Teacher Trekker

My father was invited to the Change Agent Network (CAN) fundraiser that took place at the residency of the Liberian Ambassador to the United States of America. He was allowed to bring one guest and asked me if I wanted to attend the event with him. How could I say no? I figured this was a once in a lifetime opportunity with unknown networking possibilities. I figured that at a minimum, I would have an interesting night meeting new people in the private home of a foreign ambassador. Since I don’t know anybody that has been invited to spend time with foreign dignitaries, and sensing how much of an opportunity this was, I could not turn down the invitation. I’m glad I attended the event, made new contacts and was exposed to the mission of the Change Agent Network.

The 16 Tribes of Liberia

The Change Agent Network is a grassroots not-for-profit organization that works to provide much needed assistance to the people of West Africa, specifically Liberia. They focus on increasing education and social programs in the region, as well as the construction of schools and essential infrastructure that is lacking in many of the communities they are working to expand. Liberia was ravaged by civil war for much of its recent modern history. Children were forced into military service, and the concept of education as viewed in the Western world was virtually nonexistent. Currently, the nation is being forced to handle the recent Ebola outbreak that has put much of the world in fear. Children have been kept at home and are unable to travel to school because of fears of further spreading the disease. As a result of these two events, the children of Liberia are continuing to fall behind their peers worldwide in terms of educational advancement and achievement. Something must be done to address these problems, and this is where the CAN steps in.

My father and I arrived at the Liberian Ambassador’s residency shortly after the event started. After being welcomed into the event, we were introduced to Ambassador Jeremiah C. Sulunteh. We spoke with the ambassador for a few minutes. He was very personable and shared with us his experience in education. The ambassador was actually a college economics professor before he got into government. His commitment to assisting children in Liberia and increasing their opportunities for education was quite apparent after speaking with him privately. Following this brief discussion, we found our contact, and she began to introduce us to others in attendance at the event.

CAN Fundraiser with Liberian Ambassador

We were introduced to a number of different people prior to the event’s official start. One person of interest was Fran Clark who established Yassah’s Sisters Livelihood Program. This group was established by a number of Lafayette, Louisiana women in collaboration with the CAN. Yassah’s Sisters, “support the numerous single mothers in Liberia who have difficulty feeding their children. In this pay-it-forward program, a woman receives a machete, hoe and ax and bags of peanuts, rice, beans, corn and okra seeds for planting.  After harvest they pay forward a bag and a half of seeds to the next woman.” This program allows the opportunity for economic independence in a country and region overwhelmed with monetary problems. Following our short discussion, it was time for the event’s program to begin.

Liberian Ambassador

After a series of brief introductions by some of the CAN’s support staff, Ambassador Sulunteh began his speech. He appears to be a vibrant man full of passion for the children of Liberia. He shared stories about his educational difficulties growing up in war torn Liberia. Despite substandard conditions and the necessity to travel long distances, the Ambassador persevered to become one of the most influential politicians of his generation. He urged those in attendance to make a greater economic commitment to the CAN. Once he finished, the Ambassador rushed off to attend two more engagements before returning to the fundraiser later in the evening.

CAN Staff (Eric on far right)

At the event, I was introduced to Eric, the organization’s founder. Eric Willise Wowoh was a former Liberian refugee who is now a permanent resident of the United States living in Lafayette, Louisiana. He lived with his family until the start of the brutal civil war that resulted in his family being separated for the next 20 years. Many of their lives were forever altered and destroyed. Eric spent 12 years moving around Western Africa until he made his way to a refugee camp in Nigeria, where with access to a single computer he began teaching and training fellow refugees in an effort to assist desperate generations of Africans. Eventually in 2006, he was able to relocate to America via a refugee re-settlement program.

Listening to Eric’s presentation was very powerful. His story is one filled with sadness and despair, but that sorrow allowed for the seed of hope to grow in his heart. He was able to spread his message and create the Change Agent Network. He was able to teach and train other refugees in computer skills vital to succeeding in the twenty first century. Since his relocation to America, the organization has only had greater opportunities for expansion. They currently have offices in several locations around the United States and have begun to spread their mission into neighboring countries like Togo and Sierra Leone. During his presentation, he showed a number of video clips (that are available on YouTube by searching Eric Willise Wowoh or Change Agent Network) that show many of their programs in action. The videos were as powerful as Eric’s speech. I only hope the impact of viewing these clips will compel you to assist in some way. Anyone interested in making a donation or who is willing to volunteer their time should make their way to the CAN website.

After the series of speeches, it was time to relax and mingle with those in attendance. A few members from the CAN prepared Liberian dishes that were available for anyone that was hungry or just wanted to try. The chicken and vegetable dish was very tasty, but spicy. The plantains and their dipping sauce did a good job of cutting the heat from the chicken. There were also large fried vegetable rolls that were very similar to Asian varieties. Most people at least tried the food, but many of them ate a full meal, myself included. Hopefully, there will be other events or a possibly trip to Liberia where I can enjoy more ethnic dishes from the region.

Following dinner, it was time to turn up the music and dance. Some of the women went upstairs and changed into traditional clothing. They performed a number of dances. Much of the music was modern and reminded me of dancehall. One of the dances was reminiscent of a conga line that made its way through the first floor of the residency. Some of the men joined in. As their feet shuffled, I identified the dance steps. I was urged to join the fun despite the fact that I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing. At one point they began a dance circle, and I ended up in its center. I gave my father my phone to record a video. Sadly, he was not familiar with the iPhone camera features, and it did not work out. The funny part was that he stood there holding up the phone for a good 3 to 5 minutes and at no point realized it wasn’t recording. He assumed that I pressed record already, and all he had to do was hold it. Oh I’m sure there would have been many laughs at my expense if it did get recorded.

Obama Xmas Card

The Ambassador returned to the event later in the evening. Looking back on things made it clear he was a great pitch man for the organization. Many people willingly doubled and tripled their donations over the course of the evening. I could easily see that if he were a politician in the states, he would be able to solicit millions of dollars from corporate America to propel his agenda further. My father was able to speak with the Ambassador before we left. My father was interested in connecting a school in New York City with one of the schools established by the CAN organization in Liberia. There are many different ways for students from such distant locations and cultures to interact and learn from one another. There was also discussion of the possibility of the Ambassador coming to give a keynote speech for an upcoming school event. Personally, I discussed with Eric and a number of other CAN representatives the possibilities of traveling to Liberia to assist in any way I can to help further their mission. I look forward to future opportunities to work with the Change Agent Network. Once again, anyone interested in making a donation or who is willing to volunteer their time to the Change Agent Network should make their way to their website and start to make a difference now.