real talk

As all of you should know by now, all volunteers from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone have been temporarily removed and sent back to the States. This was a tough transition for all of us as we were disappointed, angry and sad that we had to be leaving such an amazing country. Disappointed that we cannot help, angry that there are no other options and sad that we have to leave behind so many amazing people because "Liberia is just not “safe” enough for us."

Though our families and friends are happy and relieved that we are home safe and ebola-free, I encourage you to understand that we were always safe. We were evacuated in less than 36 hours and had proper training on how to avoid the contraction of Ebola. However, it is also important to realize that there are almost 1.5 million people still left in Liberia who do not have the same luxury as us to just evacuate to a disease free land. In addition, it is crucial to remember than “Ebola” is not a definition of Liberia. Liberia and Ebola should never mistakenly become one of the same in any context. Before leaving for Liberia, I could count on one hand the amount of people who even knew where Liberia was and now, it is being called “Liberia, the place with Ebola.” It angers me that when people ask me where I’ve been for the last two months that instead of asking about my students or community, I am asked whether I was afraid of Ebola. No, I was not. I was not afraid because I was a. not hanging out with infected dead people, b. washed my hands and c. did not hang out with those who were noticeably ill. Ebola is a really hard disease to catch and can be prevented. What media forgets to explain is that behind each person suffering from Ebola, there are 100 who are taking preventative measures to prevent it. My hands were dried and cracked from the amount of times I was stopped and told to wash my hands before entering school, my home, in the market and at the training center.

It is hard to not judge countries and define them based off what you read and hear in the news. However, I encourage everyone to dig a little deeper to fully understand what Liberia is really like. For those who are able to do this, they would see that Liberia is a resilient country filled with the most welcoming, remarkable people. If you really knew Liberia, you’d know that they love American’s and refer to themselves as “America’s little brother.” If you really knew Liberia, you’d know that they crank the radio up nightly and dance the night away because they enjoy the little things in life. Lastly, if you really knew Liberia, you’d know that they’ve been to hell and back before and they ARE strong enough to get through a pandemic and will do just that. Liberia is a place that has its quirks and imperfections as all countries do, but it saddens me to hear it in such a negative context.

What you read and hear in the media is all negative and leaves no room to show their viewers what Liberia is truly like. Many tend to discard countries such as Liberia as “just another third-world African country” however, I assure you that Liberia is one of the most amazing and culturally rich place I’ve ever been to and am excited to go back. I hope for everyone to leave behind their single story mindset of “Africa” as a whole and get to know Africa as a continent with 54 differing countries. Expand your knowledge by researching the culture and learn about the people rather than thinking of it fully in the context of disease and poverty. Disease does not define Liberia, Liberia is defined by its culture, people and the resilience that both show. Go team Liberia!

 (My little brother's fifth bday ^ he's the stud in the suit)

 Celebrating Liberia's Independence Day!