MONROVIA – Liberian entrepreneur and media personality LeAnn Knowlden has earned recognition in three African countries this year, adding continental attention to a career that began with a student newspaper she launched as a teenager.

Knowlden, founder and CEO of Monrovia-based Top Agency, was named among Africa’s Top 100 Female Leaders 2026 by the SOWA Awards in Zimbabwe. In Tanzania, Iconic Africa named her Iconic Woman of the Year 2026 in the Business Leadership and Social Impact category. In Ghana, she was listed among the 100 Most Influential Africans in Infrastructure 2026.

The three honors cover different areas: women’s leadership, business and social impact, and infrastructure.

Early start in media

Knowlden’s interest in media dates to her school days. At about 14, she founded The Jaguar’s Journal, a student newspaper at her school in Liberia.

She has recalled that the paper’s success earned her a chance to meet then-Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. She had hoped to meet the President that day, but met Boakai instead and sold him two copies of the paper.

Boakai, who served as Vice President from 2006 to 2018, was elected President in 2023.

Zimbabwe and ‘Africa by Africans’

Knowlden’s trip to Zimbabwe for the SOWA Awards also advanced Africa by Africans, a cultural storytelling project she leads. The visit produced her first hospitality partnership in Southern Africa, with Victoria Falls Safari Lodge.

The project promotes the idea that Africans should travel the continent, support African businesses and tell African stories themselves rather than relying on outside accounts.

Social impact in focus

The Tanzania recognition highlighted her social impact work. Knowlden helped promote a fundraising campaign for Tilnette Woods, a young Liberian woman who needed hip surgery. The campaign met its goal, and Woods has since had the surgery and is recovering, according to Knowlden’s office.

A broader view of infrastructure

On the Ghana recognition, Knowlden has described infrastructure as more than roads and buildings, extending to the systems, partnerships, platforms and businesses that open access to economic opportunity.

Through Top Agency, she has worked in communications, events, brand strategy, cultural programming and entrepreneurship. She also hosts television programming and runs Planet LeAnn, a cultural storytelling platform.

Knowlden describes her work across business, tourism, media and community building as parts of one goal: connecting people, brands and opportunities across Africa.

Monrovia – The Journey Home Film Festival is proud to announce its much-anticipated 3^rd  Edition, under the theme “Telling Africa’s Stories:  Boosting our Tourism Potential through Filmmaking.”  Set to take place from June 19^th through June 22^nd, 2024, this four-day cinematic extravaganza aims to spotlight captivating narratives from Liberia and the African Diaspora.

In partnership with the Diaspora Office at the Ministry of State Without Portfolio, and collaboration with Paynesville City Hall and LINTA, the festival endeavors to foster cultural exchange and appreciation through the art of filmmaking.  The event will bring together filmmakers, industry experts, and enthusiasts from across the globe to celebrate diverse voices and narratives.

Minister Mamaka Bility, the Minister of State Without Portfolio, expresses enthusiasm for the festival’s mission, emphasizing its role in strengthening ties between Liberia and its diasporic communities.  “The Journey Home Film Festival serves as a platform for showcasing the richness and diversity of African storytelling, bridging continents and cultures,” says Minister Bility. 

Mr. Varfin Donzo, Head of President’s Delivery Unit and the Diaspora Office at the Ministry of State Without Portfolio, echoes this sentiment, highlighting the festival’s significance in promoting cultural heritage and creativity.

This year’s festival proudly welcomes esteemed guests, including legendary Nollywood actor and producer, Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD).  The judging panel comprises of seasoned filmmakers such as Nollywood’s Desmond Elliot and Van Vicker, along with Hollywood’s legendary actor Mr. John Amos, award winning actress Saycon Sengbloh, ace producer Attika Torrence, and a host of others.

Dr. Clarice Ford-Kulah, one of the festival’s organizers and Executive Director, underscores the event’s focus on unlocking Liberia’s tourism potential through innovative storytelling techniques, which is directly aligned with President Joseph N. Boakai’s ARREST Agenda. 

“Our aim is to showcase the best in Liberian and Diaspora cinema, offering audiences a window into diverse experiences and perspectives,” says Dr. Ford-Kulah.

Referencing what Liberia has to offer, Dr. Kulah added the country is a filmmaker’s choice destination. “With the country’s rainforests and conservation zones, cityscapes, pristine beaches, waterfalls, and majestic mountains, Liberia is the next hub for filmmaking in Africa.  In addition, filmmaking in Liberia means a boost to the economy and employment for Liberians,” she said.

In addition to film screenings, the festival will feature workshops and master classes taught by some of the industry’s best, panel discussions, and a drive-in cinema showcasing the African and Liberian way of life.

The festivities kick off with a two-day screening of both local and international short and feature films at the Paynesville City Hall (June 19^th and 20^th ), with a drive-in movie night at ERA Supermarket (June 19^th Evening), followed by a filmmaker’s workshop at the EJS Ministerial Complex (June 21^st ), and a special Juneteenth screening of the 2022 theatrical sensation “Till,” a biographical drama about the African American experience (EJS Ministerial Complex, June 21^st ). The film is based on the true story of Mamie Till-Bradley, an educator and activist who pursued justice after the murder of her 14-year-old son Emmett Till in August of 1955. 

The festival culminates with the Liberia Film Awards (LFA) on June 22^nd (EJS Ministerial Complex), an evening of glitz and glamour celebrating excellence in filmmaking and honoring outstanding contributions to the industry. “Liberia Film Awards, with its 24 plus categories will glamorously celebrate the best of the best in filmmaking in Liberia and the African Diaspora  through a ceremony that recognizes excellence in a variety of categories as our commitment to support Liberian and the African Diaspora cinema,” said Den Tut Rayay, one of the festival’s Executive Producers.

The Journey Home Film Festival is presented by the Journey Home Festival, Providence Preservation Foundation, ASAP Africa, and the Liberia Movie Union in partnership with Razzouk Brothers Inc, Ush Productions, Divine Entertainment, LINTA, and Genesys Communications Consulting.

BREAKING BARRIERS

New York – Lewinale Havette always had her sights set on the arts. Since she was five years old, the bug for creating art began flowing.

Whether it was finding a space on the walls of her parents’ home in Abidjan, The Ivory Coast, where they had settled at the height of the civil war, Lewinale’s passion has grown – and still is growing.  “I’ve loved art making since my formative years, around five years old when I learned that my art could free me, transport me, and soothe me,” she says. “It helped me better communicate with those important to me. I couldn’t properly speak the language of the country I was in, and art was my way of breaking language and cultural barriers.”

By: Rodney D. Sieh

Born amid Liberia’s brutal civil war, Lewinale’s parents, Lewis D. Harris, a clergyman and Nancy Hawa Polson fled Liberia to neighboring Sierra Leone, then to the Ivory Coast before settling in the United States of America.

Today, the Liberian-born artists splits time between Atlanta and New York, focusing on her artwork which she perfects by mixing media printmaking and incorporating photography, drawing and painting while honoring the woman’s body and critiquing restrictive, male-dominated societal structures.

For Lewinale, the early stories of her maternal grandmother in the Liberian village of her childhood offered the first glimpse of endless possibilities she is currently endeavoring.  “I was offered of life’s overflowing Magic. I then recognized Magic in my metamorphosis from a young girl living under a system of rigid orthodox, patriarchal ideas to the woman I am today — free and with an inclusive perspective of the world.”

Thanks to her family, who have been very supportive, Lewinale says, the doors they opened have helped her pursue her dreams.

For Lewinale, there’s never a dull moment coming up with ideas to create artworks. “Sometimes, it’s a dream, sometimes a vision, or a poem are all useful during my process. I need solitude and extended moments of retreat to birth ideas. Sometimes, conversations with people inspire me to help open my psyche to new ideas.”

I’ve loved art making since my formative years, around five years old when I learned that my art could free me, transport me, and soothe me. It helped me better communicate with those important to me. I couldn’t properly speak the language of the country I was in, and art was my way of breaking language and cultural barriers.

– Lewinale Havette, Liberian-born artist

As the year 2022 winds down, Lewinale is already looking ahead. “I’m working on pieces for an international exhibition and a few others within the United States.”

This month, her work is on display at the Art Basel gallery, featuring the works of leading galleries and works of more than 4,000 artists.

Always looking for a great challenge, Lewinale also has sculpting has been on my radar as she looks to explore new ventures.

Today, Lewinale’s artworks have been featured in exhibitions in museums and galleries in the United States and Europe, including 1-54 Contemporary African Fair in NY, Delphian Gallery in London, UK; Cierra Britton Gallery, New York; Launch F18 in New York, NY; Alan Avery Art Company in Atlanta, GA; the Masur Museum of Art in Monroe, Louisiana; and The ROOM Contemporary Art Space in Venice, Italy. In addition, she was represented by the Pérez Art Museum Miami at Art Basel Miami.

Despite her progress, Lewinale is mindful of her heritage, drawing inspiration from her personal journey as daughter of refugee parents and the continent she left behind. “My work is mostly experiencing from Liberian, Ghanaian, and Ivoirien mythology which have always inspired and fueled my imagination.”

MONROVIA — For most people, their unique sense and style of fashion come from flipping the pages of Vogue, Essence, and other magazines, but for Lemu K. Reeves, it was natural.

By Gboko Stewart, gboko@journalrage.org, Contributing Writer

“I was concerned at an early age [about] what I was always wearing as a child,” he says. “I knew I was a creative person.”

Lemu K. Reeves, 43, is the creative director and CEO of the aptly named luxury Australian fashion brand, LK Reeves.

Founded in 2020, the fashion company features a brand of high-end luxurious apparel made with some of the best fabrics from across the world. It features caps, bags, scarfs, dresses, trench coats festooned with Swarovski crystals, carry-on bags, etc.

All of this, he maintains, is credited to his late mother – a driving force in his life – who was a fashionista and loved to deck herself in bright colored clothes.

“My late mother loves fashion, colors. I knew I wanted to design clothes for the world in my early years. I have loved artistic work from my early years. My late brother, Nahnkarmu, was a great artist – he could draw anything you ask him – he did brilliant drawings.”

But he was often bullied for his name. Lemu, a traditional name from the Kpelle tribe of Liberia which means, ‘under your heart,’ is usually given to girls and is considered an anomaly when a boy carries the nomenclature.

Growing up in a war-torn Liberia, the Australia-based Liberian fashion designer said his eye for the aesthetics of beautiful clothing had always been there – a trait he believes was inherited from his deceased mom and brother.

“My mom had a tailor that would come into our homes and make her clothes. I started seeing garments construction in my early years and how my mother respected the work he did for her. We all made him feel welcome and part of our family.”

His childhood, which was punctuated intermittently by the many wars the country fought, was filled with bright colors as it was with love, discipline, ethics, and laughter from his parents. “I was a happy and disciplined child. Definitely not an A student, but still value education. We made the best out of what we had and were grateful for everything.”

His parents, he revealed, were strict disciplinarians.

That led him to embark on a life of service following his graduation from Cuttington University with a degree in management.

The fashion designer revealed he enlisted in the navy division of the Armed Forces of Liberia in 2008, a decision he considers one of the greatest in his life. “First of all, I always wanted to serve my country in whatever capacity because I knew I was going to travel out of Liberia to establish myself.”

When a chance to study ocean governance and maritime security at the University of Wollongong in 2012 arrived, Reeves jumped at it with gusto and made the boldest decision of his life – to remain in Australia.

“Upon my arrival into Australia, nothing has been mentally clear to me than how my life would be if I remained in Australia. What I was seeing mentally was full of good things, victory, and joy – it was BIG. I had to make another decision and I did,” he said.

Life in Australia, he remembers, had many bumps along the way. He could not afford to buy something as trifling as a coat to battle the country’s harsh winter. According to the fashion designer, he resorted to scavenging charity bins in his bid to keep warm.

“I also found a winter coat in the charity bin when I could not afford to buy a winter jacket in Australia. I still wear the coat today and it reminds me of my journey in Australia and to appreciate well-tailored clothing, great fabric, and design.”

Landing a job as a volunteer in Aged Care Homes, he later sought employment as a concierge and progressed to building manager. Completing a fashion course, he researched further at the Fashion and Business Resource Innovation Centre Arizona, USA, and studied sewing at the Nepean Community College in Sydney.

Armed with such knowledge, Reeves established LK Reeves Pty LTD. While it does not cost an arm and a leg for a dress or trench coat which many consider luxurious by all standards, it sure is not as cheap as chips. The brand has gone on to design clothing for several high-profile events, including Miss Sahara Pageant in Sydney.

Looking back, he adds, his struggles from childhood were the pathway to starting the LK Reeves fashion line which is slowly morphing into a global brand built on the standards of ethics his mother instilled in her children.

“We wanted a brand that would shine more light on ethical practices in the fashion industry. We wanted to build a brand that will carry my name because I was bullied for my name Lemu (a traditional name) that our society thinks should be given to a girl child. I wanted to send a message of being comfortable, confident, and unique.”

As Reeves expands his clothing line one market at a time, he has caught the attention of Liberian socialite and influencer, Benita Urey. Urey, CEO of the largest Liberia social media blog, The Liberia Influence, says the fashion line was recommended to her by a follower.

“When I went on his page, I noticed that he is not only a Liberian working hard to push his craft, but also he had amazing quality clothes for reasonable prices so I had no choice but to support him,” she said.

“My favorite will always be the trench coat because it has never been done anywhere else in the world, and it shows the western style. However, it is covered in all things Liberian from head to toe – I love that!”

For Reeves, this means a lot as it is an impetus to go the extra mile with humility. “I am the creative director of the next global brand. It comes with a lot of pressure and anxiety. I am grateful to God for giving me a dream bigger than I can imagine.”

And with each day that comes, he believes it’s a chance to give back.

“With all the things life throws at us it is still beautiful to be living your dreams. I am happier each day because I know for sure we are on the right path and it is successful. I see a lot of growth, success, and us giving back to the world and our communities.”

MONROVIA — Every young girl has a time in her life when she dreams of being a Princess or Queen. Royalty out of a fairy tale or a Disney movie. The desire to be a Cinderella and a royalty in her own world has shaped her mind into a safe space where fairytales do come true. A fantastical figure loved and respected not only for her beauty, but her character and her ability to change situations; bad to good and create a magical experience. We see the princess themed parties; parents naming their daughters, Princess or Queen.

Report by By Edwin Elic-Jaleiba, Contributor

The physical manifestations of the desires for all of our sisters and women to be seen as royal figures. The Miss Liberia Beauty pageant has been a beacon for young Liberian women wishing to be recognized as a Queen for 6 decades. Of course, there are other pageants; church programs, school, university and now a multiplying array of queens and pageants. In spite of this, no pageant generates excitement quite like Miss Liberia. There is no QUEEN more than Miss Liberia; the Queen among Queens in Liberia.

Miss Liberia was historically the main event, when it came to showbiz. Having it all; fashion, pomp, pageantry, elegance, entertainment, thrills and disappointment. The tragic civil war interrupted all this; stalling so much progress in Liberia, with Miss Liberia being no exception. Intermittently the pageant was held, each time allowing young women to hope and dream and allowing some of them to aspire to be known as the most beautiful, eloquent and talented “Royalty” in Liberia. That start and stop era of Miss Liberia is now at an end. For the first time in almost a decade, on July 23, 2022, Liberia prepares to see 15 beautiful young women grace the stage at the historic Centennial Pavilion. From Bomi to Sinoe – coast to coast, history is about to be made in Liberian pageantry.

Fifteen exemplary members of Liberian Royalty are ready to take the stage and see which one of them merits the title and name of Miss Liberia. Their names roll of off one’s lips, Linda Doe – Bomi County; Georgia Bemah – Bong County; Faith Collins – Gbarpolu County; Julia Moore – Grand Bassa County; Joicet Foday – Grand Cape Mount County; Kindness Wilson – Grand Gedeh County; Favour Torpor – Grand Kru County; Tracy Nagbo – Lofa County; Lelai Yekelorde – Margibi County; Alice Quaye – Maryland County; Willimena Browne – Montserrado County; Rebina Carson – Nimba County; Veralyn Vonleh – Rivercess County; Kariah Dorley – River Gee County; & Antoinette Benson- Sinoe County. Fifteen beautiful young ladies, the epitome of the qualities of their respective counties, carrying the hopes of their people. The hope to boast of being able to say we produced Liberia’s Queen. The hope of producing an illustrious young lady who can represent Liberia adequately and ably on the national and global stages.

After a nationwide audition process that took the team from XL-Entertainment across Liberia conducting auditions out of Monrovia for the first time, Zubin Cooper CEO of XL-Entertainment told us a bit about what to expect. “There will be transparency, validity of the voting process. With a round by round update of what we shall be doing allowing the public to be au courant of what is happening. As we published the voting results of the Kick-Off we shall do with the grand finale. We wish to take it a step further and update as far as possible as we go along, to enable the public to see what is occurring. We also intend to air it on as many platforms as possible so that as many people as possible can see and ascertain for themselves the qualities of their respective Queens.”

As with any competition there are expectations of the Queen and what she should be and how she should conduct herself. Especially as this year’s theme is, Celebrating Liberia, Its Culture and Tourism”. XL-Entertainment let us know that the next Queen would have certain guaranteed characteristics that lived up to the theme; she would be a civic leader, engaged in charitable acts, someone who would articulately represent Liberia and her county. A custodian of our traditions and behavior, epitomizing our inherently Liberian qualities and spirit.

One of the major objectives of this year’s Miss Liberia is to sell Liberia’s culture and tradition to the rest of the world through Miss Liberia and showcase the pageant as a national unifier. The final rounds will see public voting continue, followed by a night of presentations on July 16, 2022 that will be streamed live on the nation’s broadcaster LNTV, KMTV, TAMMA TV, and JujuAfrica TV. And on July 23, 2022 the Queens will take the stage, showing their best in Swimwear, Talent, Elegance and brains; before we finally crown a new queen; a worthy successor to Queen Wokie Dolo, a new Miss Liberia.

Monrovia – Levi Flomo, 27, had a life-changing brush with the law. He found himself in Monrovia Central Prison in January 2019, after a neighbor accused him of rape. He ended up spending more than three years in pre-trial detention, being released in April 2022, after the courts declared a nolle prosequi for lack of evidence.

“Jail life is very bad,” he told UNDP in June 2022. “It is not good, but it happens for a reason.”

He was one of the very lucky pre-trial detainees who benefited from skills training offered by Liberia’s Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation (BCR), with support from UNDP and funding from Sweden and Ireland. These trainings are usually reserved for convicted prisoners to help them reform and re-integrate back into society after serving their prison sentences.

“We noted that some good guys were in prison, and he was one of them. His prison record was clean, and he was very willing to learn. He is a very blessed young man,” said Mr. Joseph G. Sumo, Coordinator of Rehabilitation Centre of the BCR.

“We consider him a success story because he came to us with no skills, but he left equipped with skills that he is using gainfully to make an income that can support his family,” added Mr. Sumo.

Levi was trained in tailoring, a skill his father – a tailor, had tried to teach him over the years to no avail. He has now decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and is working in his father’s tailoring business specializing in making a wide variety of bags, including back packs.

“I felt very bad when my son, my first living child, was arrested. I felt bad to see him in such trouble,” said Mr. Daniel Levi Flomo.

Levi is the third child in his family but is more like the first born after his two elder siblings died prematurely. Levi himself is the father of a six-year-old son, who currently lives with his grandparents.

Flanked by his parents and other siblings as well as an uncle during our visit to their business on Pipeline Road in Monrovia’s Paynesville neighborhood, Levi was optimistic and determined to use his newly acquired skills to make a living for himself and his son, as well as supplement the larger family’s income.

“This training has changed my life in a way that I cannot explain. What encourages me is that I saw friends doing tailoring and succeeding at it. I must now stay away from problems and focus on my new life,” he vowed.

He plans on re-investing his tailoring income and saving as much as possible so that he can re-unite with his son in December 2022, and be able to provide for all his needs, including schooling.

Before being arrested, Levi was like many young men in Liberia; he had dropped out of school (due to lack of school fees) and was employed in the highly liquid but dangerous motorbike taxi business. He had even suffered an accident and injured one of his legs.

Prison detention changed his perspective. He says he is now satisfied to make and trade in bags to the great delight of his father. “I am happy to have my son back and very, very proud to be doing things together with him,” said the father.

Both father and son however regret the fact that Levi cannot return home because of possible retaliation from his accusers. Since he was a pre-trial detainee and not a convicted person, the BCR could not proactively engage in his reintegration back into his community.

Levi currently sleeps on wooden work benches lined with carton boxes in the water-logged premises of the tailoring shop, battling mosquitoes and cockroaches. However, he is willing to pay the price to turn around his life and that of his family.

Monrovia – G.Rize, the song maestro who’s topping the Liberian diaspora charts in the Americas, is known widely in the Liberian communities scattered across the United States.

But the artiste says being a father – despite the fame – brings him the greatest joy of his life.

“I love being a father and a husband,” he says. “I love to cook and take our dog out for swimming. I love going to see plays and going on long walks.”

The father of two, who’s also happily married, says being a family man has had the biggest impact on his life and his career following a tumultuous childhood.

 “I went through a whole seven years of civil war all through my childhood. I even became a refugee at one point in time in another African country called Ghana.”

Two years later, G.Rize moved to the United States and fathered his first child. “I became a father at a very young age as well which i knew nothing about the responsibility that comes with having a kid that young, at age 16. I fought through all that with my father.

Rize, 33, later met his wife of thirteen years at a nightclub named Cream Downtown Minneapolis. “It was a place where a lot of young college kids would hang out. We called it 18+. [When] I first met her we danced all night. I asked for her num and she said no at first. I left her [and] went home after like a week or 2. I went back to the same spot with my friends and saw her with her friends that same night. We have been together ever since 13 years ago.

Without his wife and two kids, Rize believes he wouldn’t have made it this far. “The best part about life is having a strong relationship with your family and a good support system.”

MONROVIA – The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) and La Queen Entertainment on Saturday, 11 June 2022 unveiled prizes for winners of this year’s Miss Earth Liberia Beauty Pageant, slated for Saturday, 18 June at the Ministerial Complex, Congo Town.

La Queen Entertainment is a non-political, non-religious entity founded in 2018 to discover talents.

Since its establishment, the group has in partnership with the EPA organized Miss Earth Liberia, an annual environmental event which seeks to channel beauty pageant entertainment industry as an effective tool to promote environmental preservation.

Ahead of the grand finale of Miss Earth Liberia’s 4^th edition this Saturday, EPA and La Queen Entertainment unveiled a brand new Sedan and many other prizes for winners of the pageant.

The prizes would be made available at the grand coronation on 18 June 2022 at the Ministerial Complex.

According to organizers of the event, the winner will have the opportunity to travel to the Philippines to participant in Miss Earth International 2022.

The winner will also be provided US$ 1,000 cash prize and would be an environmental ambassador with offices at the EPA. The winner will also receive monthly salary from the EPA. Winner of the pageant would also receive six- month free subscription on Star Times Cable.

The first runner-up will also receive a US$ 700.00 cash prize, one-year management contract with La Queen Entertainment, while the second runner-up will walk away with a cash prize of US$ 500.00 and a one-year management contract with La Queen Entertainment. 

The unveiling ceremony which attracted many persons including representatives of La Queen Entertainment and EPA, was led by her majesty Queen Odella Y. Flomo, current Miss Earth Liberia who was instrumental in mentoring the earthlings (contestants).

Miss Flomo, first runner-up Kumba D. Abu, and Elizabeth K. Kennedy, second runner-up were crowned queens on 12 June 2021 after a competitive displayed of talents. There are expected to turn-over the crowns at the grand coronation on Saturday.

The organizers are asking members of the public to turnout at the pageant which advocates for environmental awareness, conservation, and social responsibility.

Monrovia – The organizers of the Big Brabee Liberia, reality TV show has held for the time a consultative and stakeholders meeting to correct the mistakes made during the past two editions and to improve on the future editions.

The event that was held at the Corina Hotel in Sinkor brought together Ministry of Internal, Ministry of Youth & Sports, Liberia National Police, Liberia Movie Union, Federation of Liberian Youth, Bloggers Association of Liberia and other Liberians especially those who are in the artistic sector to brainstorm on how improve Liberia only reality TV show.

Many participants at the consultation and stakeholders meeting including ex-house mates praised the first edition of the reality TV show over the second.

According to them, unlike the first edition, the caliber of participants rating in the second edition was low.  

To some, many of the house mates in the season knew each other, something they said made the show more boring for the audience to follow.

Speaking at the event, Zobin Cooper, an event and media guru, told the organizers of the reality TV show that the quality of the sound was poor and that it needed to improve drastically in the upcoming editions.

“If you cannot hear, then what is the need of watching,” he said.

Also, Mr. Cooper added that the vetting process of the contestants by the organizers of the Big Brabee Liberia was poor; something he said drove away many of the audience.

“The caliber of contestants was not high. What can the contestants do and not just their looks keep your audience following. Also, BBL needs to introduce an element of surprise –do something like the wildcat in the Big Brother Naji,” Cooper said.

Eddie Gibson is the president of the Liberia Movie Union. He told the gathering that his institution is open to working with the group to make the reality show a success.

“If you are doing something where people have to follow, you should go up and not come down. Do not let the people lose taste,” he warned.

Pualita C.C. Wie, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs told the organizer that contestants need to be vetted thoroughly because for her, they are the true ambassadors of the country.

“We want the best out of the Big Brabee Liberia reality show,” she said.

Also, in the gathering was the Spokesperson of the Liberia National Police Moses Carter. He said the police will not hesitate to move in when any criminal nature occurs.

The Police spokesman called on the organizers to make sure that their participants know the rule before they can begin the reality show.

“When you are alleged of getting into any criminal nature, the police will come in,” Carter said.

TipMe is one of the sponsors of the reality show. Representing TipMe, Randolf Haliga said the corporate sector has a role to play in uplifting the reality TV show but at the same time, organizers need to look for the best contestants to market their products.

“Corporate institutions look for what value you are going to bring to its brand. What a brand wants to pay money for is very important -the brand wants to make use of you but depending on the content you will give in the house,” Haliga said.

Adding up Fred Ola Ola, the Executive Director of the Big Brabee Liberia praised participants of the consultative and stakeholders meeting for their suggestions and recommendations, something he said will guide the production and presentation of Big Brabee Liberia season three and beyond.

“We like to take this time to recognize and appreciate all Agencies and Individuals that accepted our invitation and dedicated their valuable time to attend, contribute and touch light on various activities at the same time providing recommendations that could better the program’s presentation to the World at large. We are indebted to you for your show of willingness to help us improve,” Big Brabee Liberia posted on their social media page.

The Big Brabee Liberia season three application forms will be out on sale by February 21, 2022 and end March 18, 2022.

MONROVIA — The first of its kind Annual Good Life Champagne Ball, aimed at the celebration of 200 years of Liberty in Liberia come 2022 will be launched August 16, 2021, in Monrovia.

Had as its Theme: “Celebrating 200 years of Liberty,” the ceremony has been organized by a United States based Roc Citi Media in collaboration with the famous Julia Entertainment and Heaven Lounge in Monrovia.

Although Liberia’s past has not been all rosy, the event which would take place at the All New Heaven Lounge in Liberia’s Capital, Monrovia, will no doubts create an atmosphere where an array of Liberians and foreign nationals will experience what the country has been through since its inception as a sovereign state.

The theme for the event was specifically chosen in retrospect of Liberia’s history as 2022 will mark 200 years since the first group of slaves arrived on Providence Island in the West African Nation from the Americas.

“Therefore, 200 years of Liberty give Liberians millions of reasons to celebrate life. Moreover, the décor and presentations at the ceremony by distinguished historians and other experts will not only be informative and educational but also all-embracing” said the event’s organizers in a prepared statement.

According to the organizers, the formal launching ceremony entails weekend activities starting Friday, 31^st, December, 2021, with a Welcome party, (Toast to the Good Life: A New Year Eve Party; Saturday, 1^st, January, 2022, the Main Event (“The Good Life Champagne Ball” which is also known as the “Black-Tie Event”); and Sunday, 2^nd, January, 2022 (The Good Life pool party”).

Roc Citi Media which has been operating in the State of Minnesota, USA, for a period spanning more than a decade (11 Yrs.) has been involved in multiple business activities including organizing events and shows which range from musical concerts, award shows, Festivals and Theme parties among others runs its own Night Club in Downtown Minneapolis.

The group comprises young and competent Liberian Professionals both at home and in the Diasporas with a goal to promote Liberian culture and heritage through entertainment.

 The Founder of Roc Citi Media, D’Angelo T Wilson, is also the Co-owner of D-12 Music International (DMI).

 Mr. Wilson has been working with D-12 and several other Liberians artists dedicated to enhancing Liberian musical and artistic talents since 2014.

Mr. Wilson also works as a manager for Benita Urey, a humanitarian in Liberia.