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Senior Senator John A. Ballout, Jr. and Other Distinguished Marylanders Honored
at
The MCANJ Second Annual Leaders and Legends Ball June 14, 2008
On Saturday June 14, 2008, Liberians from within the Diaspora gathered at the Manor at Branch Brook Park, Belleville, New Jersey to honor some outstanding sons and daughters of Maryland County, Liberia. The event, which marked the second year of honoring distinguished Marylanders, was hosted by the Maryland County Association of New Jersey.
Honorees this year were recognized for leadership, service and perseverance. As stated by the president of MCA-New Jersey, Mrs. Williette Freeman , “each honoree was chosen because each in his or her own way has inspired or continues to inspire others to make sacrifices in service and leadership for the good of Maryland County and Liberia as a whole…We are very proud to present to you tonight a diverse group of honorees; who each in his or her own way has led or continues to lead with vision and hope for humanity.”
Honorees included Dr Elizabeth Davis-Russell, President of The W.V.S. Tubman College of Technology, Maryland County; Senator John A. Ballout, Senior Senator of Maryland County, Liberia and Ambassador Milton Nathaniel Barnes, Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. A posthumous award for leadership and service was presented to Mr. Eric Giko, Vice President of NAMCAL, USA in honor of his father, an educator and statesman, The Late Honorable James K. Giko, son of Pleebo, Maryland County. The award was presented in support of the James Kla Giko Foundation which provides scholarships to deserving and needy high school students in the Pleebo area.
 
Click here to view more pictures from the 2008 MCA-NJ Leaders and Legends Ball
Keynote Address by Dr. Elizabeth Davis-Russell at the MCA-NJ 2008 Leaders and Legends Ball June 14, 2008
"Heading Home" - Article from the Cortland Standard
The event was also held as a fundraiser in support of education, a critical success factor for growth and sustenance in Liberia. Keynote speaker and honoree, Dr Elizabeth Davis-Russell touched on the importance of leadership in education and the value of leaders who act as servants of their people. She stressed support for the youth as the future leaders of Liberia. A lifelong professional and educator, she delivered a strong message on her readiness and determination to successfully prepare the youth of Maryland County to contribute towards the development of their country.
Dr Davis-Russell has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at SUNY Cortland since July 1, 2001. She is expected to retire from that position by July 1, 2008 and continue the work she has already started as president of The W.V.S. Tubman College of Technology.
During his remarks, The Honorable John Ballout, Senior Senator of Maryland County, thanked MCA_NJ for hosting the event and raising funds for the people of Maryland. He also praised Dr Davis-Russell, calling her a person of great vision and commending her bold and courageous step in leaving the comfort of friends and family in the United States to be of service to her county and country. Honorable Ballout urged all Marylanders to unite and volunteer their services for the good of their county and country. Senator Ballout also briefed Marylanders on recent developments, particularly land disputes within Maryland County.
There were three recipients in the 2008 Hope for Humanity Award category:
Two Liberian organizations, Caring Hands for Liberia and Mission Outreach International of Maryland County (MOI), received plaques and financial awards in recognition and support of their service within Maryland County. The US-based NGO, Caring Hands has led the way among Liberian nonprofit organizations abroad in providing medical and dental treatment and delivering medical supplies to Maryland County. Mission Outreach International, Inc. (MOI) has been operating in Maryland County since June 2007, providing services in adult literacy, after-school programs for children, skills training and disease prevention/control programs for the needy. This non-profit organization currently has four community centers in the County: Three in Pleebo - New Camp Center (Division 3), Gbolobo Road Center and Diadeville Community Center; one in the capitol city of Harper - The Maryland Women Association/MOI Community Center.
A Hope for Humanity Award also went to retired pastor and elder George D. Wilson, son of Penuken, Trembo, Maryland County and a dedicated father, former civil servant and former pastor of the James Cox Memorial United Methodist Church in Karlokeh, Maryland County, Liberia.
Highlights of the evening included the reading of a proclamation in recognition of all honorees from Mayor John F. McKeon of The Township of West Orange, domicile of MCA-New Jersey, Inc. The proclamation also honored “The Maryland County Association of New Jersey for their dedication to peace and democracy in Liberia and throughout the Township of West Orange”. Other proclamations came from the City Council of Newark and The Essex County Board of Executives. Representing the Honorable Councilman Donald M. Payne Jr. of Newark, Mr. Michael Gray, special assistant to Councilman Payne, presented the proclamations acknowledging the strong relationships between the City of Newark and Liberian organizations within Essex County. He praised recent efforts and improvements made in Liberia after many years of civil unrest. MCA-NJ President Williette Freeman gave thanks and praise to the City of Newark and Essex County respectively, and particularly to Councilman Donald Payne Jr. for his active participation and support for Liberian community activities in Essex County. She also recognized contributions made by his father, Congressman Donald M. Payne Sr., including his support for the passage of a 2003 resolution which called for an immediate U.S. response to the crisis in Liberia and for emergency humanitarian relief.
The gala event was also marked by a solo performance by a local Liberian vocalist, Stanley Summerville. An African dance performance by the TWESE Dance Troupe also brought the audience to its feet. The dance troupe comprised of young women from Rutgers University, representing a cross section of the African Diaspora.
Second Quarter 2008
Second Annual Leaders and Legends Ball
Plans are underway for the MCA-New Jersey Second Annual Leaders and Legends Ball to be held on Saturday June 14, 2008.
We are pleased to announce that the keynote speaker for the occasion is none other than Dr Elizabeth Davis-Russell , the newly appointed President of the William V.S.Tubman Technical College in Maryland County, Liberia.
Dr Davis-Russell will speak on “Educational Leadership for the Twenty First Century”. A native of Harper City, Maryland County, Dr Davis-Russell has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at SUNY Cortland (The State University of New York) since July 2001.
First Quarter 2008
Scholastic Achievement Awards
Seven students benefiting from MCA-NJ scholarships within Maryland County will receive certificates for scholastic achievement and also monetary awards for high performance during the previous academic year. The following is the list of award recipients:
Excellence Award
George Snowe - Our Lady of Fatima High School, Harper City
Honors Award
St Francis High School, Pleebo City: Deja Bestman, Ivan Gray and Klo Regina Nimely
Our Lady of Fatima, Harper City: Arthur Douglas, Alfreda Gbeh and Harry Nyanti
MCA-New Jersey University of Liberia Scholars
In January 2008, with the beginning of the first trimester at the University of Liberia, five young Marylanders enrolled as MCA-New Jersey-UL Scholars. These young people are committed to making their contributions to Maryland County upon completion of their studies:
George H. Attiogbe - Sophomore, T.J.R. Faulkner College of Science and Technology, with a major in engineering. Ambition: Construction engineer. Hails from Pleebo. Hobbies: Football and basketball.
Robert Pae Griffiths – Junior, T.J.R. Faulkner College of Science and Technology, with a major in biology. Ambition: Medical doctor. Hails from Harper. Hobbies: Football, volleyball, reading and music.
James P. Henry – Freshman, The Liberia College of Social Sciences and Humanities, with a major in sociology. Ambition: Social worker. Hails from Pleebo. Hobbies: Basketball and volleyball.
D-Kla Huskin – Junior, Liberia College of Social Sciences, with a major in sociology. Ambition: Social worker. Hails from Pleebo. Hobbies: Football and basketball.
Lauree Sneh – Junior, W.V.S.Tubman Teachers College, with a major in secondary education. Hails from Harper. Hobbies: Music, reading, and volleyball.
We wish them well in pursuing their dreams and accomplishing goals which will enable them to give back to their communities.
Fourth Quarter 2007
MCA-NJ held its end of the year meeting on Saturday December 1, 2007. We reviewed all of our accomplishments throughout the year and discussed areas of improvement moving forward. We also began charting out strategic planning for 2008. The next planning meeting was scheduled for the first week in February 2008.
Mr Anthony Denueh Dennis was appointed Project Leader for Design and Production of the Unity Quilt. Mr Dennis will be reaching out to women groups in Maryland County to identify arts and crafts groups that could benefit from the project.
Radio Harper
On Saturday October 13, 2007 MCA-New Jersey hosted a meeting between Martin Nyeka, Manager of Radio Harper, The Voice of Hope, located in Harper City, Maryland County, Liberia and Mr. Wanique Shabazz, Operations Manager of Radio Free Georgia, located in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. The purpose of the meeting was to assess the needs of Radio Harper and solicit assistance within the Diaspora. Mr. Shabazz offered to work with Radio Harper by helping them produce a variety of programs for their listening audience. Mr Shabazz also committed to liaising with vendors who could provide equipment to Radio Harper at affordable prices.
MCA-New Jersey made a donation towards the purchase of a generator, transmitter, laptops and other small electronics for Radio Harper. Two of our sister Maryland County organizations in New York and Ohio respectively also contributed to the cause.
Click here to learn more about Radio Harper
September 2007
MCA-NJ Raises Funds for Education at SMA African Festival
The women of MCA-NJ were engaged as food vendors for the SMA Fathers annual African Festival. This was MCA-NJ’s second year of participation. There were several food vendors during 2006, but because of overwhelming response to the tasty dishes prepared and served by the ladies, MCA-NJ was contacted this year and asked to be one of only two vendors. The ladies of MCA-NJ prepared various African dishes, while the other vendor provided hotdogs and hamburgers. Recognition also goes to the men who assisted with some of the logistics and provided a supply of beverages. During the festival a table was also set up to create awareness of MCA-NJ’s initiatives with respect to education and to solicit donations for such initiatives. Proceeds will be used to purchase more school supplies.
Slide Show on SMA African Festival September 2007
Scholarship Fund Donation 2007-2008
Twenty students of the Catholic Archdiocese of Harper, Maryland County will again benefit from our scholarship fund for the academic year 2007-2008. The staff and student bodies of the participating schools expressed their gratitude during the president’s visit earlier this year and pledged to work hard to make the program a success. Grades have been submitted for 2006-2007. We will review students' progress and thereafter work with the staff to determine any other needs such as tutoring and mentoring.
Our Lady of Fatima High School students in Harper City, Maryland County, May 2007
MCA-NJ’s long term goal is to match each student with any individuals or families in the Diaspora willing to sponsor a student (students) all the way to completion of college, at an institution of higher learning in Liberia.
August 2007
School Supplies Drive August 2007-February 2008
A project was launched to collect school and other educational supplies for the students of Maryland County; coinciding with a time when there is an abundance of back to school supplies in most communities in the U.S. Items collected will be shipped the first quarter of 2008. The first recipient of this project will be the Demonstration School in Harper City. This gesture stemmed from an invitation extended by the Demonstration School principal and teachers to the president during her recent trip to Maryland County in May 2007. The president was given a tour of the school, during which time the principal and her staff articulated needs of the young ones and requested assistance in the form of school supplies and training materials for teachers.
Demonstration Elementary School in Harper City, Maryland County, May 2007
Collection and shipment of school supplies will be a year to year ongoing project with the hope of collecting more supplies so that more schools may benefit.
July 2007
Supporting the Youth of Maryland County
MCA-New Jersey donated $30,000 LD's to the Maryland Association for Progressive Action (MAPA) youth organization to encourage more youth involvement in community development in Maryland County. They will need a lot more assistance in post-war Liberia. During the war and other periods of civil unrest (1989-2003) our youths were placed at a disadvantage with long periods of school closings, massive flight of qualified teachers and other school administrators, school infrastructure left in ruins and no employment or other positive self-help opportunities in their communities.
Youth leader Dominic Dennis recently stated the plight of the youth and some objectives for the future:
"The vast majority of Liberians affected by the war are the youth; a large number of whom now feel alienated, frustrated and vulnerable. The grade level is from sixth to twelfth plus two years college level, the age range of the grade level is from nine to thirty-five years of age and the objectives are as follows:
- To sensitize all stakeholders on the issues affecting the youth in Harper City and Liberia as a whole, so as to mainstream them in policies and programs;
- To identify, explore and suggest ways and means through which youth can be empowered to take initiative and promote the spirit of national service, volunteerism and self-help activities;
- To propose ways of monitoring the youth to be good citizens and to create conditions in which the youth will empower themselves and realize their full potential".
Just think how much of a difference as little as $50 to $60 U.S. dollars a year could make in a young person's life.
From left to right (1)Gedetarbo Public School staff and students pose with Maryland County Superintendent,
Sie-Teba Neufville, standing 3rd from left and MCA-NJ President, Williette Freeman standing 5th from left. (2)Youth Group pose with delegation after meeting in Harper City. (3)MCA-NJ Scholarship recipients at St Francis High School in Pleebo. (4) Pleebo High School students at assembly.
It is our hope that more funding for assisting our youth can be garnered within the Diaspora.
June 2007
Distinguished Sons and Daughters of Maryland County Awards (Leaders and Legends Ball)
MCA-New Jersey, in collaboration with The National Maryland County Association of Liberia (NAMCAL), held its First Annual Leaders and Legends Ball at the Paul Robeson Center, Rutgers State University Newark Campus on June 16, 2007. The event was held to honor some distinguished elder sons and daughters of Maryland County in conjunction with celebrating the 150th anniversary of our county’s annexation to the Republic of Liberia. Each honoree was presented an award. The award portrays the map of Liberia as sculptured by local Liberian Artist Ansu. It depicts the southeastern tip and the traditional farming method of rice planting in Maryland County, Liberia. Through this method the farmer, with a tool in one hand, digs into the soil while using the other hand to plant rice seeds into the ground and adeptly covers up the soil using the feet.
Slide Show on Leaders and Legends Ball held June 16, 2007
2007 Honorees:Distinguished Sons and Daughters of Maryland County
Keynote by H.E. Milton Nathaniel Barnes, Liberia’s Ambassador to the United Nations
The Unity Quilt
Our Unity Quilt Project was also launched during celebration of one hundred and fifty years of annexation to the Republic of Liberia. The centerpiece of the quilt was designed by a group of Liberian women in Liberia's capitol city, Monrovia. The purpose is three-fold: To promote unity among Marylanders, obtain funding for community development in Maryland County and enable economic empowerment for women of Maryland County. Beginning January 2008, we will start a search for Marylanders with the skills and the will to produce the quilt. After thorough review of bids, the persons or group selected will be commissioned to contribute to the design, development and production of the Unity Quilt. The completed work will be displayed in an area in Maryland County mutually agreed upon by all stakeholders.
MCA New Jersey welcomes other chapters that will be interested in serving on the selection committee or contributing in other ways to this project. Individuals, families or organizations can contribute to this worthy cause by having names of love ones, family members or organizations as well as tributes or any other positive messages sewn into the quilt.
The centerpiece of the Unity Quilt portrays the flag of Maryland County, Liberia. It is a unique centerpiece that will grow into a patchwork depicting the diverse fabric of a society of people with common goals. Its mantra embodies dedication towards uniting, working together, setting objectives and taking the necessary actions to accomplish goals set for the purpose growth and development.
May 2007
MCA-New Jersey President Tours Maryland County
The president of MCA-NJ, Mrs. Williette Freeman made a trip to Liberia. During that time, she visited Maryland County on a fact finding mission. The visit was made to gain insight on situations on the ground and ensure that moving forward we set realistic and achievable goals for all of our projects. Mrs. Freeman was accompanied by two representatives from the University of Liberia-Maryland University Student Association (MUSA): Mr. Harold E. Davies, V.P and Mr. J.Himmie Williams, co-chairperson on the Home Affairs Committee.
Pictures taken after meeting with University of Liberia-Maryland University Student Association (MUSA), in Monrovia, capitol of Liberia-before delegation's trip to Maryland Cnty.
While in Maryland County, the delegation visited several schools, historical sites, and resource centers. Some of these included the William V. S. Tubman College of Technology (WVST-TC), the J.J. Dossen Memorial Hospital, and the Senegalese Battalion (SENBATT) Level Two Hospital of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
During school visits, students were encouraged to get involved in community service as well as press forward for higher education. Issues of concern across the board from both the students and youth groups were the early reopening of WVST-TC, the lack of instructional materials, laboratories and the need for additional science instructors, libraries, information technology centers, scholarships, as well as recruitment and retraining of teachers. Students also requested that the University of Liberia entrance and placement examination that was taken to the county through the sponsorship of the National Maryland County Association of Liberia, USA (NAMCAL) be continued.
Youth groups informed the delegation of their ongoing projects. The Pleebo Youth Association is involved in plank production; the Harper Youth Association is involved in charcoal production, while the Gedetarbo Public School has an ongoing gardening project which enables the students to provide more food supply for their cafeteria.
Gedetarbo Public School staff and students pose with delegation after giving a tour of their garden
The delegation also met with market women in Harper and Pleebo. The market women stressed the need for micro loan assistance, programs to assist single parents, as well as more reliable and affordable transportation services and cold storage facilities for produce and other perishables such as fish bought wholesale and sold daily in local markets.
Women play a stong role in the community: Left to right (1) and (2) Preparing fish and other goods for sale at a local market in Harper City.
(3) Fully participating in town hall meetings. (4) Transporting food to be sold at local markets or just bought to feed their families.
First Quarter of 2007
Community Service in the U.S.
During the first quarter of 2007, an unexpected development in our community mobilized MCA-NJ members in donating food, cooking supplies and clothing to displaced Liberians in the Newark, New Jersey area. These Liberians arrived in the United States and encountered unfortunate circumstances; one being decisions made by some host families limiting the number of persons they would sponsor. The St Mary’s Parish , Newark, NJ which was providing room and board for those affected reached out to the community and MCA-NJ responded to the call for assistance.
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MDCO UL Fund |
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MCA-NJ Primary Healthcare Fund |
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J.J.Dossen Memorial Hospital Fund |
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