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How did you decide to go to Liberia? What path were you on before leaving? Have you had humanitarian training?
“Basically, I have a degree in technical and industrial design, the industry in which I worked for five years. I changed direction, trained at the Institut Bioforce Développement, then I was recruited by SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL and I carried out my first mission.”
What is the current political and humanitarian situation in Liberia after eight years of intervention by SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL?
“SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL began its intervention in Liberia in 2003, after 14 years of civil war which ravaged the country. Since the election of Ellen Johnson in 2006 as President of the Liberian Republic, the country has become more stable, which has facilitated not only its own development, but also humanitarian intervention.
When we began our intervention in Liberia, living conditions were extremely precarious. Few people had access to water, infrastructure had largely been destroyed by years of war, and the population, in a situation of extreme vulnerability to waterborne diseases and food insecurity, paid a steep price.
Today, we have to face up to a new challenge: managing the impact of population displacements associated with the recent clashes in Ivory Coast.”
Which project did you work on in Liberia? What were the specifics of this program?
“I was given the job of Water, Hygiene, and Sanitation program manager on the Harper base, in the south of Liberia.
Since the program began, we have built 98 wells and restored 224 water points, allowing 80,000 beneficiaries to have access to drinking water. We have also contributed to the construction of family and community latrines, essential items for avoiding the propagation of diseases among the population. Our action's specific logic was "participative," meaning we were not satisfied with simply installing the latrines; we actually gave the local population the means of building their own latrines with local materials. Numerous sensitivity campaigns were also conducted on themes such as HIV, male/female equity, and the prevention of malaria. By proceeding this way, we ensure not only that locals use the latrines more (since they went to a lot of trouble to build them), but they can also restore them and build new ones easily because they have both the necessary know-how and materials.”
What are the major difficulties of the mission?
“The major difficulty of this mission is logistical. Roads are few and often in very bad condition. Some remote areas in Liberia are very hard to access and, as a result, intervention there is complex.”
And how is the situation now?
“Liberia is peacefully recovering from its 14 years of war, but the government has a long way to go before it can ensure basic services (water, sanitation, education, health, electricity, roads, etc.). This is why it's important to fight the nanny syndrome, which prevails in Liberia, by making community action the heart of our projects.
Since the beginning of our intervention, the humanitarian situation has become less critical and we're no longer talking about "post-conflict emergency". Thanks to political stability, our efforts have not been in vain. We are working hand-in-hand with the government and the health department supports us. However, in order for our action to be sustainable, we're putting extra emphasis on awareness so that the infrastructure we've put in place is not abandoned after our departure.”
Mise à jour: Juillet 2011 |
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OUR
PARTNERS
We thank our partners that support our programmes in Liberia:
 
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