Liberia in Healing - A travel sketch of Monrovia from 27June to 1 July 2009

28 June 2009

In Monrovia, Liberia

African dancing party under a tree
When Mr. xxx, a consultant, dropped me at the swimming pool near the Mamba Point hotel, I was worried about returning. It was because I had to walk a road back through local people. They might accost to me with some intentions, e.g., to beg or to steal. No wonder, given that these people had just finished an internal war in 2003.

But it turned out to be a stupid guess. Nobody did such a mean thing to me. On the contrary, I could hear African rhythm nearby. Alas! A group of ladies were dancing surrounded by spectators, mostly females and children. Young girls were emulating the dances to be part of the party. The drum music was played by an elderly man. His grim face well contrasted with the brisk music with strong beat that he played. I could see people smiling. Some suggested me to go and dance. I could not but I felt that if I do I would be welcomed by them.

It seems that, it is we, the donors, not them, the have-not, who draw line between the two groups. Happiness is not so difficult to catch. The western civilization conquered the nature to obtain happiness even though there are non-western culture that leads to happiness subcumbing mankind to the nature.

29 June 2009

Deborah, a cleaner in the hotel, whose monthly wage is 150 USD, can afford sending one of her two daughters to college. It is because college fees are cheap especially Women’s college. Women’s college charges 10 USD per credit. However, a 1.5 liter bottle of water imported from Lebanon costs 4 USD in the Mamba Point Hotel. I know one year in Ivy League university costs more than 50,000 USD a year.

Deborah told me yesterday’s party under the tree was to congratulate high school graduation and provided by the parents of graduates. Deborah herself once provided such a party.

Driver Zala
At 13:00, I went to welcome another member of the mission team in the airport with the driver Zala who is 23 years-old. He was grim but smart-looking young man. I told Zala I would like to come back here with my family and asked about less expensive hotel than the Mamba Point Hotel which charges 150 USD per night. He recommended Royal hotel in the city area which would charge less.

I told him I felt good about Liberia after I saw the dancing party. “There is peace in Liberia, now right?” I asked. With grim face, he answered “Still different group of people have different ideas.”

When I talked about the cheap education, he said “I am a sophomore in the University of Liberia. There, one credit costs two dollar.”


He asked me whether this is first time in Liberia. I replied “Yes” and told him that Liberia was the second country in Sub-Saharan Africa that I visited after Ghana. When I said that I liked Ghana and its people, he commented with short words, “Ghana people are good.”

Arriving at the airport, I bought two cans of Coca Cola and gave him one and asked him
“Are you married?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Marriage comes with large responsibilities.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty five,” and he added, "Average age for marriage is now 30 and they get one or two children."

I was a little surprised, remembering the statistics showing very high fertility rate as well as mortality rate for Liberia. The discrepancy between the statistics and Monrovia's reality might be due to urbanization which resulted from displacement of people during the war period.

He was not talkative but on my question about his personal life, he said “My father passed away just in front of me when I was eleven years old. The soldiers shot six people in front of me and put them in one hole. Six persons in one hole!”

A silence between us has passed.

Then I told him “I lost my father when I was 15 years old. I am not a saint. But I would like to suggest you to forgive those soldiers. It is not for them but for you. It is to set yourself free from bad memory and to move one.” I saw his eye becoming red.

I switched the topic “When does the airplane arrive?”

30 June

I took a walk to the beach near the hotel. It was cloudy with strong wind at the beach. There were some young men in the beach. One middle-aged person approached me and asked "Where are you from?" "Tunisia," He tried to speak French. I said I do not speak French. He said "I welcome you. Enjoy the beach."

He may be one of the unemployed who could not find job during the day. Like me he must have come to the beach to heal the mind and body.

The country Liberia and its people is in the process of healing.

1st July 2009
Zala again
On my way to airport, I belatedly realized that I did not get my change of 15 USD from the reception desk of the Mamba Point Hotel. I used handphone to call the hotel reception and asked the person to give the money to Zala.

Listening my conversation over the phone, Zala told me “thank you” without much emotion.

He wants to establish a construction company of his own as his late farther did. For this he would get a job in a construction company on graduating the university to obtain necessary experience.

I come to believe that he will make it when he said “Honesty is a precious quality for a businessman.”

We departed with a hug. He said thank you and I wished him the best.