Wheels on Fyiah

We drove from Monrovia to our project site, which is almost a full day to the north, close to the Guinean border. I was last here working on this project's inception soon after the Brexit vote in mid-2016, and when I returned to communications, Theresa May had been installed as Prime Minister. That felt like a relief at the time, given who else we could have been lumped with.

Our project has run into difficulties with its structure and some personnel changes and in advance of hiring the permanent Project Manager replacement, who starts next month, I'm here diagnosing issues and trying to kickstart some areas that have been lagging.

Andrew, the head of our partner NGO, is sharing a room with me at our guesthouse. Last week he buried his sister, who was 42, a mother of 8 and grandmother of 4. I asked about Liberian attitudes to child rearing and judgement of people who have kids young and unmarried, which seems to be very common for both men and women. Judgement seems to be less pronounced than elsewhere, with the birthing of children young even being celebrated so that parents remain youthful when their kids are fully grown. Polygamy is not legal in Liberia although certain tribal groups, such as in the Lofa County area, where I am now, practise it traditionally.

Andrew corroborated what Sam our driver told me the other day. NGO drivers receive much attention from local women for their perceived wealth. I'm not sure the women realise they don't own the cars they cruise in the villages. Our other driver is Fyiah (Fire), who was on hand this morning in Monrovia to help load up the vehicles with supplies and equipment.