About my life in Armenia, about being a mom and an activist, working for women's rights.
The challenges and benefits of raising a family in a post-soviet republic.
Finding a place, my place and calling it HOME.

20.2.12

Liberian Journey #1

It is 7am in Monrovia right now. I arrived yesterday after travelling through Vienna and an overnight in Brussels. From snowy cold Yerevan i am now in hot humid +35 C Liberia. The passenger next to me in the plane was a young man from Ivory coast. He was returning from the US to visit his family for a month. He had a green card and was working in a small factory in Ohia for the past 3 years. "i need to work and send money back home to help my mother" - he told me, when i asked him if he liked the US, "you know us Africans, we take care of our moms so they don't work after a certain age. I see a lot of american old women working and i feel bad for them."



Liberia is a West African nation of 111,370 square kilometers, along the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean. The nation came into existence, according to Culture Grams 2012 report, in the early 19th century, when US abolitionists formed the American colonization society with the purpose of resettling slaves in Africa. In 1847 they became the first independent republic in Africa. The Americo-Liberians settlers controlled the new nation transforming the indegenous population to 2nd class citizens. After 14 years of civil war and conflict, peace came where women played a great role. In 2006, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was elected as the first women president in the continent and got re-elected in 2011. It is now peaceful in Liberia but many challenges still ahead; corruption, poverty, high rate of illeteracy and crumbled infrastructure.
you can know more of the role of women in stopping the civil war in Liberia here: http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=IL#/watch?v=pBqH2RFqIUw

The long road from the airport to the city center was a revelation. We passed through different communities with unbelievable images fascinating and overwhelming at the same time.
My trip was organized by the Swedish organization Kvinna till Kvinna (women for women) who supports women's empowerment projects in conflict regions. With colleagues from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Abkhazia, i will visit different organizations and women who played an important role in making peace possible in this country.

8 comments:

  1. Exciting journey, Lara jan! How long will you be there? Looking forward to reading about your experiences as you connect with women and activists from the region and abroad :-)

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  2. So you did 3 continents is 2 days... I am interested in this new governments vision on how they plan on reinstating infrastructure and economic development that will be sustainable and viable for the people and not outsider investors alone.

    hope you will have a chance to discuss that and hope you will cover here.

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  3. Wow! Lara!! Astonishing, interesting and couragous!!! I don't know how you do it! Bravo!
    You mentionned about the passenger sitting next to you on the plane: making money in the States and sending it back home... mmm... sounds a lot like here...
    Please keep us informed. I want to learn more about your experience and observations in Liberia. Thanx! :)

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  4. hi lara, must be an amazing experience! any chance you will be in geneva in april for the kvinna event? would love to meet you there! tons of luck in your experience exchange.

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    1. Yes Anna it is really an amazing experience and I am learning so much. No unfortunately I won't be in Geneva in April, maybe some other time we could meet.

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  5. Hey, Really great work, I would like to join your blog anyway so please continue sharing with us,

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    1. it's nice to be transported to other issues other than Mashtots park -even though we are still going strong about that. Lara jan, I would love to hear what women in Liberia think about and their views on feminism.

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