African Unification Front
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How do you see your role as the First Lady of the Nation?
My role as First Lady of Liberia (Jewel-Howard Taylor) is presently very different from that of any previous First Lady of our land. This is attributed mainly to the fact that we have just emerged out of a very difficult and long period of crisis in our history. As a result, my role and responsibilities have been ascribed by the crisis itself, and its consequences upon the people; especially the pressing needs and social well being of the people, including the women, youths and children.
As First Lady of a post-war Nation, I have the mandate to assist in supplementing the government's efforts in carrying out its social and humanitarian dictates on behalf of our war affected and destitute population. As such, I am involved in a lot of activities from education, health and social welfare to politics and everything in between. I hardly spare time, but the experience is encouraging and very rewarding. That is why I am proud to be part of that process. I am hoping and praying however, that after the first term in office, things would have change for the better of the nation and our people.
So I keep praying that the Lord will sustain me to do, earnestly, the things that are necessary to help change our social status. Because a lot of times people focus on the political issues instead of also concentrating on the social service needs of the people, which are so critical to National development and progress. There are children without homes or decent places to stay; neither can say access basic education. This is the group I am keenly concerned about, for they are our future, without a present. My constant fear is that unless we can change this situation around, we are prone to loose the next generation of future citizens, who might not, overtime, acquire the required skills, training and competence to face the challenges of the new Millennium, which so dauntingly lie ahead. The sad part of my responsibilities is that there are indeed a lot of challenges without the required resources for sustainable remedies. I have pledged to continue to do what I can with what is available - "So Help Me God".
What has been your contribution to the social uplifting of the country from the health and education perspective?
We have been involved actively in the creation of an enabling environment for our children to access basic education, good health facilities and better living conditions. And as such, we have assisted in all areas of social development, especially in the renovation of schools, providing scholarships for students that are disadvantaged, and the distribution of textbooks to guarantee that some of our school-going kids have equal access to the rudiments of education. One prime achievement has been the renovation and re-establishment of the Bassa Community Academy, formerly the Bassa Teenage School. This school is ideally situated in one of the key and oldest community in Monrovia.
The new school has been upgraded to meet the standards of any foreign and international school, providing for the first time, the most ideal and conducive post-war school environment to the community children, free of tuition. This is an accomplishment in the government's attempt to provide basic free primary education, which is in line with the "Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Child".
The school has an enrolment of 300 students, all of who commute by foot, to their own neighborhood school. The school environment, the educational and instructional materials as well as visual aids, and its facilities, which include a library, auditorium, arts and sporting facilities as well as a computer room, are so ideal that immediately upon entering the enclosure, one is apt to believe you are in a classroom in America or Europe.
This, for me, is one of the positive achievements to have been challenged to provide the best possible for our Liberian children. It is also an example that gradually, with the resources and the will power of all Liberians, much can be achieved, as nothing with the help of the Almighty God is impossible.
This task was not achieved without difficulty. We, however, put into place a proper mechanism to guarantee that the best human, financial and material resources were arranged to meaningfully facilitate the running and maintenance of this new school. In the first place, the old teaching staff was reclassified according to the Ministry of Education's teaching qualification requirements, this way, only those prepared for the job were recruited. New and qualified instructional staff was employed to reinforce the capacity of the administration to handle this new school experience. Although the school has limited resources, we are providing opportunities for upgrading of the teaching staff by providing scholarships for those requiring university-level education to enroll at the appropriate teacher training at the University of Liberia, the Nation's highest Learning Institution. Remaining very keen on providing a favorable environment for learning, we also provided assistance to the University of Liberia through contribution of books for a restoration of the institution's library. As a member of the University Board of Trustee, we are engaged in lobbying for the much needed financial and material resources to upgrade the standard of the institution.
In the health sector, I continue to work with the Liberian Ministry of Health, to facilitate their efforts at renovating health facilities throughout the nation. During my travel abroad, I have been able to solicit and acquire a lot of hospital and medical equipment, supplies, especially from the USA. This has enabled and facilitated an upgrading of our hospital system, and provided encouragement for many foreign doctors and medical workers, to come and provide free medical services to our country. We were privileged to receive visiting foreign medical teams over the last two years, but work was done basically in and around Monrovia. I am hoping that future teams will be encouraged to move beyond Monrovia towards the rural areas where there is also a great need for assistance. Also as Chairman of the Board of the J.F.K. Medical Center, we have worked tirelessly to upgrade the facilities and bring them back on line. We have recently received from the Taiwanese government, a 2 million USD grant that will help us restore basic services.
The situation of female youth in crisis also remains a key concern of mine. With assistance from the government of Liberia and the Office of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to Liberia, we were also able to restart the Y.W.C.A Program for teenage girls. This enabled our relocation of fifty girls from the streets, who were found to be in very difficult circumstances. At the Y.W.C.A, we have provided an ideal environment of a fully renovated and furnished facility; we are providing vocational and skill training opportunities for all residents.
For the over 25 years old category of girls, who have missed out on the opportunity for completion of formal secondary and or higher education, the program provides a choice for training in skill development for self-employment or gainful employment in the areas of cosmetology through enrollment at the Ministry of Education's school of cosmetology program. Others are involved by choice and preference in pastry and cake making, tie-dying, quilt-making and floral design and arrangement, all in attempt to assist them to earn a livelihood upon completion of the two-year program.
On the social and humanitarian front, we have been providing assistance to over 30 orphanages, hospitals and old folks homes under our regular social assistance program involving the monthly distribution of food items, clothing and some financial assistance for medical and educational services. During special holidays and especially at Christmas time, we also distribute gifts and toys including educational toys to warm the hearts of the "Jewel of our Nation" at these special times of giving. Our social assistance also extends to the elderly fro whom we have carried out renovations at some homes. One renovated facility was provided a generator for the provision of electricity; unfortunately, the building is not outfitted with the proper electrical fittings as yet, but all is being done to restore light to this facility.
In the general sense, I strive to always be a positive role model and have been a strong advocate for the moral and all positive things concerning life in general in our Nation. My messages are clear, some of them concerning prevention of the spread of Aids, maternal-child-care, moral values, the value of good education…I strongly believe that my role as First Lady is to continue to help my husband, the President, in the implementation of social services and any other assistance that I can give, with God's help, to the people of Liberia.
How significantly are women represented in government?
I attended the first cabinet meeting of this year and was pleased to note that female members of the Cabinet had rose to five over the previous year. This includes the Ministers of The Ministries of Commerce, Education, Post & Telecommunications, Planning and Economic Affairs and myself. The Chief Justice, who is also a female, is a very positive role model. There are also few but very strong and assertive women Senators and Representatives in the Liberian Legislature. In order to emerge full women participation at all levels, the government has passed a bill for the establishment of the Liberian Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. Although this is a milestone for Liberia, it is quite a late start for most of our regional neighbors who have already instituted and functioning Bureaus and Ministries for Women. But better late than never. We have a charge to keep. The attainment of this institution remains for us Liberians, a necessary requirement considering a female population of over 52%, with a vast majority of the farmers and marketers women. This situation must be given consideration for if women are given the right opportunities to access resources, acquire and inherit title to land, real property as well as credit, they would significantly impact the economy and the overall well being of the Nation and its citizenry.
I believe the government has been in the forefront of advancing changes for its people, but its efforts must be reinforced by external assistance to the most vulnerable groups. I can only hope and pray, that more investments and aid can be directed towards women's activities, this way, they will be able to prove that they are indeed equal partners in this revolution, especially as they engage in the renovation, rebuilding and rehabilitation of their lives and their homes.
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