientifical, medically, logically proven to be harmful. Some of the practices find their bases in religion, beliefs, superstitions etc. Mostly, some practices have no scientific bearing. People get so used and accustomed to them that it build a pattern in their psychology and make them believe that it is the right thing that they are doing. This was the case of Matu. She had no saying in the decision of what was going to happen to her. She was only 4/5. Tradition must be obeyed, just like the generation of women in her family. At home too. She was cut! Stay tuned.