A Place in the Country

Children's Relief Mission (CRM) orphanage maintains the school/orphanage complex in Paynesville, a suburb of Monrovia. Greater Monrovia is a sprawling, bustling and extremely over-crowded, metropolitan area. Some estimates are that three fourths of the people who live in greater Monrovia are there because they fled from their rural homes during the war. Now there are no villages left to which they can return and they remain in Monrovia where they are squatters. They live day to day under extremely harsh conditions. The environment is less than wholesome for children and the future of Liberia depends on successful re-location of some of Monrovia's population back to the countryside where they can begin to grow food to feed the nation.

CRM director Sam Kargbo has plans for the orphanage that call for the school and orphanage to eventually re-locate to property in the countryside about an hour's drive from Monrovia. CRM raised funds for a 20-plus acre site in the area known as Kakata where the orphanage and school will establish a vocational/agricultural program for orphans and other students. The land is being developed as an agricultural venture at present and a farm manager, Amos, lives there with his family. The products of the farm are sold at a local Kakata market and, when transportation is available, sent back to the oprhanage. LOEP team members visited CRM at Kakata and pictured above Board member Brenda Weeks, watches as Amos (purple shirt) supervises eggplant harvest.

This first view of CRM's property shows cleared property where eventually a school/orphanage complex will be constructed. The building on the left is where Amos and his family will live when it is completed. The building on the right is their current quarters. Until the orphanage/school complex is a reality, both buildings serve to house residents of CRM who come to the farm to help with agricultural projects some week-ends and school holidays.

This termite mound is an interesting front yard feature!

This is a closer view of the building above that is under construction by Amos and his family. The large (and deep) hole in front of the building has been dug for the pile of dirt that stands beside it. That dirt will be made into mud to daub onto the stick structure to make mud/plaster walls.

This boundary marker shows the corner of CRM property of 20 acres that was purchased.

Some Friends of LOEP will recognize Sam Kargbo, director of Children's Relief Ministry (CRM). Notice in the grass at Sam's ankle is the boundary marker. In view behind Sam is the family compound where the former owner of the CRM property lives with his family and extended family.