Together Liberia on UNMIL Radio
Together Liberia on UNMIL Radio by Together Liberia Trainers and participants were invited to speak on the United Nations In Liberia's (UNMIL) radio program Front page to discuss their experiences durning the training and thoughts on the state of the Liberian media. Project director Ken Harper, trainers Steve Davis and Bruce Strong were joined by participants Kindness Nehwon and Clarence Nah. … [Read more...]
Education in Cestos, Rivercess county
It was all about education. As media trainers, we improved the storytelling skills of our journalism students. As storytellers, our students focused on education issues in one of the poorest counties in Liberia. As foreigners, we were schooled in both the best and worst parts of traveling in Liberia. Smiles, beaches and cool breezes welcomed us to Cestos. Most locals took us in with open arms, showing us the warm hospitality of a rural community in Liberia. Unfortunately, a robber and some … [Read more...]
On the road to Rivercess …
We were told the drive to Cestos, in Rivercess County, should only take about three hours. It's roughly 180 miles. But I should have know better. Always double times and add some more. In the end, it took close to seven hours to travel to Cestos. The road was paved for half the distance. The other half was like being locked inside a pinball machine, bouncing around in the back of the van, trying to keep my head from slamming into the door. But the sights were good along the way. Here are a few … [Read more...]
Connections Easily Made In Liberia
It’s all about connections in the new Liberia, just as it is everywhere else on the planet. That said, I still was a bit taken aback with the information I gleaned the other day while strolling on the Atlantic Ocean beach just a quarter-mile from the guest house where we are staying. On the sands, I ran into a young man and his dog. We shared a laugh when we introduced ourselves and heard an echo. Steve, meet Steve. My new friend Steve Kollie was a bit shy but warmed quickly. We … [Read more...]
Images From Training
It"s been a great week. We completed our first series of training sessions yesterday. Through lectures and exercises, we guided the students through lessons on story development, interviewing techniques, audio storytelling, writing, photographic storytelling and key principles, such as ethics. Next week, we head out to the countryside to put those lessons into practice as we start producing election-related stories. … [Read more...]
The Rainy Season In Liberia …
The rainy season runs from May to October in Liberia, dropping an average of 170 inches of rain. Most nights, we"ve had thunderstorms and heavy rains that have lasted through the night. During the day, sporadic rain showers have made us run for cover. … [Read more...]
Day 1 of Training In Liberia
The training sessions started today. At the end of the class, we gathered for a photo. … [Read more...]
Day 1: Get hauled off by Liberian police for taking photos
David Trotman-Wilkins, (center/back row), still can smile after being forced by Liberian police to erase two photographs he took of the new U.S. Embassy in Monrovia. Over my career, soldiers and police have confiscated my film and digital images in Cuba, Honduras, Armenia, Malawi and Uganda. But this last time when we arrived here, it was David Trotman-Wilkins who inadvertently broke the law. His transgression? Taking two photos of the currently under construction U.S. Embassy. Here"s what … [Read more...]
