Jorquelleh District, Bong County – Rose Flomo went from making LD$ 5,000 a month to no income at all, since the lockdown began two months ago. The 19-year-old single mother of a set of male twins now survives on food handouts from a community church.

Report by Selma Lomax, selma.lomax@frontpageafricaonline.com

“Right now, the biggest worry for me and my children is hunger,” she says. “If we go out, we risk contracting coronavirus. If we stay home, hunger will kill us. This is worse than a war.”

Bong County reported its first COVID-19 case last week and has since recorded over four cases, with three deaths reported. Income generating activities have been disrupted by restrictions on movement and other preventive measures.

Vulnerable communities, including vulnerable people whose incomes were already low, are some of the worst hit by the economic downturn.

Flomo is not alone.  Doris Dolo, 18, lives in a dilapidated grass-thatched hut.

When she met her partner few months ago, Dolo thought she had found someone with whom they would spend the rest of their lives together. She was also ready to become a mother and start a family she had always dreamt of.

She says the start of their relationship was filled with joy and everything worked out perfectly. She says her boyfriend then was a good man who celebrated life’s little milestone.

Dolo, with teary eyes says, her boyfriend left and has never returned.

Striving to survive

Because of the rejection she suffered from her husband and in-laws, Dolo decided to do whatever it took to fend for her son.

Juggling a number of jobs, Dolo resorted to washing clothes for money.

However, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people are at home doing their own laundry. Dolo says the whole support system she had put in place to keep her and her child going has completely fallen apart.

“I was not earning much, but I provided basic needs for my children. This is no more. Only God knows how we shall survive,” she laments.

In caring for her child, everything has gone from bad to worse for Dolo. Worried about her son, Dolo says she survives on the mercy of friends and neighbors.

“When one of my neighbors cook before I do, they give me food,” she says. At the moment, Dolo’s prayer is that her child does not fall sick because she cannot afford hospital bills.

The going gets tough

The low paying jobs which kept many women working and earning are no more and single mothers like Dolo, cannot afford to have three meals a day. For Dolo, this means one meal a day, taken at 6pm.

Pauline Howard, 19, is another single mother of one. Unlike Dolo, Howard is surviving from her vegetable stall that stands a few meters off the road in Jenepleta Town, Jorquelleh District.

Before the lockdown, Dolo could sustain her child. Every day, with income from her stall, she had hopes to provide basic needs for her child, she say.

However, that is no more because from the time public means of transport were grounded, she decided to turn her stall into her other home.

“From my place of work to my home in Jenepleta, the distance is about an hour. I could not walk every single day to work. Also staying at home meant starving,” she expresses.

Howard had no option but to make tough decisions. She decided to leave her young son into the hands of her elder brother.

Like any mother, Howard would love to be near her child to take care of him. However, she has no choice, but to spend cold nights with a leaky roof over her head in order to raise money to send back home for her son’s food.

Her only prayer is that her child does not fall sick during this time and in her absence. She says: “Ever since the lockdown was announced, I have gone back home only once. I only make phone calls to her elder brother who updates me on their wellbeing.”

The head of the Delta Human Rights Foundation Incorporated, Jesse Cole, says children with vulnerable single mothers face a serious threat to their right to education because of poverty, difficulty in obtaining food and shelter.

“They are most likely to experience property grabbing by families and communities,” he says.

Cole calls upon local leaders of Bong County to ensure they monitor the situation of these children.

“They should ensure that appropriate livelihood social support mechanisms are in place to protect vulnerable children and link them to service providers who can support them,” he adds.

MONROVIA – The Government of Liberia has debunked speculations on social media that it intends to use nearly US$10 million of the US$30 million apportioned for the COVID-19 food distribution on “unexplained administrative costs”.

Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon (Liberty Party) posted to Facebook on Saturday “Out of the $30mil for “Free Food”, nearly US$10mil (1/3 or 33%) to be used for unexplained administrative costs”. Something is fishy”.

However, Senator Dillon’s post emanated from the Minister of Commerce Prof. Wilson Tarpeh’s appearance before the Senate on Friday. He told the Senators that of the USD$30 million, USD$20 million will go to food cost while USD$9 million will go toward the operational cost. “This is the plan and distribution will begin this weekend. WFP has informed this committee that because of the road condition they will use sea transport to get to the southeast,” he said.

Commenting on the social media post from the Senator, Information Minister Eugene Nagbe told FrontPagAfrica that the fund would be in the total control of the World Food Program which would spearhead the food distribution.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has instructed the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) to move US$25 million from the government’s account to the WFP to begin the implementation of the distribution.

The instruction from the Finance Ministry to the Central Bank, a copy of which FrontPageAfrica has obtained was prepared on June 11. It is expected that the transfer of the amount would be made on June 15.  

Minister Eugene Nagbe said the government remains focused on rallying and receiving international support to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on the citizens.

He described the information posted by Senator Dillon as a “naked desperation” and “ludicrous allegations”.

“The fact of the matter is that the government has transferred USD25 Million from the GOL Consolidated accounts at the Central Bank of Liberia to the World Food Program to implement the food support program.

“So, all this is a diabolical lie coming from Senator Dillon and other opposition leaders whose nasty politicking knows no bounds even in the wake of a national calamity like the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Minister Nagbe also disclosed that the government has requested the World Bank and the WFP to refute the claims of the opposition, which he said is baseless.

Senator Dillon has held the opinion that using US$25 million distribution of free food to citizens across the country to compensate for the lockdown imposed by the government as a measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 would be more impactful if it were redirected towards paying the tuition for all grade school students across the country.

He opined on Facebook: “This singular decision would be more impactful and felt by nearly every home across the country.

“THIS KIND of intervention would also be needed and very helpful especially to all poor parents and self-supporting students, and same would give our people some time and space to prepare to take their own financial burdens for the 2nd semester and going forward.”

MONROVIA – The Vice President of the Republic of Liberia Chief Dr Jewel Howard-Taylor has been committed to creating awareness in the fight against COVID 19. In her recent awareness campaign, Madam Vice President used the book title ” The Unwelcome Stranger” to explain to children about COVID 19 and its impacts on our families. The Unwelcome Stranger was written by three enterprising young people namely Andrews, Fernandez and Diana.

The book historisizes the discovery of COVID 19 and how it has created isolation of families; affecting social life and interactions. Madam Howard-Taylor explained that the book narrates the state of mind of children as they observe their parents cope with the emergence and impact of COVID 19. It recalls that children are often innocent and concern about the sudden change in the routines at home, the closure of schools and mosques, the staying at home, constant washing of hands and the rationing of meals.

The change in the routines often create questions in the mind of children and may cause trauma. According to the Vice President, the unwelcome stranger is not a person or an animal; it is a thing (Virus) which was never expected or welcomed by human beings. She asserted in her narrative to the children that the unwelcome stranger has been around before and will continue to be around. She was quick to point out that the current unwelcome stranger (COVID 19) is invisible and unknown; it comes with fear, showing symptoms as flu but spread very quickly.

Madam Vice President emphasized that the book highlights social distancing and washing of hands as key preventive measures against the unwelcome stranger (COVID 19). She encouraged children to continue learning and reading other materials while at home as we fight against this global pandemic. Vice President Howard-Taylor has an unquestionable passion for empowering children which led to her establishment of the Jewel Starfish Foundation.

The foundation currently caters to more than 1000 children and has existed for more than 20 years. COVID 19 was first discovered in Wuhan, China in December, 2019. Since its discovery, the virus has affected more than 3.38 million people from 187countries and territories, causing more than 239,000 deaths.

Cotton Tree, Margibi County – Scores of travellers are stranded at the boundary of Margibi and Grand Bassa Counties after soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia stopped vehicles from moving between the two counties as part of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Report By: Alpha Daffae Senkpeni | alapha.senkpeni@frontpageafricaonlince.com

The stranded passengers are mostly woman and children who were travelling from Monrovia to Buchanan city or vice versa.

According to the stranded passengers, although the soldiers are claiming to be enforcing the travelling restrictions, they are allowing officials of Grand Bassa County to smuggle their relatives and friends across the blockade.

One woman, who claimed she has slept two nights at the checkpoint, alleged that lawmakers of the county are “carrying people who they know”.

“For us that going to look for money they say we are carrying virus while they are going up and down – so, who carrying the virus now? We are looking for our daily bread to feed our family,” exclaimed the woman, who said she is a local marketer living in Margibi County.

“Their family members are passing while we are here stranded.”

Some of the travellers said they are residents of Buchanan who had travelled to Monrovia to find food and other essential items for the upkeep of the families.  

Laurena Roberts, a resident of Buchanan, said she and her five-year-old daughter have been at the checkpoint since Friday, May 1.

“The people say we should not go Buchanan because we, who are coming from Monrovia, are carrying the virus to Buchanan – because they don’t want the other people in Buchanan to be infected so that’s why they stopped us,” said Laurena, adding that she’s now worried about sustaining her family amid the pandemic.

“This virus time, there’s nothing doing. So, at least when you get your five dollars to sustain you and your children you have to be doing business.”

Miatta Gbayoun, another stranded passenger, said she and her four children have slept at the checkpoint since Friday.

“I’m now worried that I have to stay here with my children and I don’t even have money on me,” she said.

On Saturday evening the stranded passengers angrily protested the movement of privileged vehicles, contending that they too should be allowed passage.

When contacted, the Police commander for lower Margibi County, Emma Taylor, said the blockade is being manned by officers of the AFL, who only take instructions from the Chief of Staff.

Janjay Baikpeh, Superintendent of Grand Bassa County, denied smuggling people through the checkpoint, but added that the county administration is holding talks with the AFL to allow perishable commodities through the boundary.  

“The caucus chair is already in conversation with the Chief of Staff to talk to them to see how best they can cross those with perishable goods and those essential goods that we need in our county can cross – and tell them that they would not be allowed to be moving here and there,” he told FrontPageAfrica Sunday via phone, adding that the mandate is from the Chief Executive and endorsed by the Legislature, which “makes it difficult for him to do anything”.

The government has imposed a State of Emergency to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has infected 158 persons and caused the death of 18 so far.

Amongst other things, the SOE includes a partial lockdown and restriction of travels from one county to another, according to a declaration by President Weah backed by the Legislature.

However, there have been concerns about the travel restrictions with some saying it impedes the movement of essential commodities between counties and puts constrains on local business people who commute across counties to trade.

The General Services Agency has issued vehicular passes to a number of registered businesses in the counties to move essential goods, but local marketers, who often buy and sell farm produce and other local made food products, are banned from moving between counties.

Nicholas A. Dennis of Voice of Firestone in Harbel, Margibi County contributed to this story