Cachelle's Promise is a humanitarian project founded by Shona Clarke-Sayeh. Which provides basic necessities for the Mother Wleh orphange in Liberia. Upon her recent travel to Liberia, Shoana and her husband unoffically adopted the 45 children of the Mother Wleh orphanage. She is about to ship much needed supplies to the children on October 7. On Wednesday October 4, The Miss Liberia Maryland Organization put together a care package filled with beddings, towels, t-shirts for the orphange. The Package will then be shipped to Liberia and will arrive just in time for Christmas.
The Miss Liberia Maryland Organization has decided to add Cachelle Promise as one of it official non-profit afiliations.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday Season
Miss Liberia Maryland Organization
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Miss Liberia in the US represents Liberia at the Miss Africa Pageant in Miami Florida
Miss Liberia in the US Ro-Pauline K. Doe 2006 will represent Liberia at the Official Miss Afirca Pageant to held in Miami, Florida on Saturday December 9th in Miami Florida. For more information on the pageant log on to www.missafricapageant.org .
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Cast your vote for Miss Liberia Patrice Daiemoie Juah at the Miss World
Visit the official Miss World site to cast your vote
and to gets the latest updates on Miss Liberia
Patrice Daiemoie Juah
Join Miss Liberia in the US Ro-Pauline K. Doe at the Aids Awareness Black and White Party in Washington DC
Miss Liberia in the US Ro- Pauline K. Doe
continues to promote her platform
HIV and Aids Awareness in Washington DC
A BLACK AND WHITE PARTY
HOSTED BY
The Liberian Youth United For Progress
@
Kendejah
5828 Georgia Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20011
Doors open @ 10:00PM-5AM
Cover $10
Date: Saturday October 7th, 2006
Proceeds to benefit Aids Awareness Initiative in Liberia geared towards Education, Testing, Counseling/support and a movement to include Health and Human Sexuality as a course in High Schools Curriculum. Your support/Contributions will help us reach our goals and mission in helping to fight the spread of AIDS and its consequences, especially among young people.
HOSTED BY
The Liberian Youth United For Progress
@
Kendejah
5828 Georgia Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20011
Doors open @ 10:00PM-5AM
Cover $10
Date: Saturday October 7th, 2006
Proceeds to benefit Aids Awareness Initiative in Liberia geared towards Education, Testing, Counseling/support and a movement to include Health and Human Sexuality as a course in High Schools Curriculum. Your support/Contributions will help us reach our goals and mission in helping to fight the spread of AIDS and its consequences, especially among young people.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
My Search for Miss Liberia Patrice Juah
Over the summer, i've been looking for information on Liberia's Queen, Miss Liberia Patrice Juah. It is hard sometimes to obtain information from home. I spent my Labor day weekend searching for information on the internet about Liberia's Queen. So far I have found out that she is a 21 year student attending Cuttington University. What I would like to know is, how was it like to win the title of Miss Liberia? How does she plan to use her title towards helping the people and reconstruction of Liberia? What can the Miss Liberia in the US Organzation do to help assist her with her goals? How does she feel about representing the country in the prestigeous Miss World Competition.
Eventhough my questions have'nt been answered, during my search I came across a Liberian Journal put together by a Mr, Johnathan Davis. He is currently doing work in Liberia and has put together a journal of his stay. He had the oppourtunity to attend the Miss Liberia Pageant.
He discusses it in his journal entries. To read this and other entries of his stay visit...
http://liberia-journal.blogspot.com/2006/07/quietly-life-in-monrovia-has-become.html
If anyone has any information on Miss Liberia Patrice Juah. Kindly post your comments,
Thank you.
Eventhough my questions have'nt been answered, during my search I came across a Liberian Journal put together by a Mr, Johnathan Davis. He is currently doing work in Liberia and has put together a journal of his stay. He had the oppourtunity to attend the Miss Liberia Pageant.
He discusses it in his journal entries. To read this and other entries of his stay visit...
http://liberia-journal.blogspot.com/2006/07/quietly-life-in-monrovia-has-become.html
If anyone has any information on Miss Liberia Patrice Juah. Kindly post your comments,
Thank you.
Ethnic Pageants Restyle the American Beauty Contest
By Darryl Fears/Washington Post Staff Writer
Robertha Budy heard the insult when she was a little girl, and now, even at Georgia State University in Atlanta, she still hears it. "You're Liberian? Isn't that in Africa? You don't look like it. You're pretty." She put the negative thought out of her mind while winning the Miss Liberia USA pageant last year, calming her nerves for the judges the way she did while facing students. "I said I was going to keep on smiling," said Budy, 21, a dead ringer for the singer/actress Brandy. "There wasn't a moment when I felt defeated." In recent years, ethnic immigrant women of a wide range of hues have been flocking to nationalist pageants that ramp up their confidence and that of their communities by embracing their distinctive features. The proliferation of these pageants also reflects the reality of an America more ethnically diverse than ever.
Miss Vietnam USA, a pageant that is only three years old, crowned its 2006 winner, Virginia Nguyen, this summer in Costa Mesa, Calif. Miss Ethiopia North America crowned its first queen, Medhanite Tekle, in Crystal City in September. And Budy handed over her Miss Liberia USA 2004 crown to this year's queen, Delcontee Glekiah, at a ceremony in Philadelphia.
Also crowned this past summer were Miss India USA in Tampa; Miss Asian America, in San Francisco; Miss Latina U.S., at the Barcelo Maya Beach Resort in Mexico; and Miss Haiti in New York City, to name a few. Few of the pageants date back more than a decade.
The shows are "a validation of beauty and culture that's not seen in the American mainstream," said Shilpa Dav, an assistant professor of American studies at Brandeis University. "It gives a lot of confidence to women because they are seeing other women who look like them, and their looks are validated," said Dav, who helped produce a 1997 documentary of the Miss India Georgia pageant. The contests, which are growing in popularity even as traditional beauty contests are losing their allure, are patterned after the Miss America pageant, yet include colorful twists that recall tradition. Young, often brainy contestants wear an Ethiopian Absha Kamise or similar culture-specific outfits that their mothers and great-grandmothers would have worn. At immigrant pageants, beauty has a browner, more worldly tinge. Noses are wider and eyes are a gooey chocolate brown, framed in various almond-like contours. Hips sway more in talent segments, such as an adaptation of a Bollywood performance at Miss India or a belly dance at Miss Liberia.
"It's just as important as Miss America, if not more," said Reshoo Pande, 22, Miss India USA 2004, who brought down the house by dancing like her Bollywood idol, actress Madhuri Dixit. "This is not our homeland. We get to share our common experiences, our beliefs, our confusion about living here. It's good knowing your culture is appreciated."
But the pageants also bring intense debates within these ethnic communities -- discussions that reflect the age-old split among immigrants over assimilation and retaining cultural mores. Some, especially feminists, believe the pageants are more about assimilation than heritage. "In Little Tokyo beauty contests in the '90s, the women who were selected turned out to have more Caucasian features," said Kyeyoung Park, an associate professor of anthropology and Asian American studies at the University of California at Los Angeles. "They tended to select more mixed-race people." Dav said the disconnect might reflect tension between old-world immigrant parents and their Americanized children, many of whom intermarry.
"The first generation wants to see in their children a continuity of the place from which they came," she said. "The second generation has to deal with being a minority among people who don't understand their home, and that's the dichotomy."
Cosmetic surgery is another touchy subject. Like white Americans, ethnic immigrants and their American-born progeny seek out plastic surgeons. But because many Asian Americans are prone to change their eyelids and enlarge their chests, and some black people streamline their broad noses, they are accused of trying to look white.
Nguyen is a natural beauty with no surgical touch-ups. But she did engage in another pageant hot-button practice, showing skin in a yellow bikini. "Part of being in a public crowd . . . is you have to be comfortable in your own skin," said Nguyen, a medical student who is svelte and fit. "Whether I'm fat or whatever, I have to love myself." Miss India organizers would have no part of such displays, a cultural taboo. And conservative-minded Ethiopians, said Tekle of Alexandria, would rather not. "If it is a competition to show skin, then it's not a competition worth having," said Tekle, who grinned and bared it for a cause. "The ultimate goal is to represent your country." The goal at Miss Liberia was simple: instill pride in Liberian women, said Agnes Donaldson, a pageant organizer. Days before the contest, two teenage girls approached Miss Liberia in Pennsylvania. "You're so pretty," Donaldson recalled one girl's comment. "You don't look African." It was an echo of the remarks Budy heard all her life from black Americans and white Americans, and now they were coming from two Liberians. The media stereotype of barely dressed Africans, living Tarzan-like in the jungle, was alive in their minds, Donaldson said. "In America, Liberian women hide their identity," she said. "What we want to do with the pageant is say, 'Yes, you're Liberian. Yes, you're beautiful. And yes, you're different.' These girls' complexions are darker, and we want them to appreciate that and themselves, to know that they're as beautiful as anyone."
Guy Hua, co-founder of Miss Vietnam USA, echoed that, saying the pageant was formed because "we have a lot of beautiful Vietnamese women. We want them to go out and represent the community." To entice participants, Hua and his partners stage an elaborate show, costing $300,000 this year, down from a half-million in 2004.
In its three-year history, about 1,000 women have competed each year. The grand prize, $10,000 and a new Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan valued at more than $35,000, provided a strong incentive. "This is one pageant that unites us," Hua said. "It brings tears to your eyes. The Vietnamese people here, we're stuck together because we got kicked out of the country. We have no one but ourselves." Nguyen, of Newark, Calif., used the money to pay for school and said the car rides smoother than her old Honda Civic. But she had to work hard to get it, because with so much loot on the line, the competition got fierce. "When I started to win . . . some of the girls wouldn't talk to me," she said. "My whole motto was, 'If I'm going to be Miss Vietnam USA, I'm going to be an ambassador for Vietnamese women.' If other girls didn't like me, it really didn't matter." Contestants either have that type of take-charge confidence or they lose, said Miltonia Warner, Miss Liberia Virginia, who lost to Budy in the national contest. When Budy took the stage, she glowed. "If you come out there, and you feel that you are confident, you know that you are," Warner said. "You smile more, you swing your hips a little more because you know that you have it." Pande said the Miss India pageant made her a more complete person. "I don't believe I was the prettiest one or the most talented," she said. But she worked the judges with moxie and a smile that lit the stage. Studying Indian culture gave her a winning edge. "After they asked the questions about culture, I had a good feeling about it," she said. "I knew what the judges wanted."
Robertha Budy heard the insult when she was a little girl, and now, even at Georgia State University in Atlanta, she still hears it. "You're Liberian? Isn't that in Africa? You don't look like it. You're pretty." She put the negative thought out of her mind while winning the Miss Liberia USA pageant last year, calming her nerves for the judges the way she did while facing students. "I said I was going to keep on smiling," said Budy, 21, a dead ringer for the singer/actress Brandy. "There wasn't a moment when I felt defeated." In recent years, ethnic immigrant women of a wide range of hues have been flocking to nationalist pageants that ramp up their confidence and that of their communities by embracing their distinctive features. The proliferation of these pageants also reflects the reality of an America more ethnically diverse than ever.
Miss Vietnam USA, a pageant that is only three years old, crowned its 2006 winner, Virginia Nguyen, this summer in Costa Mesa, Calif. Miss Ethiopia North America crowned its first queen, Medhanite Tekle, in Crystal City in September. And Budy handed over her Miss Liberia USA 2004 crown to this year's queen, Delcontee Glekiah, at a ceremony in Philadelphia.
Also crowned this past summer were Miss India USA in Tampa; Miss Asian America, in San Francisco; Miss Latina U.S., at the Barcelo Maya Beach Resort in Mexico; and Miss Haiti in New York City, to name a few. Few of the pageants date back more than a decade.
The shows are "a validation of beauty and culture that's not seen in the American mainstream," said Shilpa Dav, an assistant professor of American studies at Brandeis University. "It gives a lot of confidence to women because they are seeing other women who look like them, and their looks are validated," said Dav, who helped produce a 1997 documentary of the Miss India Georgia pageant. The contests, which are growing in popularity even as traditional beauty contests are losing their allure, are patterned after the Miss America pageant, yet include colorful twists that recall tradition. Young, often brainy contestants wear an Ethiopian Absha Kamise or similar culture-specific outfits that their mothers and great-grandmothers would have worn. At immigrant pageants, beauty has a browner, more worldly tinge. Noses are wider and eyes are a gooey chocolate brown, framed in various almond-like contours. Hips sway more in talent segments, such as an adaptation of a Bollywood performance at Miss India or a belly dance at Miss Liberia.
"It's just as important as Miss America, if not more," said Reshoo Pande, 22, Miss India USA 2004, who brought down the house by dancing like her Bollywood idol, actress Madhuri Dixit. "This is not our homeland. We get to share our common experiences, our beliefs, our confusion about living here. It's good knowing your culture is appreciated."
But the pageants also bring intense debates within these ethnic communities -- discussions that reflect the age-old split among immigrants over assimilation and retaining cultural mores. Some, especially feminists, believe the pageants are more about assimilation than heritage. "In Little Tokyo beauty contests in the '90s, the women who were selected turned out to have more Caucasian features," said Kyeyoung Park, an associate professor of anthropology and Asian American studies at the University of California at Los Angeles. "They tended to select more mixed-race people." Dav said the disconnect might reflect tension between old-world immigrant parents and their Americanized children, many of whom intermarry.
"The first generation wants to see in their children a continuity of the place from which they came," she said. "The second generation has to deal with being a minority among people who don't understand their home, and that's the dichotomy."
Cosmetic surgery is another touchy subject. Like white Americans, ethnic immigrants and their American-born progeny seek out plastic surgeons. But because many Asian Americans are prone to change their eyelids and enlarge their chests, and some black people streamline their broad noses, they are accused of trying to look white.
Nguyen is a natural beauty with no surgical touch-ups. But she did engage in another pageant hot-button practice, showing skin in a yellow bikini. "Part of being in a public crowd . . . is you have to be comfortable in your own skin," said Nguyen, a medical student who is svelte and fit. "Whether I'm fat or whatever, I have to love myself." Miss India organizers would have no part of such displays, a cultural taboo. And conservative-minded Ethiopians, said Tekle of Alexandria, would rather not. "If it is a competition to show skin, then it's not a competition worth having," said Tekle, who grinned and bared it for a cause. "The ultimate goal is to represent your country." The goal at Miss Liberia was simple: instill pride in Liberian women, said Agnes Donaldson, a pageant organizer. Days before the contest, two teenage girls approached Miss Liberia in Pennsylvania. "You're so pretty," Donaldson recalled one girl's comment. "You don't look African." It was an echo of the remarks Budy heard all her life from black Americans and white Americans, and now they were coming from two Liberians. The media stereotype of barely dressed Africans, living Tarzan-like in the jungle, was alive in their minds, Donaldson said. "In America, Liberian women hide their identity," she said. "What we want to do with the pageant is say, 'Yes, you're Liberian. Yes, you're beautiful. And yes, you're different.' These girls' complexions are darker, and we want them to appreciate that and themselves, to know that they're as beautiful as anyone."
Guy Hua, co-founder of Miss Vietnam USA, echoed that, saying the pageant was formed because "we have a lot of beautiful Vietnamese women. We want them to go out and represent the community." To entice participants, Hua and his partners stage an elaborate show, costing $300,000 this year, down from a half-million in 2004.
In its three-year history, about 1,000 women have competed each year. The grand prize, $10,000 and a new Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan valued at more than $35,000, provided a strong incentive. "This is one pageant that unites us," Hua said. "It brings tears to your eyes. The Vietnamese people here, we're stuck together because we got kicked out of the country. We have no one but ourselves." Nguyen, of Newark, Calif., used the money to pay for school and said the car rides smoother than her old Honda Civic. But she had to work hard to get it, because with so much loot on the line, the competition got fierce. "When I started to win . . . some of the girls wouldn't talk to me," she said. "My whole motto was, 'If I'm going to be Miss Vietnam USA, I'm going to be an ambassador for Vietnamese women.' If other girls didn't like me, it really didn't matter." Contestants either have that type of take-charge confidence or they lose, said Miltonia Warner, Miss Liberia Virginia, who lost to Budy in the national contest. When Budy took the stage, she glowed. "If you come out there, and you feel that you are confident, you know that you are," Warner said. "You smile more, you swing your hips a little more because you know that you have it." Pande said the Miss India pageant made her a more complete person. "I don't believe I was the prettiest one or the most talented," she said. But she worked the judges with moxie and a smile that lit the stage. Studying Indian culture gave her a winning edge. "After they asked the questions about culture, I had a good feeling about it," she said. "I knew what the judges wanted."
Community Service:LUWIP's Back to School Field Day a complete success
On Sunday Morning I took a 2 hr leisurely drive down to the Cobbs Creek Communty Park in Philadelphia to attend the Back to school Field Day Sponsored by LUWIP. Upon my arrival I was greeted by the President and Vice President of LUWIP Ms Edith Donaldson and Agnes Donaldson. as well as the Public Relations representative Ms Christine Maycole. Despite the overcast and the threat of rain, the ladies were still excited about the day activites.
I assisted them in getting set up for the Field Day. We unloaded bookbags,folders, papers,pens,pencils.erasers, scissors. glue. rulers, school accesory kits and much more. LUWIP biggest sponsor Western Union supported the event this year providing, water bottles pens pencils notepads key chains etc. I noticed that some of items that western Union donated had designs of
the Liberian Flag and a little map of Liberia.Ms Wata Chenoweth Member of LUWIP Arrived with the food for the affair. She prepared a kid freindly menu which consisted of :hamburgers, hotdogs and chicken wings complete with all of the fixings, chips and soda also accompanied the menu.
The Secretary and Chaplain Ms Edith Guywan and Ms Mae Stevens were also there helping to put together the assembly line for kids to receive their items.
As the day progressed the park filled with kids of all ages. Music filled the air as children played and the members talked to parents. A local parent in the community came to me and said. This my second time attending this event. Getting my kids prepared for school can be quite expensive, this ev
ent really helps me to alleviate some of the cost that goes into getting kids ready for the school. Year I am so glad they did it this year. I hope they continue to have this event in the future.Then the moment came to give out the load of school supplies children were assembled by the grades then proceeded down the assembly line and filled their items with loads of school supplies.
Once the kids got their bookbags filled they made their way over to the hambugers and hotdogs and played for the rest of the day.
Looking back on my day I thought it was a day well spent. I had the chance to help give back to the community while meeting new people, and getting to know who t
he women of LUWIP are all about. As the public relations director Christine Maycole put it "Being an member of LUWIP is so much more than producing a beauty pageant every year. It is about being able to give back to the Liberian community here in U.S. and back home."For more info about the LUWIP Organization please visit
www.luwip.org
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Miss Liberia in the US attends the Miss Nigeria in America Pageant
Back on August 12 2006 Miss Liberia in the US was received as an honored guest at the 2006 Miss Nigeria in America Pageant. After the pageant, I asked our Liberian Queen her thoughts on the pageant.
Miss Nigeria in America Pageant (Written By Miss Liberia in the US Ro-Pauline K Doe)
The Miss Nigeria in America Pageant was definately a night of beauty, culture, and elegance.
Twenty of the most beautiful Nigerian women competed for the coveted Miss Nigeria in America crown. The theatre at the University of Maryland was filled to capacity. Freinds family and well wishers filled the hall holding banners and shouting words of support for their favorite queen.
The queens outfits were absolutely stunning, especially the Traditional Wear. You could really tell that the ladies spent lots of time and effort into their outfits. The most memorable part of the evening was definitely the talent portion. Two ladies who stood out were also in the top five at the end. The winner, Miss Ebonyi State, did an inspirational speech and wore green white green, the colors of the Nigerian flag and the third runner up, Miss Yobe State did a stand up comedy performace that was reminiscent of Dave Chappelle or even Eddie Murphy at their best. It was amazing to see her take such a chance and do something that she knew she would shine at and be unique in although it is not your typical "beauty pageant" or "african" talent. She was definitely the crowd's favorite after that performance
The host of the pageant was none other than the actor from Passions and Half & Half, Charles Divins who I got the honor of taking a picture with, he is VERY handsome and provided comedic commentary throughout the pageant to keep the crowd pumped. Seeing this pageant definitely inspired me to try to make a difference in the Liberian community. By standing on the outside and looking in, I could see how much the crowd, audience, and even the judges really wanted a woman to win that would perform positive feats in her community.
Could Miss Liberia in the US be meeting (Miss Nigeria in America 2025???)
Little girl is being crowned.
Thanks for the crown!!! I'll be taking my leave now.
For more about the Miss Nigeria in America Pageant visit www.africanpageantry.blogspot.com
Friday, September 01, 2006
Memoirs of a Liberian Queen -Miss Liberia Maryland Chelesy Abrams Visits Liberia West Africa (Part 1)
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
I awakened and looked out the window and all I saw was blue. I took a moment to try and gather myself as I realized I was nearing my destination. Over 24 hours of travel, and my journey was just beginning. Looking at the other passengers and looking at my watch, I was wondering how soon it would be until landing. I was in awe as I looked on the beautiful, blue sea and the sandy, white beach of a country that I have often dreamt about seeing – Liberia.
Liberia, our beautiful country. I arrived at Robertsfield Airport in Monrovia, Liberia on the day of our independence, July 26th. I was greeted by my grandmother, Anna Richards and my aunt, Wiyata Mensah, upon landing. And this is where my journey begins.
As we drove down the road, I sat looking out the window as my aunt and grandmother asked me about my trip. I’m looking at a place that was once destroyed, but I see so much hope as I am listening to the radio and looking at houses being rebuilt. When I arrived, there was the unfortunate event of the fire in the executive mansion, so security was all around. We had to take a few detours to get to the house since we could not pass by the street of the mansion. The entire ride from the airport to my family’s residence, I saw people celebrating on this great Independence Day. I remember thinking, despite everything that has happened everyone could still have so much joy and make the best out of what they were given.
My first stop was a very exciting one for me. We stopped by the soccer stadium, which also houses the Ministry of Youth and Sports, to see my uncle, the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Marbue Richards. He came down and greeted me and took me into the building to show me where they have been playing their games. The stadium, which was in fairly good condition considering the circumstances, was decorated in red, white, and blue. He then took me upstairs where I met some of the football (soccer) team players and other employees of the ministry. I was greeted so warmly as everyone told me “Welcome home”.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Everyday was an adventure while in Liberia. I began my first full day with a tour of the city given by my cousin Michael and my grandmother. We drove past Hotel Africa, which I was told was one of the largest, most elegant hotels in Liberia. The structure was still in relatively good standing, however, it is now being occupied by the UN. After passing by Hotel Africa, we went to CeCe Beach. My Aunty Glen told me I brought the sunshine, because despite all the rain the country had been experiencing because of busy season, the weather held up enough for me to enjoy the beach.
The beach was beautiful as was the establishment that was built on it. I looked out on the ocean on one of the few sunshine days as it ranged from a deep blue to a misty green. From the beach, I could see the whole downtown Monrovia. It was absolutely beautiful. While on the beach, I saw lizards and sand crabs. It was wonderful.
The next stop was the Ducal, often called the Plush Hotel and the tallest building in Monrovia. I found out when I returned home, this is where my parents spent part of their honeymoon. As Michael and I climbed the stairs, I began to feel all types of emotions. The building that I was told was one of the most beautiful hotels was now horribly destroyed and filled with several displaced families. It was painful seeing so many families living in a structure in which the stairways had no railings and there were absolutely no lights. As we neared the end of the dark stairway, I took a breath of relief, overcoming a slight fear I had of falling down the stairs. I thought of all the children who were playing as we were going up, they weren’t scared, and that gave me the strength I needed to continue. Once at the top of the building, it was wonderful. I could see everything. Michael pointed out my grandmother’s house and the Executive Mansion. I looked out again at the beautiful ocean, which seemed to be right below us.
Friday, July 28, 2006
I woke up to find a great breakfast had been prepared for me – cassava and fish gravy. I sat and enjoyed the wonderful meal as the rest of my family came down to join me for breakfast. We talked and enjoyed each other’s company as we prepared for the day.
This day was spent mostly enjoying the company of my family. I went to visit the trade fair where they were selling different items. The fair was held at City Hall where they also were hosting a Liberian Art Exhibit. The art work was beautiful and there were several sentimental pieces.
Later that evening, I met another cousin of mine, Wayne. He took me to one of the operating hotels and restaurants, Crystal Hotel in Mamba Point. The establishment was very nice, as was the food. We went and played pool and it was definitely one of the hang out spots in Liberia. It was nice to get a touch of the night life.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Before I arrived to Liberia, I had spoken with my grandmother and she told me she had arranged a meeting for me with Madame President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in the Executive Mansion. However, to my dismay, the luncheon was cancelled due to the fire in the mansion. On Friday, we received news from her good friend Aunt Jenny, the president’s sister, that the lunch was re-scheduled for Saturday at the President’s house. On Saturday, my family and I prepared ourselves for lunch at the president’s.
When we arrived, we were the first guests and we went and sat in a gazebo arranged for the gathering. Other guests began to gather in and soon it was time for our host to arrive. When Madame President arrived, we all sat and began to talk. She said she wanted to hear our opinions of the country and what we feel would help with the continuous progress of Liberia. With the encouragement of my uncle, I stood to speak. I first began by telling her how much of an inspiration she has been to me and all of the other young women who were in the pageant through her courage by running and winning the election to become the first female president in all of Africa. I then told her how beautiful the country is and how I see so much potential. When I arrived, lights had been put up in one of the neighborhoods in Monrovia and several other areas were being lit. I continued by telling her that at the rate she is going with the help of all of us, the country will be even more beautiful than it was before. She than thanked me and told me that I inspired her
I awakened and looked out the window and all I saw was blue. I took a moment to try and gather myself as I realized I was nearing my destination. Over 24 hours of travel, and my journey was just beginning. Looking at the other passengers and looking at my watch, I was wondering how soon it would be until landing. I was in awe as I looked on the beautiful, blue sea and the sandy, white beach of a country that I have often dreamt about seeing – Liberia.
Liberia, our beautiful country. I arrived at Robertsfield Airport in Monrovia, Liberia on the day of our independence, July 26th. I was greeted by my grandmother, Anna Richards and my aunt, Wiyata Mensah, upon landing. And this is where my journey begins.
As we drove down the road, I sat looking out the window as my aunt and grandmother asked me about my trip. I’m looking at a place that was once destroyed, but I see so much hope as I am listening to the radio and looking at houses being rebuilt. When I arrived, there was the unfortunate event of the fire in the executive mansion, so security was all around. We had to take a few detours to get to the house since we could not pass by the street of the mansion. The entire ride from the airport to my family’s residence, I saw people celebrating on this great Independence Day. I remember thinking, despite everything that has happened everyone could still have so much joy and make the best out of what they were given.
My first stop was a very exciting one for me. We stopped by the soccer stadium, which also houses the Ministry of Youth and Sports, to see my uncle, the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Marbue Richards. He came down and greeted me and took me into the building to show me where they have been playing their games. The stadium, which was in fairly good condition considering the circumstances, was decorated in red, white, and blue. He then took me upstairs where I met some of the football (soccer) team players and other employees of the ministry. I was greeted so warmly as everyone told me “Welcome home”.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Everyday was an adventure while in Liberia. I began my first full day with a tour of the city given by my cousin Michael and my grandmother. We drove past Hotel Africa, which I was told was one of the largest, most elegant hotels in Liberia. The structure was still in relatively good standing, however, it is now being occupied by the UN. After passing by Hotel Africa, we went to CeCe Beach. My Aunty Glen told me I brought the sunshine, because despite all the rain the country had been experiencing because of busy season, the weather held up enough for me to enjoy the beach.
The beach was beautiful as was the establishment that was built on it. I looked out on the ocean on one of the few sunshine days as it ranged from a deep blue to a misty green. From the beach, I could see the whole downtown Monrovia. It was absolutely beautiful. While on the beach, I saw lizards and sand crabs. It was wonderful.
The next stop was the Ducal, often called the Plush Hotel and the tallest building in Monrovia. I found out when I returned home, this is where my parents spent part of their honeymoon. As Michael and I climbed the stairs, I began to feel all types of emotions. The building that I was told was one of the most beautiful hotels was now horribly destroyed and filled with several displaced families. It was painful seeing so many families living in a structure in which the stairways had no railings and there were absolutely no lights. As we neared the end of the dark stairway, I took a breath of relief, overcoming a slight fear I had of falling down the stairs. I thought of all the children who were playing as we were going up, they weren’t scared, and that gave me the strength I needed to continue. Once at the top of the building, it was wonderful. I could see everything. Michael pointed out my grandmother’s house and the Executive Mansion. I looked out again at the beautiful ocean, which seemed to be right below us.
Friday, July 28, 2006
I woke up to find a great breakfast had been prepared for me – cassava and fish gravy. I sat and enjoyed the wonderful meal as the rest of my family came down to join me for breakfast. We talked and enjoyed each other’s company as we prepared for the day.
This day was spent mostly enjoying the company of my family. I went to visit the trade fair where they were selling different items. The fair was held at City Hall where they also were hosting a Liberian Art Exhibit. The art work was beautiful and there were several sentimental pieces.
Later that evening, I met another cousin of mine, Wayne. He took me to one of the operating hotels and restaurants, Crystal Hotel in Mamba Point. The establishment was very nice, as was the food. We went and played pool and it was definitely one of the hang out spots in Liberia. It was nice to get a touch of the night life.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Before I arrived to Liberia, I had spoken with my grandmother and she told me she had arranged a meeting for me with Madame President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in the Executive Mansion. However, to my dismay, the luncheon was cancelled due to the fire in the mansion. On Friday, we received news from her good friend Aunt Jenny, the president’s sister, that the lunch was re-scheduled for Saturday at the President’s house. On Saturday, my family and I prepared ourselves for lunch at the president’s.
When we arrived, we were the first guests and we went and sat in a gazebo arranged for the gathering. Other guests began to gather in and soon it was time for our host to arrive. When Madame President arrived, we all sat and began to talk. She said she wanted to hear our opinions of the country and what we feel would help with the continuous progress of Liberia. With the encouragement of my uncle, I stood to speak. I first began by telling her how much of an inspiration she has been to me and all of the other young women who were in the pageant through her courage by running and winning the election to become the first female president in all of Africa. I then told her how beautiful the country is and how I see so much potential. When I arrived, lights had been put up in one of the neighborhoods in Monrovia and several other areas were being lit. I continued by telling her that at the rate she is going with the help of all of us, the country will be even more beautiful than it was before. She than thanked me and told me that I inspired her
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