Welcome To Liberia: What You Can Do To Help
Posted by Lord Neil Gibson in Uncategorized, tags: africa, charities, charity, foreign aid, helping others, liberia, Lord Neil Gibson, society, UncategorizedLiberia is a small country in West Africa that 99% of the earth’s population never gives a thought to as they whirl about in their daily lives. Some have never even heard of the country.
One of the poorest countries in the world, Liberia nonetheless has a rich history and abundant human resources that has inspired charity groups around the globe to take part in their plight. Here’s what you need to know about Liberia, her people, and the things that you can do to help.
The Environment of Liberia
Liberia lies on the west coast of Africa, bordering Sierra Leone, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire. It is home to 40% of whatever remains of the upper Guinean rainforest. Liberia’s climate is either blisteringly hot as it lies on the equator, or deluged with rain between May and October. Dry days throughout those months are rare indeed.
Next time you make negative comments on the weather in your area, remember Liberia’s climate and count your blessings.
Prior to the civil war, agriculture was the primary livelihood for the people of Liberia. The country would grow and trade rice, cassava and sugarcane. The leached soil makes Liberia better adapted to tree-crop agriculture than field crop production, however. The country produces coffee, palm oil, palm kernels, bananas, plantains and cocoa, as well as other miscellaneous fruits and vegetables.
Some will know Liberia as home to Firestone’s Harbel plantation, the largest rubber plant in the world. Bridgestone bought the plantation in 1988.
Liberia’s Economy
Much of Liberia’s history is divided into “before the war” and “after the war”. In order to understand Liberia, you have to start there. The First Liberian Civil War (yes, there was more than one) took place from 1989 to 1996, killing over 200,000 people. The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 and lasted through 2003, devastating the country’s economy by driving businessmen out of the country. Despite the current political climate, many of these businesses will not return.
As mentioned earlier, Liberia is one of the world’s poorest countries. The country is only 15% employed, or to put it another way, in the United States our current unemployment level is around 9.3%; Liberia’s is at 85%. This figure for Liberia may or may not include rural subsistence farmers. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has attempted to encourage private investment in her country by lifting embargoes on timber and diamond exportation. Until Liberia rebuilds her infrastructure, she struggles to barely keep her head above water.
One should note that while this information is somewhat suspect, since it is not readily verifiable, iron mining once comprised over half of Liberia’s export economy. While this is an unconfirmed report, it does shed some light on the economic climate of Liberia.
How You Can Help
Liberia depends heavily on foreign aid and its participation in the international arena. If you’re interested in putting your resources to work to help the people of Liberia, contact one of the international charity organizations currently doing work in the Liberian arena. I guarantee they’ll be able to put your hands to good use.
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