"I did a lot of war paintings during the war years, but I"m not doing those paintings again. Artists reflect what is around them. I"m doing street scenes, beautiful faces, people are smiling." Leslie Lumeh has been a professional Liberian artist since 1993, when the country was still deep in civil crisis. Though the fighting ended in 2003, not everyone in his profession has moved on. "Some artists are still in that state... you cannot blame them. They have not moved across … [Read more...]
"Our Job Here Is Not Easy"
Radriffa slept sideways on the bed beneath barred windows, the morning light filling the room to wake him gently. His father, Peter Toby, sat beside him listening to the crackle of a handheld radio, taking in the day"s headlines. It was quiet that morning in Monrovia, and I stood in the corner of Toby"s one-room household processing that awkward feeling that comes when you peer into someone"s intimate moments. As a twenty-five year old grad student from the U.S. I felt more than out of … [Read more...]
TakunJ The Struggle to Make it
He thought he was a quiet and unpopular guy — until one day he attended the same show as the president. When Madame President entered the hall the crowd went wild and started screaming. But when he entered, there was even more noise. Click to view galleryHe is Takun-J, Liberia's leading hip-co artist. Hip-co ("co" as in colloquial), is a style of music that is unique to Liberia, because it is the way that people freely speak and relate to one another. It sounds like a mix of rap … [Read more...]
A Lesson in Patience and Reverence
“You’re an uncle!” I heard my mom shout through the tiny earpiece of my cellphone. “Yukiko had Emmalyn early this morning.” I had to plug my other ear in order to hear her correctly as I stared out from behind metal bars into a chaotic sea of concrete, tarps, and corrugated steel as a pair of roosters looked right back at me chuckling to themselves. I will always remember the date, August 9th, 2011, when I became an uncle, standing in the printing press room at the New Democrat as a … [Read more...]
Laughing In Liberia – Quincy T
Quincy Terence Juleh, is a Liberian median widely known as Quincy ‘T’ who believes that his art is in his nature. According to Mr. Juleh, his joke telling gained the attention of the Liberian people through the nation first privately own radio station Radio Monrovia during the crisis in the country. At the time of the war in Liberia, Quincy ‘T’ believed that his comedy show was a method that he used casino to keep people in-door and relieve them of stress. Chuckie Taylor, the fearful son of … [Read more...]
FrontPage Africa Reporters
During a photography training focused on light, participants, David Kolleh, Tom Nyenur, Jetee best online casino J. Tarr, and others, photographed each other using various lighting conditions. Window light wins again! … [Read more...]
Bridging Past and Present
It"s haunting. Echoes of war all around, but life moves at such a blurring speed it would be easy to not notice. Yesterday I crossed a bridge where a photograph was made by Chris Hondros during the war. I instantly knew the place because that image had become an icon of the conflict in Liberia. Later it was a Pulitzer finalist. The photographer, Hondros, was killed in Libya in April documenting the conflict there. The image from the bridge, taken in 2003, of a Liberian militia commander … [Read more...]
Access Denied; Girls Higher Education
Minnie Wah wants to go to college. But it's more likely that as a girl she'll end up in the local school in Cestos that teaches girls simple trades. That school is right behind Cestos High School. Forum for African Women Education is a trade school where girls go to learn skills such as pastry, tie-dye, sewing, and cosmotology. "I have been in Rivercess from my birth but I have not seen any girl leave from here to go to Monrovia to attain university," said the school … [Read more...]
Forging peace
[swfobj src="http://togetherliberia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/manfred-zbrzezny-by-peter-toby-together-liberia/soundslider.swf" width="960" height="670"]Manfred Zbrzenzy's work landed in the office of the vice president after one of Manfred's American customers bought about 20 candle stands and shared some with Boakai. The 50-year-old blacksmith was overwhelmed with joy when he heard the news. The VP has handed the candle stands out to visitors as a souvenir. Story, images and audio by Peter … [Read more...]
Pursing Education
Kennedy Koloh worries about leaving his family to go to college in Monrovia, but his wife supports him if he can find the money. If he does leave, he will send for her and his two children to be with him. “I really want to pursue my education,” he said, “but I’m finding it difficult.” Monrovia is five hours away. Right now he can’t make the move, casino because he doesn’t have the money to enroll at the University of Liberia. If he gets there, he’ll have to pay $70 U.S. per … [Read more...]
Education Delayed, But Not Denied
Benjamin Menyongar is finally a high school graduate this summer. Now the 30-year-old from Cestos City wants the same for his three children after passing the West African Examination Council (WAEC) test. Benjamin suffered through 14 years of civil war and was abused by rebels who forced him to work for them. It delayed his education and ultimate dream — to go to college in Monrovia. That is a particular difficulty for Liberains who live in rural areas, far from the city. Benjamin returned … [Read more...]
