Meeting the US Ambassador: Advancing Youth Empowerment Launch

US Ambassador Thomas Greenfield speaking

Let me  tell you this - yesterday I heard the US Ambassador speak at a function - she is experienced, gifted, educated, and  obviously CARES. She is a daughter and  a mother who BLATANTLY represents the people of the USA. As I listed to her speech, I thought to myself WOW! WOW this woman is bigger than this - and nobody in America will ever know - NO one will know that this woman is DA BOMB - representing her people trying to help people in this part of the world.

I attended as a guest of Vamsi's to an invite only launch for a youth org similar to After School Matters - and though everything here in Liberia is funded by some organization from somewhere around the world the protocol is to give most credit to the ministry in order to build national pride. But yesterday Madame Ambassador had had enough - She told the officials, the people present, the teachers, and THE YOUTH - "stop asking for help: STOP. Help yourself Help YOUR country - do NOT become a country of beggars because we do not help beggars - we help those who help themselves." JAW ON THE FLOOR and she went on -  all of this in a very self deprecating manner as she continued,  I-have-been-there-I-EDUCATED-MYSELF style speech. "If you ask my parents they will tell you, and have repeatedly said, they don't know how I was educated - because they COULD NOT READ OR WRITE - but wanted better for me but did not know what to do."  THIS WOMAN IS AN AMBASSADOR! It took all of me not to stand up SCREAM AMEN and sway with my arm in the air - and she saw me, SHE SAW ME - I WAS SOBBING CRYING, because she said this with such care, such authority, such verve, such immediacy. 

I was seated next to a deputy minister of youth, as there were a variety of dignitaries,  let me tell you, most white/euro folks, CLUELESSNESS in their eyes - Liberians, on the other hand,  you could see the weight of of the Ambassador's charge - OMG how are we gonna do this? And there is me SOBBING LIKE HOLY SMOKES PREACH IT SISTER so yea she went on - she TOLD IT - she spoke how she traveled with President Sirleaf to the outlying villages and with villagers carrying signs, "I am a mother Help Me - I am an ex combatant Help me," etc and she spoke loudly and leaned forward, "IT MADE ME MAD. Where is the sign: Ellen How can we Help YOU! Ellen how Can I help LIBERIA! Where? If you want to be beggars make that decision so we can all go home and go somewhere and make a difference - because NO NO NO no begging, I/we won't have it - And I have been called wicked ambassador because I speak my mind, really wicked WICKED - what's in it for me? What do I get:  grief? So I should hand out liberty (slang for Liberian dollars) wherever I go? then everyone will like me or will I not hand out enough Liberty?"

I was a PROUD to be in the room - PROUD TO Witness Truth and Love, and Proud to be an American - this woman THIS was my people - amazing AMAZING. The good work is being done all around the world.

Other parts of the program included a testimony from a young woman who learned to read and write due to the efforts of the earlier Advancing Youth Project. She is now a speaker for the program while working on her own projects and finishing school, a true success story. She was slim and young, her voice strong, so high pitched and sharp, and tinny - it was beautiful in her way - her dress was flawless of African blue and gold fabric - she stood there - a woman in front of people PEOPLE a huge room of dignitaries and teachers, in the back students sat on risers (which i thought was the only flaw of the program - Maggie would have had the youth up front and guests in the rear to prove their importance but alas not everyone understands the power of respect- ) she gave her testimony and then held her head up and looked straight at those youth and said "Look - if I can do it YOU CAN DO it - And I want to be proud of my country - I want to be proud to be a Liberian and you need to be too - so you need to learn to read and write and get an education and help others" - when I tell you I lost a gallon of tears!

AMAZING AMAZING - this was the real deal THE REAL DEAL

After the program, there were presentation by  youth
 in a variety of programs, such as ceramic, canning, and snail  farming.