Liberian Relief

Posted by Hamilton, John

on Jan 28, 2016

In the 1820’s Liberia was founded by the American Colonisation Society on the west coast of Aftica. Freed slaves and freeborn African Americans moved there and modeled their constitution, flag and system of government after our own. The official language is still English. In 1847 they became a republic and were the oldest, most successful republic in Africa until a coup overthrew the democracy in 1989. This led to a fourteen year civil war which has converted the country into the poorest in Africa. It only ended when President Busch sent troops to end the conflict. Incompetent leadership and corruption have led to starvation, lack of infrastructure and serious needs of the people.

Eric Wowoh was about twelve years old when the revolution began. As he was returning to his village after fishing for his family’s food he was captured by the child soldiers. Since he refused to join them they beat and tortured him. He escaped to the Ivory Coast where he lived in refugee camps for fourteen years. From there he moved to another refugee camp in Nigeria where he lived for another ten years.

During his time as a refugee he became aware of the critical importance of education as hope for the future. A camp member gave him an old computer and he used this to educate himself. The camp had occasional classes which he also participated in.

He was brought to the United States and settled in Lafayette, LA. After becoming acclimated to the new culture he established Change Agent Network to build schools in Liberia. Since 2006 he has established fourteen schools back in his home country. These schools have 1,400 graduates and 3,000 students.

Mr. Wowoh came to the Rotary Club to describe his program. After establishing the schools he became aware of the cost is labor of obtaining good water. There is no running water or electricity in most of Liberia. He showed a picture of a third grade girl whose job before school is to carry six 5-gallon buckets of water up a hill from the spring to her home. Mr. Wowoh says that she will be too tired to succeed in school under those conditions. They began to develop a pumping system which brought good water to the village. They have to provide the schools, teachers, water and a self sufficient system.

They need your old computers and phones, school supplies and, of course, financial support. Talking about the used computers he said,”Yesterday’s trash can be tomorrow’s hope.”

For more information about Change Agent Network or Mr. Wowoh visit the website at www.canintl.org, call 337-781-4208 or e-mail him at ericwowoh@canintl.org

For more information about the Rotary Club of Waxahachie where we believe in Service above Self and doing things as a club we cannot do alone, visit the club web site www.waxahachierotary.org . You can find your Flag Subscription applications there.