UN FOCUS

u n i t e d n a t i o n s l i b e r i a | a t w o r k t o g e t h e r
Issue 03, Volume 11 | June - September 2014
UN Will Stay the
Course in Liberia
New Mission to
Battle Ebola
Call for Behavioral
Change to Contain
Ebola
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UN FOCUS is published quarterly by the Public Information Office, United Nations Mission in Liberia
UN FOCUS | JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 | UN FOCUS
Message from the Special Representative
of the Secretary-General
I
devoted my regular briefng to the Security Coun-
cil on 9 September entirely to the Ebola Virus
Disease (EVD) epidemic, which has become the
gravest threat facing Liberia since the end of the
civil war.
The speed and scale of the loss of life, and the
economic, social, political and security reverberations of
the crisis are affecting the country profoundly. Health work-
ers have been particularly hard hit, with scores contracting
and dying from the disease, which has severely impacted
the countrys already precarious health system.
Early on in this crisis, many communities denied that
Ebola existed at all. Slowly, government and United Na-
tions efforts have helped to diminish denial. However, so
much more is needed to raise awareness and change behav-
ior, including dangerous burial and funeral rites, with the
unprotected touching and washing of bodies. These need to
be replaced with safer rituals, which will require the com-
mitment of Liberian religious and traditional leaders.
Advocacy and community mobilization, prompt removal
of suspected EVD cases from communities, urgent and
safe disposal of bodies, and robust contact tracing are the
main elements of an effective preventive and containment
strategy.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has prepared
a roadmap to tackle the crisis in the region. The African
Union, the European Union, a number of individual coun-
tries and numerous United Nations agencies, funds and pro-
grammes have offered support. However, it will be critical
that international assistance is quickly scaled up.
Just a week after being appointed the Senior United
Nations System Coordinator on Ebola, Dr. David Nabarro
visited Liberia to assess the situation. He was followed by
the head of UN Peacekeeping Operations, Herv Ladsous,
who assured Liberians of the United Nations continued
support in battling the Ebola epidemic. On 18 Septem-
ber, the United Nations Secretary-General announced the
upcoming establishment of a mission to combat EVD, the
United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response.
Since late July, UNMIL has turned its full focus on
the Ebola epidemic, and is engaged in supporting the
nationally-led response. The Mission is working through
four pillars of engagement and support: security and rule
of law; logistics;
communications
and outreach; and
coordination at
both central and
county levels.
Our military
and police con-
tinue to provide
operational advice
and support to
national counter-
parts, including embedding liaison offcers within the Joint
Command Centre established by Liberian security forces.
We have also played a major role in the logistics of the
EVD response, both in planning and delivery of supplies.
UNMIL leads an inter-agency crisis logistics team compris-
ing representatives from WHO, WFP, UNICEF, and ICRC,
which is embedded within the Ministry of Health and
Social Welfare.
UNMIL is also deeply engaged in nationwide com-
munications on EVD education and prevention messages
through community outreach nationwide and through radio
programming in 17 Liberian languages.
The Ebola scourge is catastrophic for the region, and
a major challenge for Liberia, which has seen so much
hardship. UNMIL will provide its full support, and will
continue to extend the capabilities we can bring towards
ending this tragedy.
Karin Landgren
Special Representative of the
Secretary-General and Coordinator of United Nations
Operations in Liberia
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Security Council Briefed
on Ebolas Profound Toll on
Liberia
UN Will Stay the Course
in Liberia
UN Sets Up New Mission
to Battle Ebola
UN Coordinator for Ebola
Visits Liberia
Educating Communities
on Ebola
Call for Behavioral
Change to Contain Ebola
New schools to Promise
Better Education
10
12
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CONTENTS
Economic Empowerment
and Peace-building
Project Targets over 3,000
Vulnerable Women
Men Reinforce Campaign
to End Violence Against
Women
Liberia Formulates First
Post-War Housing Policy
Sara Speaks Out
Against Sexual Violence
Guidelines on Land
Tenure Adopted
Hydro Power Gets Boost
18
20
22
24
26
28
How can Liberia stop
Ebola?
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CHIEF OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
Russell Geekie
STAFF WRITERS
Daylue Goah
James S. King
PHOTOS
Staton Winter
Emmanuel Tobey
EDITOR AND HEAD OF
PUBLICATIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA
Mathew Elavanalthoduka
DESIGN & GRAPHICS
Thomas S. Blidi
Thomas G. Karyah
CONNECT WITH US

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public and setbacks in the political process,
she noted.
UNMIL has pledged to provide its full
support and continues to review the range
of capabilities we can bring to ending this
latter-day plague which must be stopped
in its tracks, she told the members of the
Council.
Landgren said that UNMIL had turned its
full focus on Ebola
since late July and
was working in four
areas: security and
rule of law, logis-
tics, communica-
tions and outreach and coordination at the
central and country level. UNMIL military
and police continue to provide operational
advice and support to national counterparts
by embedding liaison offcers within the
Liberian security command centre, and it
was helping the justice sector to address
overcrowding in the prisons, which was an
additional concern within the Ebola context.
She noted that President Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf, with the support of the national leg-
islature, had declared a 90-day state of emer-
gency on 6 August, including the isolation
of Ebola-affected communities, suspending
some rights and instituting a curfew.
The Mission, she said was not directly
enforcing the quarantines, but was monitor-
ing all the security operations under the state
Security Council Briefed on Ebolas
Profound Toll on Liberia
The severity of the Ebola outbreak presented Liberia
with its gravest threat since the civil war, and the United
Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has reoriented its
activities to help stem it, the Secretary-Generals Special
Representative Karin Landgren told the Security Council
in early September.
T
he speed and scale of the loss of lives and the economic,
social, political and security reverberations of the crisis are
affecting Liberia profoundly, said Landgren. In addition
to the ever increasing number of daily deaths, the epidemic
has put under extreme test the Governments still-weak
institutions, and generated anger and alarm among the
of emergency. Problems that had arisen
included lapses in pre-arranging food and
water for isolated areas as well as insuf-
fcient engagement with the communities
concerned.
When the Government mounted an op-
eration to isolate the West Point area of the
capital, Monrovia, prices of essential goods
skyrocketed, and in the ensuing protests,
a 15-year old boy was fatally wounded by
troops, she pointed out. Projections of eco-
nomic growth have been revised downward
to 2.9 per cent from 5.9 per cent, she noted.
On the political front, Landgren said that
the Ebola crisis had started to strip away
some progress and revealed institutional
weaknesses.
Even as Liberia and its partners
respond, the disaster continues to grow, a
tragedy for a country that has seen so much
hardship. UNMIL has pledged to provide
its full support, and continues to review
the range of capabilities we can bring to
ending this latter-day plague which must
be stopped in its tracks, and stopped soon,
said Landgren.

Karin Landgren briefs
the Security Council
Security Council in session
UNMIL military
and police continue
to provide opera-
tional advice and
support to national
counterparts.
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countries, Guinea and Sierra Leone, is fac-
ing an Ebola outbreak unprecedented in its
scope. The virus has also dealt a major blow
to the already-fragile health care systems
in West Africa. In Liberia, some 152 health
workers have been infected and 79 have
died. As we went to press, the cumulative
death toll suspected, probable and con-
frmed was about to cross 2,000 in Liberia.
Ladsous stressed that the actual number
of people affected may certainly be higher,
and each day that passes, the numbers
continue to grow. Stressing that this is
particularly a bad time for Liberia, he said
that UNMIL has stood beside the people of
Liberia through good and bad times.
Emphasizing that a peacekeeping mission
is not a public health operation -- this is
not what we are trained for -- he said at the
same time, it is true that UNMIL is in Libe-
ria to support the country as it has worked to
solve the root causes of a very long crisis.
It is true that we, the international com-
munity, have invested a lot over the years
The United Nations will
continue to stand by Liberia and
its neighbours currently battling
an unprecedented Ebola
outbreak, the Organizations
peacekeeping chief pledged
during his visit to the country in
early September to assess how
the UN can further support the
country.
to bring back peace and security to Liberia,
and, more generally, to West Africa. And
it is even more true that we do not want to
[jeopardize] that patient work, stated the
head of UN Peacekeeping Operations. He
added that while UNMIL is not a public
health operator, the mission and the wider
UN system, would be on hand to ensure
Liberia moves beyond the current crisis.
You have seen the very public and
proactive position taken by the Secretary-
Generalwho has given orders to the entire
UN system to mobilize in comprehensive,
strategic [and] concrete ways to support ef-
forts to stem the epidemic, he said.
Further, Ladsous told reporters that the
Secretary-General has also announced plans
to convene a major event during the opening
of the UN General Assembly to draw further
attention to the matter.
Even though the epidemic is of unprec-
edented proportions, we know what to do
and we support the World Health Organiza-
tion in developing its work, he continued,
but achieving the goals of the UN would
require massive support from the interna-
tional community. That would be one of the
aims of the high-level meeting in New York,
to muster increased fnancial and political
support.
Commending UNMIL and its leadership
for its efforts to assist the Government dur-
ing the outbreak, Ladsous declared: We are
not leaving Liberia. We are here to stay the
course and to help the people of the country
and their neighbours get through this terrible
crisis.
He said that all 8,000 people at UNMIL
military, police and civilian staff would
spare no effort towards that goal.
Ladsous later travelled to Accra, Ghana,
to visit a logistics hub which has been setup
to respond to the regional Ebola crisis.
Ladsous gets ready to inspect the PakMed hospital
UN will stay the course
in Liberia
I
think we owe it to
this country and its
neighbourswho are
equally affected. We
are fully committed,
to supporting Liberia,
now and in the long run, Herv Ladsous,
Under-Secretary-General for UN Peace-
keeping Operations, told the media during a
press conference.
The UN envoy was in the country to
assess how the United Nations Mission in
Liberia (UNMIL) can further support the
fght against Ebola. He held meetings with
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as well as
the Ministers of Justice and Foreign Affairs.
Liberia, along with the other hard-hit
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Ladsous, with Deputy SRSG Antonio Vigilante, meets President Sirleaf to discuss the
Ebola crisis in Liberia
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in Africa constitute a threat to international
peace and security.
Expressing concern about the detrimental
effect of the isolation of Ebola-hit Liberia,
Guinea and Sierra Leone as a result of trade
and travel restrictions imposed on the affect-
ed countries, the Council called on Member
States, including of the region, to lift such
restrictions and to facilitate the delivery of
assistance, including qualifed, specialized
and trained personnel and supplies to the
affected countries.
Briefng the Council members, Dr.
Margaret Chan, Director-General of the
UN World Health Organization (WHO)
said: None of us experienced in containing
outbreaks has ever seen, in our lifetimes, an
emergency on this scale, with this degree of
suffering and with this magnitude of cascad-
ing consequences.
The fact that the United States, Unite
Kingdom, China, Cuba and other countries
are using a variety of assets, including
military, speaks to the complexity of the
challenge, she said.
This surge in support could help turn
things around for the roughly 22 million
people, in the hardest-hit countries whose
lives and societies have been shattered by
one of the most horrifc diseases on this
planet, Dr. Chan said.
The Secretary-General said the penalty
for inaction is high. We need to race ahead
of the outbreak and then turn and face it
with all our energy and strength. He called
out to non-traditional donors, the business
community, for example, to contribute in
the health, transport, communications and
information sectors.
Both the UN Secretary-General and
the President of the Security Council for
the month of September, US Ambassador
Samantha Power, said only twice before
has the Security Council met to discuss the
security implications of a public health issue
both times on the AIDS epidemic.
In his closing remarks to the Council, Dr.
David Nabarro, the Senior United Nations
System Coordinator for Ebola, welcomed
the powerful solidarity shown for the
countries affected, as well as appreciation
for what they and their partners are doing
to confront the outbreak. Some countries,
including from Africa, had offered some
signifcant commitments in support of the
international Ebola response.
This has been such an extraordinary
outpouring of support from all over the
world a real global coalition, he said.
UN Sets Up New Mission
to Battle Ebola
On 18 September, the Security
Council, in its frst emergency meeting
on a public health crisis, declared the
Ebola outbreak in West Africa a threat
to peace and security, as Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon announced that
the United Nations will deploy a new
emergency health mission to combat
one of the most horrifc diseases on the
planet.
T
his interna-
tional mission,
to be known
as the United
Nations Mis-
sion for Ebola
Emergency Response, or UNMEER, will
have fve priorities: stopping the outbreak,
treating the infected, ensuring essential
services, preserving stability and preventing
further outbreaks, Ban told the Security
Council.
The Secretary-General said the missions
effectiveness will depend crucially on sup-
port from the international community.
Our best estimate is that we need a 20-
fold increase in assistance, he said.
Ban spoke before the Security Council
unanimously adopted a resolution, spon-
sored by 131 countries reportedly more
than any other sponsors of a resolution to
date in the chamber determining that the
unprecedented extent of the Ebola outbreak
Scene from a Special Session of the UN Security
Council on the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa
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D
uring a visit to Liberia
a few days after he
was appointed the UN
System Coordinator
on Ebola, Dr. David
Nabarro expressed
concern about the rapid spread of the virus
and called for speedy response to stop the
transmission of the virus.
This extraor-
dinary outbreak
requires an unprec-
edented response,
Dr. Nabarro said.
Addressing the
media in Monrovia,
Dr. Nabarro said his mission in Liberia was
to see frsthand the ongoing efforts to con-
tain the virus. He appreciated the role played
by the UN family in Liberia in helping the
government to fght the virus.
UN Coordinator for
Ebola Visits Liberia
The purpose of my visit is to see the
Ebola outbreak through the eyes of the
people, health workers, and the govern-
ment, to appreciate the issues that you face
in responding, to understand the challenges
you face and then to see what more within
the whole United Nations system we can
do with solidarity with you at this time and
to ensure support comes from every single
part within the United Nations system, Dr.
Nabarro noted.
He lauded the efforts by the healthcare
providers, the government and people of
Liberia who are at the frontline and risking
their lives in order to bring relief to people
infected with the virus. I want to say how
much I appreciated an opportunity to spend
time with the president, a number of min-
isters, civil society people and also persons
who are directly involved in addressing the
Ebola outbreak that is infecting your country
and other countries in this region.
Taking into consideration the rapid
spread of the virus, Dr.Nabarro said there
was an urgent need to increase effort in ef-
fectively responding to the health needs of
people with the virus. Its a challenge for
the world and it requires enormous courage
and effort to respond effectively and thats
what we are doing, he noted, maintaining
that the United Nations and other partners
are doing all they can to restore hope to
regions affected by the virus.
What we are talking to you about during
these visits and what your partners are talk-
ing to you for some weeks now is a way to
really increase the power of the response so
that not only is the virus brought under con-
trol and its transmission stopped but also the
people beneft, the health services recover
and the economy gets back on track and
the educational and other services are also
functioning again, that food security is there
now and in the future and also the security
and stability of the nation is protected. In
order to do that, we are looking at ways to
radically step up the support provided by the
UN family. We have to do that in a way that
is quick but at the same time is super effec-
tive, said Dr. Nabarro .
Addressing the media alongside Dr.
Nabarro, Special Representative of the UN
Secretary-General to Liberia Karin Land-
gren said: We today had some very valu-
able discussions with the government and
our partners about the current critical needs
of Liberia. The government is committed to
applying the right measures together with
communities, especially Ebola-affected
communities. We need support, we need un-
derstanding and we need basic services, and
UNMIL welcomes the Presidents statement
earlier today that under no circumstances
lethal force will be used again.
Landgren noted that the epidemic is un-
precedented not only for Liberia but for the
world. Its extraordinary and Liberias many
partners are determined to fnd an extraordi-
nary response to meet these needs.
We have said many times that UNMIL
intends to do all it can to help stop Ebola in
Liberia Landgren stressed.
Dr. Nabarro also visited various Ebola
treatment centres including the facility at
the ELWAhospital in Monrovia. He has
since been designated by Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon as the UN Special Envoy for
Ebola.
Dr. Nabarro and
Landgren tour an
Ebola isolation facility
Dr. David Nabarro (middle) addresses a press
conference held at UNMILs Headquarters in
Monrovia at the end of his working visit. Hes
fanked by SRSG Karin Landgren and WHO
Assistant Director General (Health Security)
Dr. Keiji Fukuda
By Daylue Goah
As Liberia and the West African sub-region struggle with
the fght against the deadly Ebola virus, the United Nations
has pledged its full support in the effort to contain the
disease.
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Educating Communities on Ebola
By Carolyn Marie Kindelan
Armed with awareness posters and fipbooks and dressed
in thick rubber boots to withstand the heavy seasonal
rains, Anthony Vorkpor and his team set out to conduct
another day of Ebola education in New Kru Town, a densely
populated borough in Liberias capital city of Monrovia.
A
s they enter the commu-
nity, they fnd over 300
people gathered outside
the local hospital, where
a dozen police offcers,
some in riot gear, are
standing guard. The crowd is protesting the
hospitals refusal to release the body of a de-
ceased woman to her family members until
an Ebola test can be completed.
Undeterred, the four UNICEF-trained
and supported outreach workers, who are
from the local group Community Develop-
ment Services (CODES), walk right into the
centre of the town to begin their door-to-
door awareness efforts. As frontline workers
in the fght against Ebola about to reach
2,000 deaths as we go to press these ani-
mators, as they are called, cannot afford to
take the day off.
We are doing this to save ourselves
and our communities, said Vorkpor, the
CODES Field Coordinator for New Kru
Town. We have to take this challenge be-
cause we dont want the virus to spread, we
want it to leave.
Since the frst Ebola cases were con-
frmed in Liberia on 31 March, the country
has been struggling to halt the spread of the
disease. The epidemic has occurred in two
distinct waves. The frst ended in mid-April
and totalled only six confrmed and two
probable cases. The second, which began in
late May, has been far more virulent, with
suspected, probable and confrmed cases
running into several thousands across 14 of
the countrys 15 counties.
With a wealth of experience in the areas
of health education and behaviour change
communication, UNICEF quickly took a
leading role in the social mobilization com-
ponent of the national response in collabora-
tion with the Ministry of Health and Social
Welfare. For the intensive, community-level
outreach that needed to be done, UNICEF
needed foot soldiers. So the agency looked
to its existing partners, including CODES,
and contracted them to conduct the outreach.
UNICEF currently has over 100 anima-
tors and communicators moving from house
to house in Lofa and Montserrado Counties
the epicentres of the Ebola epidemic, said
UNICEF Communications for Development
Specialist, Adolphus Scott. These teams are
working with the communities to increase
awareness, promote discussion, quell fears
and clarify misconceptions about the virus,
and how to protect oneself against it.
The Ministry of Health met with our
youth to sensitize our young people. Some
believed, but others said no, its not here.
Then the CODES animators came to help,
said Lee Wlejleh, a 19-year-old youth leader
from New Kru Town.
With support from CODES, Wlejleh and
fellow youth leaders were able to convince
many of their peers that Ebola is real. Ac-
cording to Vorkpor, one reason for CODES
effectiveness was the UNICEF-developed
Ebola awareness posters and fipbook the
animators use. Residents of New Kru Town
reinforced this assessment.
These guys are doing well to carry out
awareness, to make people to understand,
said Abraham Roberts, pointing to a copy of
the fipbook he held in his hands. And they
are doing well because of this booklet. He
also appealed to the international commu-
nity to provide more support to his country,
especially in the area of medical care for
Ebola patients.
Victoria Wesseh, a long-time New Kru
Town resident, has also benefted from
the outreach. At frst, the information she
received about the virus from the news and
other sources scared her, and even made her
doubt the existence of Ebola. By visiting her
home more than three times, CODES was
able to break through her wall of suspicion.
According to her, it was the groups persis-
tence and focus on concrete actions that can
be taken to prevent Ebola that led to their
success.
These people gave us guidelines on how
to prevent Ebola, she said. They told us
how to protect ourselves. They brushed the
doubt from my mind.
Yawa and Wessehs stories show that,
when applied correctly, the interpersonal
communication strategies can work. But
with the number of Ebola cases rising every
day, it is clear that more outreach by these
groups is desperately needed.
If we are going to stop the spread of
this deadly disease, we need to expand our
efforts and recruit hundreds more communi-
cators to educate communities, said Scott.
And we need to continue to coordinate
with the many other local and international
groups working to raise awareness of Ebola,
because none of us can do it alone.
A group of girls in Liberia reads a poster
with Ebola-prevention information
A New Kru Town resident Abraham Roberts praises the Ebola awareness fipbook that the animators are
using in their local outreach.
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T
here is denial, there is resistance, there is suspicion, sometimes
there is superstition, and often there is a lack of resources; it
means a lot of behavioral change for all of us, Landgren told a
meeting of the Bong County Ebola Taskforce and civil society
groups.
She commended the efforts of the county leadership and its
Call for Behavioral
Change to Contain Ebola
By Daniel Mensah-Brande
Special Representative of the Secretary-General Karin
Landgren continues her tour of Liberia s counties to assess
the Ebola Viral Disease outbreak situation, with her latest
port of call being the Bong County administrative capital,
Gbarnga, where she called for behavioral change and
involvement of all to contain the disease.
Ebola Taskforce to tackle the disease, and
stressed the need for concerted action to deal
with the outbreak.
This is no time for division; this is no
time for pointing fngers; this is no time for
blaming other people for past mistakes. This
is the time to pull together and do what we
know needs to be done to turn this horrible
epidemic around. The sad truth is that this
crisis is still accelerating; it is growing, and
it is moving faster, she pointed out.
Landgren expressed the determination
of the UN family to support Liberia turn the
tide on the disease. Where we can help,
we will. Where we cant help, we will be
your strongest advocate. The commitment of
the UN is absolute to stay on the path with
Liberia and helping see Liberia through this
catastrophe that has befallen, she reassured.
Bong County Superintendent Selena
Polson Mappy enumerated the achievements
made by the taskforce in the areas of public
awareness and contact-tracing but said there
were many challenges.
The lack of transportation for the burial
team, the closure of the two major hospitals
in the county, the uncooperative attitude of
some community dwellers, constant denial,
and our cultural practices; these are all prob-
lems that we continue to face in the battle
against Ebola, the Superintendent noted.
The biggest challenge for the health
workers in the county was to win back the
confdence of the people, said the head of
Bong County Health Team, Dr. Samson
Arzoaquoi. There is the belief among the
public that the hospitals are the source of
the Ebola virus; so people are staying away
because they think that the injectables, the
chlorine, and the hand washing materi-
als used in the hospitals are the agents of
the disease; this is a huge challenge, he
lamented.
The SRSG, in the company of senior
UNMIL, UNICEF, and WFP offcials, visit-
ed the Bong County Ebola Treatment Centre
being constructed by Save the Children-UK
with the support from other partners, includ-
ing UNMIL.
The UN envoy also held a town hall
meeting with UNMIL staff members during
which, she explained the mechanism put in
place by UNMIL to deal with the disease,
and advised staff members to strictly adhere
to preventive measures against the disease.
SRSGv Landgren on a guided tour of the Gbarnga
Ebola Treatment Unit
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16 17 UN FOCUS | JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 | UN FOCUS
mud structure. We were struggling to make
our kids feel comfortable but the nature of
the building was a barrier to achieving that
goal. Students from other school passed by
our old building and mocked us. Our old
building was a laughing stock.
The Louisiana Public school was one
of the two schools recently constructed by
UNICEF and turned over to the government
of the Liberia. The other was the Charles
B. Harris Memorial School in Careysburg,
Montserrado County. Thanks to UNICEF,
with funding from the government of Japan,
the Louisiana Public School is now a sight
to behold.
We now have a building we all can be
proud of, Samuel, a student noted.
The structures include reading rooms
and gender sensitive water sanitation and
hygiene facilities.
We hope that these facilities will further
motivate our parents to send their kids to
school as early as possible, hoped Sheldon
Yett, Country Director, UNICEF-Liberia.
When we look out there and see these
young students happy and singing at the
Fatumata Gataweh was all smiles as she
gazed at the brightly colored blue and white
building that now houses the Louisiana
Public school in Montserrado County.
dedication of this facility, we have a re-
newed hope that our children are ready for
education and are beginning a journey to a
progressive life.
Yett stressed that UNICEF remains
committed to working with the government
to provide educational opportunities to the
children of Liberia.
The presence of more educational facili-
ties will ensure that all children start school
at the right time and stay in school. In order
to sustain national development, we need
a qualifed workforce and providing better
educational facilities is key to developing a
competent group of people. Yett added.
Liberias Education Minister Edmonia
Davis-Tarpeh said the construction of the
facilities was a big step forward in provid-
ing quality and affordable education to the
children of Liberia.
By the dedication of these facilities, we
have driven well on the path of making sure
our children are given the kind of education
they deserve, Tarpeh noted at the dedica-
tion of the Charles B. Harris Memorial
School.
While applauding the construction of
the modern educational facilities, Tarpeh
stressed all hands should be on deck to en-
sure that the children are schooled in a safe
environment.
As Minister Davis-Tarpeh and UNICEF
Country Director Sheldon Yett cut the
ribbon to the Charles B. Harris memorial
Public School, the students dressed neatly in
their dark blue and white uniform sang: We
are happy , happy to see this day.
And Wachen Harris-Bruce, Chairperson
of the schools board, summed up the feel-
ings of the students and parents: This is one
of the joyous days in the lives of the people
of Harris Town, Careysburg.
[Editors note: All schools in Liberia are
currently closed due to the Ebola outbreak]
Inauguration of the school
Education Minister Edmonia Davis Tarpeh with
UNICEFs Sheldon Yett
We used to sit
in a very old
and leaky mud
structure
New schools to Promise
Better Education
By Romeo Juwle Togba
T
his is a dream come
true. For years we
have lived with the
dream that one day our
township will have a
building it can proudly call a public school.
Gataweh, 30, a kindergarten teacher at the
Louisiana Public School, said while punch-
ing her fst into the sunny skies.
We used to sit in a very old and leaky
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T
he team from the two
institutions was mobilizing
3,000 rural women into a
US$ 3 million community-
based economic empower-
ment project funded by the
UN Peace Building Fund.
Alice was one of the women who turned
out to be recruited for the project. Illiterate,
unemployed and already a mother of 10
children, she was amongst some of the most
vulnerable women in Liberia.
Things are very hard for me. I came
here in Tiamias Town to hustle and right
now all that I am doing to survive is to wash
clothes for the workers of the mine, says
Alice.
Economic Empowerment and Peace-building Project
Targets over 3,000 Vulnerable Women
prosperity in Liberias at-risk communities,
increasing the economic security of at least
4,000 women and girls.
Within fve key concession areas and
seven border counties, the project will
secure increased economic security for
women, defned by their ability to generate
and manage their own income.
The 4,000 rural women will participate
in community-based training programmes
in literacy/numeracy, business skills, and
fnancial management. They will also
receive assistance to form Savings and Loan
Associations.
Another key objective of the project is
enhancing access to reporting mechanisms
for instances of harassment, corruption or
abuse of the rights of women.
Through innovative outreach and
sensitization methods, women in targeted
communities will gain the knowledge and
capacity to demand respect of their rights in
community management of land and natural
resources.
These activities will be supported by the
newly established land desk in the Ministry
of Gender and Development and will link
closely with womens peace building forums
to deliver tailored sensitization materials
to community women on specifc natural
resource, environment and land issues that
affect their livelihoods and the future of
their communities.
In the rural mining community of
Tiamias Town, in Liberias Grand
Gedeh County, 30-year-old Alice sat
attentively under a mango tree listening
to a team of social workers from the
countrys Ministry of Gender and
Development and UN Women Liberia.
Some rural women
receive advice from a
team leader
Asked whether the money generated
from washing the miners clothes was
enough for her ten children, Alice replies:
Its just peanuts but what to do? I dont
know book [Im not educated] so I just have
to do something to survive.
Alice was delighted when she came to
learn that she was recruited to be part of the
Women Community Based Peace-building
and Economic Empowerment Project
This is the kind of opportunity that we the
women in Tiamias Town have been praying
for. We are ready to learn and make our own
businesses to help our children.
The project seeks to respond to the
situation of women like Alice by investing
in them to consolidate peace and building
This is the
kind of opportunity
that we the women
in Tiamias Town
have been praying
for.
Benefciaries of the Economic Empowerment and
Peacebuilding project
By Winston Daryoue
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20 21 UN FOCUS | JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 | UN FOCUS
T
he men were selected from among dozens of nominees as part of UN Womens 12th Man
Campaign, a national public awareness initiative which focuses on mens role in ending vio-
lence against women and girls. It also complements UN Womens He For She Campaign.
The men included Richard A. Wenyu, Arkie J. Tarr, George Boutini Tamba, Emmanuel B.
Lavelah, Wainright Y. Acquoi, Reverend Sylvester B. Faniah, Tommy R. Garbea, Adam N.
Abdulai, Samuel T. Bull, Aaron Koffa Wreh, Joseph M. Salee and Paul Newon.
The twelve men were presented to the public and the media at a ceremony held in Monrovia.
Today we are taking another bold step in the fght against gender-based violence and the promotion of
Men Reinforce Campaign to
End Violence Against Women
A dozen Liberian men from different regions of
the country have earned praise and recognition
for their efforts to end violence against women
and girls at the community and national levels.
gender equality in Liberia by recognizing
the efforts of these twelve distinct personali-
ties who are dedicating their time, energy
and resources to this cause, said Ghoma
Karloweah, National Programme Manager
of UN Women.
She commended the efforts by the
government of Liberia through the Ministry
of Gender and Development to address the
high prevalence of various forms of violence
against women and girls in Liberia and
stressed the need to do more.
Karloweah said last year UN Women,
with support from Sweden, embarked on the
12th Man Campaign to encourage more men
to get involved in the fght against gender-
based violence, making sure that they are
at the forefront of these efforts and seen by
other men as role models.
She said while Liberia is making some
impact in its fght to end violence against
women and girls, the country is still far away
from reaching a level where people would
understand that violence against a woman is
not just rape.
Its regrettable to note that our broth-
ers, our uncles, our sons are at the center of
these abuses against women. This is why it is
critical for men to lead the change; for men
to be champions for gender equality and the
protection of womens rights and for men to
move away from being perpetrators to pro-
tectors of the rights of women, Karloweah
noted.
The 12th Man Campaign is a commit-
ment to the realization of the Beijing+20
platform which imagines a world where each
woman and girl can exercise her freedoms
and choices, and realize all her rights.
The men were reminded that they were
ambassadors in the cause to end violence
against women and girls. Following their
example, it was hoped, that other men will
realize the need to join the campaign and
help make Liberia a safer place for women
and girls.
Speaking on behalf of the group of twelve
men, Paul Newon expressed gratitude to
the public for their nomination, promising
that members of the group are aware of the
importance of their role in ending violence
against women and girls.
Newon, whose organization provides
micro loans to business women, said the
recognition and the support from the public
and UN Women have helped reinforce their
individual initiatives in their communities.
He urged other men to join the campaign
and stressed that when fear, abuse and in-
timidation against women are brought to an
end, society benefts.
Also speaking at the presentation of
the 12th Man event, Head of Development
Cooperation at the Swedish Embassy in
Monrovia Ann Stdberg congratulated UN
Women for taking on the 12th Man Cam-
paign and described it as a very useful and
a much needed initiative as gender-based
violence is something that happens very
frequently in Liberia.
Stdberg said Sweden considers response
to the issue of sexual and gender-based
violence as a priority.
Under the 12th Man Campaign, each of
the selected male champions will receive
support from UN Women to implement a
mini project aimed at raising awareness on
the impact of domestic violence and encour-
aging more men to join the campaign.
Te Government of Liberia, through the Ministry
of Gender and Development is addressing the high
prevalence of various forms of violence against
women and girls in the country
Role Models of UNWomens 12th Man Campaign at a public presentation ceremony in Monrovia
By Winston Daryoue
Its regrettable
to note that our
brothers, our
uncles, our sons
are at the center
of these abuses
against women
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22 23 UN FOCUS | JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 | UN FOCUS
ries and it aims to encourage victims, fami-
lies and communities to speak out against
the problem of child rape and report the
crime to the police. With a plot that conveys
the possibility that victims can obtain justice
for rape if they report it, and with characters
who show supportive attitudes towards child
survivors of sexual violence, the book also
promotes prevention through community
action, including individual choices that can
be made by children themselves.
We want you to leave here prepared to
be the teacher who works with the parents
in ensuring that rape is reported. We would
be happy if you leave here and become the
police offcer who makes sure the perpetra-
tor is prosecuted. And just as well, we want
our students to become empowered and
confdent enough to speak out about rape so
that it does not occur anymore said Haque,
referring to the characters in the book.
Through the Sara
booklet, students,
particularly in 4-6
grades, would be
given relevant and
accurate information on how to stay safe
from sexual abuse and steps that can be
taken in responding to possible incidents of
rape.
I agree with all of you here today, that
there is absolutely no reason why any girl
should be raped. Yet it happens every day in
Liberia, at least four times a day on average.
And these are just the cases that are reported.
That is why we cannot look at this launch
and leave only with the view that a book has
been launched, because this is not about a
book. It is about real students, real teach-
ers and real police offcers, and regrettably,
real offenders all of whom must be reached
in different ways in order to ensure that we
effectively respond to the situation of rape,
added Haque.
Sara is an innovative and highly effec-
tive method of creating a conversation about
issues among children. The Sara Booklet
will be rolled out as part of the End Violence
against Children Initiative of UNICEF and
the Government of Liberia and is intended
to serve as a supplementary reader which
will inform students of the need to report
rape and prevent them from being victims
of sexual violence, said Annette Kiawu,
Deputy Minister for Research and Technical
Services at the Ministry of Gender.
Kiawu said the Ministry of Gender and
Development will take the lead in processes
involving training and coordination of state
actors and service providers in strategies and
programmes that would be more responsive
to rape and other forms of sexual violence.
These partners are the Ministries of
Education, Youth and Sports, and Justice;
Women and Children Protection Section of
the Liberia National Police; the Judiciary;
Liberian Childrens Representative Forum,
the Children Protection Network and various
task forces, Kiawu noted.
Sara Speaks Out
Against Sexual Violence
UNICEF is proud to be a partner of
the Government of Liberia in making the
protection of children from violence an
everyday concern. The Sara, Letss Speak
Out booklet we are launching today is
another sign of our commitment, said
Acting Representative of UNICEF Fazlul
Haque as he launched a reader to be used
in schools across Liberia at the Borough of
New Kru Town in June.
UNICEF Acting Representative Fazlul Haque and
Deputy Gender Minister Annette Kiawu at the book
launching ceremony
By Daylue Goah
T
he booklet is being rolled
out as part of an integrated
initiative to end violence
against children around
the world. The book was
developed for Liberia by
UNICEF, in collaboration with the Govern-
ment of Liberia and will serve as a center-
piece for school-based efforts under the
broader initiative.
This is the second book in the Sara se-
We want you to
leave here prepared
to be the teacher
who works with
the parents in
ensuring that rape
is reported.
Students at the book
launching ceremony
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Liberia Formulates First Post-War Housing Policy
T
he formulation
of this policy
is parachuting
us into a new
era of private-
public partner-
ship for housing in Liberia, he said as he
launched the document.
The National Housing Policy docu-
ment notes that Liberias urban population
increased from approximately 1.7 million in
2000 to 2.7 million, representing an urban
population growth rate per year of 4.65
percent. According to statistical projections
from the National Housing Profle, urban
areas are likely to grow from 61.5 per cent in
2010 to 74 per cent in 2030.
The document also estimates that around
800,000 people live in 32 informal settle-
ments and abandoned buildings in Monro-
via, Liberias capital.
The new housing policy has been devel-
oped by the government in partnership with
UN-Habitat to direct future investments
aimed at addressing the needs of the coun-
trys growing population.
This is a key requirement for the provi-
sion of basic social services to the people,
Boakai pointed out. Housing constitutes
one of the four basic requirements for hu-
By Romeo Juwle Togba
L iberias Vice President Joseph
Nyuma Boakai recently launched
the countrys frst post-war National
Housing Policy.
Participants at the Post-war Housing Policy
formulation program at the Monrovia City
Hall
Liberias Vice President
Joseph N. Boakai
addresses the ofcial
ceremony
Asafe and healthy house limits the risks
of diseases and creates a good environment
to foster economic initiatives. Furthering
equal access to housing is furthering social
justice, Kacyira stressed. The National
Housing Policy will help fghting against
inequalities, protect-
ing the most vulner-
able and developing
a more sustainable
country.
The Chairman
of the National
Traditional Council
of Liberia commended the government and
UN-Habitat for leading the process on the
formulation of the National Housing Policy.
This is a welcome development and we
are ready to help roll out the policy by ex-
plaining its importance to people in the rural
parts of the country, said Chief Zanzan
Kawor.
man survivalfood, clothing, housing and
dignity.
Housing is a right, a human right. It
allows people to live in physical and moral
safety, noted Deputy Executive Director of
UN-Habitat, Dr Asia Kirabo Kacyira.
Kacyira added that helping Liberia
formulate a National Housing Policy falls
within the ambit of UNHABITATs goal
of ensuring that everyone has the right to a
home.
Kacyira stressed that housing helps
people to lead a progressive and cheerful
life.
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26 27 UN FOCUS | JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 | UN FOCUS
Guidelines on Land Tenure Adopted
A cross section of
participants at the
programme
practices to improve governance of tenure;
that secure access to land, forestry and
fsheries is key to ensuring food security;
and that governance of tenure is one of the
highest priorities of the Government and
people of Liberia.
The Guidelines are not laws but are an
agreement that defne and outline what
governance of tenure means for all peoples
of the world in both developed and develop-
ing countries. The document is a relation-
ship between management of land, forest,
fsheries and all the things that can improve
peoples lives. It is intended to provide best
practice approaches that countries would
follow in the design and implementation
of laws, policies, and practices. The tenure
dossier also includes an agreed defnition
of responsible governance on managing re-
Participants at a seminar on the Voluntary Guidelines
on Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT) of Land,
Fisheries and Forests in June adopted a four-count
resolution aimed at promoting dialogue, participation and
increased awareness over tenure rights in Liberia at the
national, county and local level.
sources in a way that is good for all citizens,
for development, enhancing environment,
and food security.
Organized by the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), the Liberia Land Com-
mission and partners, the Monrovia multi-
stakeholders symposium was held under the
theme Right to Land, Right to Life. Par-
ticipants were drawn from local and national
government, County
authorities, civil
society organiza-
tions, universities,
and international
partners and donors.
The seminar also
identifed several
constraints affect-
ing the process of
proper land access and tenure. Prominent
among them are the lack of awareness and
understanding of the legal and institutional
frameworks that regulate land, forests and
fsheries; the lack of coordination between
stakeholders and service providers; the lack
of clarity about mandates and responsibili-
ties regarding the management of natural
resources among central government, local
authorities, traditional chiefs and communi-
ties; and formal, informal and customary
systems run in parallel, overlap and some-
times contradict each other. Another key
constraint of tenure is that formal, informal
and customary land disputes resolution
mechanisms lack effcient coordination.
Participants presented a ten-point recom-
mendation which among other things called
for the Voluntary Guidelines document to
be translated into Liberian English; for a na-
tional awareness campaign to inform people
about their rights and responsibilities related
to land, forests and fsheries be prepared,
launched and implemented; and the roles
and mandates for the management of natural
resources at national, county and local levels
be clarifed to improve coordination.
FAOs Country Representative in Liberia
Jean-Alexandre Scaglia re-emphasized the
urgent need for a concerted and increased
collaborative approach of all stakeholders
around land tenure issues in Liberia. He
pledged FAOs commitment to promot-
ing the Guidelines and working along with
stakeholders and partners in implementing
the conference resolution.
Estelle K. Liberty, Commissioner for
Policy and Programme Development at
the Land Commission of Liberia (LC),
expressed the LCs readiness to support the
Guidelines provisions. She said because
responsible land tenure remains a paramount
concern of the Commission, the LC was
leaving no stone unturned in implementing
the new Land Policy of Liberia. She stressed
the need for Liberians to embrace the VGGT
because it outlines many principles that
are relevant for Liberia to quickly transition
itself from a subsistence farmer or petty
trader situation to a modern-level country.
She said the quicker Liberians begin to
understand the provisions of the Guidelines,
the better and quicker we begin to achieve
our development objectives.
Bomi County Superintendent Samuel
Brown said: We saw this workshop as a
way of solving food insecurity and mitigat-
ing land confict. We also accept the Guide-
lines as a way of buttressing our efforts at
county level and ensuring that we manage
our land, fsheries and forests well.
Etweda Cooper, Superintendent of Grand
Bassa County, noted: We need to manage
our natural resources well. If we regulate
our policies it will beneft us. There is a need
that we work together to properly regulate
our land tenure practices and invest in the
land, fsheries and forests sector for the good
of Liberia.
T
he resolution reaffrmed the endorse-
ment in 2012 of the VGGT by the
members of the Committee on World
Food Security. The resolution also
agreed that the Guidelines represent
international standards and best
We saw this
workshop as a way
of solving food
insecurity and
mitigating land
confict
28 29 UN FOCUS | JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 | UN FOCUS
County, and Booker T. Washington Institute
in Kakata, Margibi County, have earlier ben-
efted from the UNIDO Small Hydro Power
Technology Project.
AUNIDO report said a one megawatt
hydropower station installed on Mein River
will provide clean energy to approximately
30 per cent of households in Suakoko Town,
and 15 per cent in surrounding villages
including government institutions, and small
and medium enterprises in Bong County.
The Mein River hydro power project was
Hydro Power Gets Boost
In partnership with the United States Aid for International
Development (USAID), the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO) in early 2014 installed
a clean and sustainable energy equipment at the Stella
Maris Polytechnic compound in Monrovia as part of a small
hydro technology centre.
By James S. King
UNIDO mini hydro-electric energy equipment on
display at the Stella Maris Polytechnic Campus in
Monrovia
T
he more than US$ 100,000
small hydro technol-
ogy facility will serve as a
research and training centre
for Liberias next genera-
tion of energy technicians
with a view to helping the country develop
its hydro energy sector.
In a country with high annual rain falls
and many rivers, this is a welcome develop-
ment. Liberias rural communities including
Phebe Medical Hospital and Cuttington
University (CU) in Sukoko, Bong County;
Tubman University in Harper, Maryland
fnanced by Global Environmental Facility
(GEF) under the regional GEF Strategic
Programme for West Africa Energy Compo-
nent in collaboration with USAID.
At a training workshop on the manage-
ment of the hydro equipment, UNIDOs
Regional Representative Bafotiqui Sako
assured the Government of Liberia, partners
and participants that the UN agency remains
committed to meeting Liberias develop-
ment agenda which accords priority to
development of renewable energy.
Sako said UNIDO has identifed huge ca-
pacity gap in renewable energy in Liberia.A
number of Liberians are being trained to
enhance their technical and managerial
knowledge about hydro energy.
Hoping that the establishment of the mini
hydro power project will enhance national
priority on sustainable energy, Sako called
on partners and the government of Liberia to
remain committed to the project. The Small
Hydro Power project was also designed
to strengthen the institutional capacities at
national and local levels for effcient imple-
mentation and management of mini hydro
power (MHP) stations throughout Liberia.
Most of Liberias current energy is
produced by diesel generators that sparsely
supply Monrovia and surroundings. Mount
Coffee Hydro Dam built in 1964 on Saint
Paul River is Liberias largest hydro dam
that provided most of Liberias energy needs
until it was destroyed during years of armed
confict. Reconstruction work on Mount
Coffee Hydro plant started in 2013 and it is
expected to be completed in 2016.
Arun Kumar, Professor of Alternate
Energy Sector at the Indian Institute of
Technology, Roorkee (IITR), facilitator and
team leader at the training, praised Libe-
rian government, UNIDO and partners for
initiation of a clean and sustainable energy
programme in Liberia. He said hydro energy
is a reliable source of energy provision that
could accelerate Liberias development.
Liberia receives an annual high of rain
fall that contribute to its high water levels
suitable for hydro energy development.
Kumar said.
ALiberian energy professional and
President of the Engineering Society of
Liberia (ESOL), Hu-Bu Tulay said the
training enhanced their knowledge about
hydro power management and investigation.
We now know what to look for in order to
make hydro station functional and service-
able, Tulay said at the end of the ten-day
workshop.
We now know
what to look for
in order to make
hydro station
functional and
serviceable
30 31 UN FOCUS | JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 JUNE - SEPTEMBER | 2014 | UN FOCUS
How can Liberia stop Ebola?
Josephine Wilson
Resident, Airfeld Community,
Sinkor
Farley K. Wriyee
Resident, Clay Street,
Monrovia
Abu Ali | Resident, Benson Street, Monrovia
Augustine U.K. Brown
Resident, New Kru Town, Bushrod Island
Tema Errica Cokie
Resident, Clara Town, Bushrod Island
Austine Forkpa | Manager,
Inter-Digital Printing Press, Benson Street
Kadiatu Lusu Swaray | Resident, Lynch Street, Monrovia
I think to stop Ebola all
Liberians must follow the
Ebola health tips. Stay away
from dead bodies, avoid hand
shakes, wash our hands with
water and chlorine solution
as often as possible, avoid
body contacts, cook our
foods thoroughly etc. As for
handshakes, this is the most
diffcult, because Liberians
usually greet each other with
handshakes, but we must stop
that now in order to prevent
infection.
Liberians must seek intervention of
God in order to stop Ebola. We should
also follow the Ebola prevention
messages that are put out by the
media. We should stop eating bush meat
including bat and monkey. Cook all foods
well, wash our hands with chlorine, water and
soap, not to touch or have handshakes with anyone, staying
away from dead bodies, reporting all cases of suspected Ebola
symptoms to health workers and so on.
Walesia S. Choloplay
Resident, Congo Town, Monrovia
We can stop Ebola if we stop shaking
hands, stop going to public places,
hugging people, because those are
some common ways of spreading the
Ebola virus according to health workers.
So it is good that we follow all the prevention
information on radio, TV and newspapers. I will also
like to say that as a Christian I believe in the healing power of
the blood of Jesus.
The way to stop the spread
of Ebola is to avoid huge
gatherings of people, washing
our hands with soap and water
frequently, not to touch dead
bodies, go to the hospital or
report ourselves to nearest
health facility if we feel
persistent symptoms of fever. I
think if all Liberians implement
those basic health rules we
could prevent the spread of
Ebola in Liberia.
I think one way to stop Ebola is to solicit foreign assistance
from humanitarian organizations and friendly countries. It is
clearly proven that government of Liberia alone cannot stop the
spread of Ebola in Liberia as evident by the high Ebola death
rate. Yes we can prevent the spread of Ebola by avoiding dead
bodies, handshakes, public gatherings and also washing our
hands always with soap and water mixed with chlorine.
Ebola can be prevented by washing our hands
with soap and water as we have been told by
health workers. No handshakes, no body contact
with someone with the virus be it relatives or
loved ones. There are those who may not want
to exercise all those measures, but for me, I will
follow every advice given by the WHO on Ebola.
Ebola situation is disheartening. People are
now living under extreme restriction. We
can no longer do those things we did before,
socializing, free business environment because
of Ebola suspicion even wives and husbands are
getting suspicious of each other. But in light of
all, we must avoid handshakes, regularly sanitize
our hands or wash our hands with soap, water and
chlorine as advised by health workers.
Prayer to God for me is the best we can do to stop Ebola in Liberia.
I know there are others who are nonreligious which means we all
must follow the advice given by medical people, wash our hands
with soap and water, dont touch dead bodies, dont shake hands
with others, stay away from large group of people, dont hug
and so forth. Let the government and all Liberians continue to
encourage our doctors and nurses to return to their various clinics
and hospitals in order to attend to sick people.
UN FOCUS, Vol. 11, No. 03
A publication of the United Nations Mission in Liberia Public Information Offce
www.unmil.unmissions.org