On one side, “psychological Chief or Madam pride” has restricted many Liberian professionals (employees) to only “white collar job” and each of these professionals describes the “brown collar job” (not learned in a school building) as “image-lowering”. But majority of these highly educated Liberians groan or lament everyday on the “one job” not generating enough money to get most of their personal needs or for their families. On the opposite side, “lower-class humility” often persuades the humble survival-conscious employee to often look beyond the one-job wall.
By Samuel G. Dweh (Freelance Development Journalist), +23188661896/776583266; [email protected]/ [email protected]
The latter, “humility”, is the nature of Edmond Nyenkpe of Grand Bassa County.
From Monday to Friday, Edmond Nyenkpe, age 32 in 2024, picks his “teaching bag”, containing his teaching materials. First, he goes to Spiritan High School, in the compound of the Stella Maris Polytechnic University, on Capitol Hill, Monrovia, to teach Literature-in-English. His teaching here starts from 7am and ends 9am.
After his teaching session at Spiritan High School, Edmond moves to the Don Bosco High School, located on 8th Street, Sinkor, to teach the same subject—Literature-in-English.
Other Schools he had taught in, based on his narration to me, are: St. Peter’s Lutheran High School, located on 14th Street, Sinkor, Monrovia; Calvary Baptist Church’s High School, located in Fiamah, Sinkor, Monrovia; and Phillip Preparatory High School on 19th Street.
During weekends, Saturday and Sunday, Edmond Nyankpe picks his hair-cutting (barbing) tools to meet his customers waiting for him at his Barber Shop. His hair-cutting center is attached to the fence of the Head Office of the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) on 12th Street, Sinkor. He is assisted by two persons, male, as barbers.
Edmond Nyenkpe’s educational credentials (Degrees), which he wrote on sheets for me, include: Bachelor of Public Administration, Economics (Minor) from the African Methodist Episcopal University (on Benson Street, Monrovia); Certificate
in Project Planning and Implementation from the Liberia Institute of Public Administration (LIPA), now located at the intersection of Cheeseman Avenue and 20th Street; Certificate in Computer Science; and
Certificate in Teacher Training (Grade 2) from a seminar he had attended.
For his hair-cutting profession, Edmond to this writer he learned it when he was a kid in his County ancestral home—Grand Bassa County.
“There was a barber shop, near where I lived, that I frequently visited after I returned from the school I was in. I used to regularly visit the barber shop, play checker, and listened to and participate in intellectual discussions from my seniors in age who came to cut their hair. After some months of observing the barber, I became interested in the barbing business. Few weeks later, I told owner of the barber shop I wanted to assist him on cutting the hair of some of his clients. He consented, and I became his helper. Less than a month later, I became a professional barber,” he recalled.
He added: “Barbing was a lot of fun for me, a kid, during that time, and it generated money for me, which I used for food during recess period in the school I was in. I also used part of my barbing money to buy text books, transport myself to school, and for lunch after school time. I also used part of my barbing money. The money I got from hair-cutting reduced the financial burden on my mother’s of paying my school fees.”
On his parents, he said he was given the name of his father— Edmond Nyenkpe, while the name of his mother is Maric M. Moore.
“I am the last-born for my mother,” he responded this writer’s question of his position on the list his parents’ children.