©InfoLike thousands of children who grew up during the war, 22-year-old Alice missed out on an education. “During the conflict I was with my parents moving from place to place, always trying to escape the fighting,” Alice explains. “In 2003, when the war ended, I met my boyfriend. My parents were quite old and didn’t have the means to send me back to school which is why I moved to Po River with him.”
In 2006, Alice joined the child advocacy and rehabilitation (CAR) programme, where she learned to read and write and also gained skills in gara tie-dying and soap making.
Alice says: “My boyfriend and I have a son, he’s called Sonny Boy and he’s five years old. Luckily I was able to take him to the CAR centre while I was studying there, as they have a nanny centre to look after all the babies.”
Reviving cultural traditions
Madia Reeves, project co-ordinator, says: “As well as vocational training, we also address the need to revive cultural traditions with recreation time when the kids can practice dancing, singing and drumming. Because of the war they forgot where they came from, they lost their values and their heritage, we help to bring them back.”
There are 16 tribes in Liberia and the kids are invited to perform songs and dances from their tribal groups. Alice says: “I enjoyed being involved in the culture group, with the singing and dancing. We also did a drama about HIV and AIDS. It was great being in the midst of it all, doing things together.”
Working with communities
©InfoChief Blamah Gaye, who is chairman of all tribal governors as well as being chief of Po River community, says: “The Red Cross has been doing well for us, teaching our children a trade. The staff are not just focused on their job, but even the people in the community, helping them in their own private and personal needs.“Many of our children were wayward. They were not in school, they had no occupation and they just roamed about with nothing to do. Before the Red Cross came, when the war had just ended, if you had come to see these children you would have been afraid and felt terrible for them. But now the children have respect for others and are willing and able to do useful work.”
A brighter future
©InfoSince graduating in 2007, Alice has been establishing her business. “Before Christmas I started doing business with my gara tie-dye as it’s a festive season and a good time for selling clothes,” she says.
When the students graduate they are given a start-up kit according to their trade. Alice received seven lappas (cloth used for sarong wraps). She sold each piece for 450 Liberian dollars (less than USD 10). But they were bought on credit and she has to wait for the end of the month when people will be able to pay.
“Recently my son fell ill and I had to spend a lot of profit on his medicine. Now I’m going to focus on soap making as it’s a faster, better business. I have some soap in process but I’ve run out of oil and the price has recently gone up so I can’t afford it at the moment. When I get the money from the lappas I can buy some oil and continue.
Alice has a big smile and a reason to feel proud. “Without the CAR centre life would have been difficult for me,” she says. “Because I hadn’t gone far in school and wasn’t able to earn a living, I would have had to send my son to live with another relation. Now, I plan to continue selling soap and start saving so I can pay my son’s school fees, he has just started this year.”
More about the child advocacy and rehabilitation programme