Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Giving Back, Liberians in America (Part 5)




"One thing that has really resonated with Liberians is that they have not forgotten their homeland. So, you have various organizations, which are seeking ways to rebuild the country. We are aware that government cannot do it all." -- Danlette Norris, Liberian professor.




This fifth and final installment in my series about the Liberian diaspora shows how members of this unique expatriate community raise money to fund education and health projects back in the war-devastated country they fled.

Even one dollar can make a difference in heavily-damaged areas like Maryland County, Liberia, which is on the southeastern border with Ivory Coast. That’s where Norris and some of the other members of the Rhode Island Liberian community come from. As an evening fundraiser stretched into the early-morning hours, hundreds of dollars filled tin-foil receptacles.


Part 1 of this series was about why so many Liberians are in the small state of Rhode Island.

Part 2 was about Liberian immigrants helping each other out, especially young and old.

Part 3 was about setting up shop and the challenges of getting papers in order.

Part 4 was about the most important issue of raising the children of the diaspora.

Thanks for watching!