Ebola is killing us. It is not just Africa’s problem; we are all affected.
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia is being faced with an epic crisis that will force international leaders to reroute business-as-usual practices to immediately assist with humanitarian efforts converging on West Africa. Ebola is rapidly spreading, not only across space but across time. It interrupts the destinies of families, villages, towns and nations. It guts economic, social, spiritual, and political traditions that were being healed from another recent history-changing event: civil wars in Liberia (1989 and 1999).
As in the cases of its bordering neighbors of Sierra Leone and Guinea, Liberian wealth, wisdom, labor and rich oral history die with its people, again.
From its roots as an American colony in the early 1820s, the people of the region had been forced to evolve to accept modern ideals and practices. Local ethnic groups sparred with officials to gain respect and alliances for future advancement. Liberia is home to the Kpelle, Gio, Grebo, Bassa, Kru, Kissi, Vai, Krahn, Mano, Bella, Gbani, Mandingo and Gola peoples.
Liberia’s strategic location on the Atlantic Ocean and untapped natural resources made it an important American asset during WWI and WWII. Modern airports, roads and a shipping port were built to accommodate troop movement, including many African-American units. So when independence was declared in 1847, all groups attempted to gain political favor with the Americo-Liberian leadership, who were resettled black American freedmen and ex-slaves.
However, a greedy and corrupt leadership over the years began to disenfranchise the citizens. Economic protests and mass demonstrations resulted in mass killings, ethnic targeting, migrations and war. Conflict diamonds were mined to fund weaponry. By the end of the 1970s, citizens were under siege, and a change was needed.
In 2003, the courageous Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace helped broker the end of the civil war, which paved the way for the 2005 election of the first female president in Africa, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Sirleaf has worked relentlessly to welcome positive change and community partnering in business.
East St. Louis native Reverend Maryalice Omokeye Brown Moses has traveled annually since 2010 to provide services to Liberia, first by working with the Honorary Consul General to Liberia Cynthia Blandford. Now, Reverend Moses is the global missions director for ICF Mission of Hope-Bong County, Liberia.
With its 500-acre dominion in Paynesville, the mission houses a guest house, ministry and a school servicing over 400 students. The mission also serves as a resource for six villages and two communities in the central region of Liberia, approximately 150 miles from Monrovia.
She reports that with the Ebola outbreak, efforts must be made to keep the surviving population healthy and hopeful. Government restrictions on travel have shut down schools and businesses. The people are hungry. Reverend Moses coordinates weekly donations and transports of food and supplies to the area. Current prices hold at $45 for a 50 lb. bag of rice, $35 for a case of sardines and $5 for a phone card. Educational literature and training on proper hygiene and Ebola virus prevention spearhead every conversation.
As the rainy season ends, more people will try to move out of confined regions, and the risks will escalate. Donations are urgently needed to help the citizens survive beyond the crisis.
As we rise to the occasion to show that we are a compassionate people locally, let us show prayerful compassion abroad for those without first world amenities who need our help. Pray for Godspeed to the divine wisdoms which guide and protect the hands and hearts of the scientists, health care professionals and concerned personnel providing care to those whom need it most
Contact ICF Mission of Hope-Bong County, Liberia at http://missionofhopeliberia.org/?page_id=9.
