The horrible, false accusations with which the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH) smeared the reputation of the West African Children Support Network (WACSN) in a dispute over bogus charges of child trafficking are having an adverse ripple effect on the image of Liberia in the United States. It can be recalled that several months ago, the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Health, Mr. Joseph Geebro, granted interviews to media outlets in the United States disseminating misleading and ambiguous information about Inter-country adoption in Liberia involving WACSN. In a telephone interview with the Eden Prairie Star Tribune of Minnesota, USA, the deputy minister falsely accused WACSN, a reputable children’s support agency of smuggling children out of the country without proper documentation when in fact; two of the children in question were in the care of the government and the other in the care of a biological grandmother.
The deputy minister was very aware of the fact that the phony charges against WACSN were concocted by his co-worker Lydia Sherman in a calculated and politically motivated move due to the lack of the WACSN president and founder refusal to provides. Notwithstanding, what the deputy minister selectively chose not to mention is the fact that WACSN has been one of the only children service agency in Liberia that provided food, medicine, clothing to orphanages and children during the critical years of the Liberian civil war (1999-2003). According to Dr. Peter Coleman, former Minister of Health, and Madam Diana Davis, former President of the Association of Orphanages in Liberia, WACSN stood in the gap during the critical years of the Liberian civil war when the Government of Liberia was missing-in-action. Many Liberians now serving in government took refuge and sanctuary outside of the country while over 100,000 innocent Liberian children died needlessly.
According to a high level official in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, who also served in a senior level position in the MOH (2000 to 2006), spoke on condition of anonymity because she is not authorized to speak on a pending matter. This official stated that since 1997, every official in the MOH was made aware that WACSN has been singlehandedly providing generous and extensive services to Liberian orphanages and children irrespective of their ethnicity, social status, religion or class. She reiterated a well-known fact that many average Liberians already know that WACSN gained notoriety during the height of the Liberian civil war when it transported and provided food, clothing and medicine to starving children and families at the war front in Lofa, Nimba and Bong Counties. Rather than Mr. Geebro and Ms. Sherman tarnishing the reputation of this great Liberian Children’s Institution that stood in “the gap” during the critical stages of the Liberian civil war, they should be singing the praises of WASCSN. More than that, they should be joining WACSN in furthering its cause to provide unbridled and unconditional support to poor families and all the Children of Liberia.
Recently, some American adoptive parents expressed serious concern over the manner in which officials at the MOH treated these families when they were prevented from taking their children out of Liberia after obtaining a Court Decree granting them the legal right and permission to adopt several Liberian children. Their concerns were translated to other American families waiting and wanting to adopt Liberian children; including Americans wishing to engage in private investment in Liberia. The customary ugly tactics used by these officials at the MOH against WACSN have far-reaching and long term effects on people who want to help Liberia other than just adopt Liberian children. Since Americans became involved with Liberia through inter-country adoption, many have had a desire to do much more after their adoption experience was completed.
Many in their own way became goodwill ambassadors for Liberia by encouraging others to take a second look at Liberia and assist its people in a positive manner through business, social development and philanthropy. By attempting to ruin the integrity of WACSN, these MOH Officials are also accusing Americans who adopted Liberian children of also engaging in child trafficking. Is this the kind of message Liberia want to send to the international community?
“This behavior is preposterous and could have a negative ripple effect on the people-to-people relations between Americans and Liberians,” say Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Piety of Tennessee, USA. According to the Pietys, after seeing how the Government of Liberia works through the MOH, many Americans have become very disheartened and disillusioned to think that they could be of any real help to Liberia. Thanks to these two officials in the Department of Social Welfare, at the Ministry of Health, their actions have done Liberia a real disservice. Innocent children, which due to no fault of their own, find themselves embedded in communities that are caught in a cycle of disease, poverty and dehumanizing living conditions. This author believes that Inter-country adoption is
It is sad to see a mother or father who desperately wants another family to parent their child not given that choice. In other words, by Liberian parents opting to have their children adopted freely and justly under the Domestic Relations Laws of Liberia, without remuneration or coercion is not unethical or a crime. The manner in which a few at the Department of Social Welfare have treated Liberian parents and their adopted children speaks volumes to anyone in America desiring to help Liberian families. Many Americans have even questioned the utility value of aid money their government has earmarked for Liberia when it appears that the MOH cannot be trusted with equitably dealing with the least amongst its citizens, the innocent children.
When Judge James Zotaa in “Criminal Court A” ruled in May that the 35 WACSN children were illegally removed from the organization’s compound without a court order, there was nothing done to right that wrong by returning the children to WACSN. This act was in fact an absolute disregard for justice and the rule of law. This author genuinely believes that those in the Ministry of Health need to consider not only the impact they are having on the children they illegally removed without a court order, but also the shame they have brought to our country.
Let us call to order those who have not heard that ‘corruption is public enemy number one’, and are still choosing to perpetuate corruption as a de facto way of life in Liberia. A handful of misguided individuals at the MOH cannot be allowed to bring disrepute upon Liberia. Because WACSN refused to provide inducement when propositioned, is that sufficient reason why the character of this reputable organization be tarnished? Aren’t we all trying to build a new political dispensation where our country would change and evolve into a democratically driven society where the personification of integrity, honesty and a deep sense of purpose and nationalism would be achieved?
The Ministry of Health should reestablish its cordial working relationship with WACSN, other Children Services Providers and Child Advocacy Groups as it once did and collectively work to improve the lot of all Liberian Children. WACSN is a Christian based NGO that works with children, families and community-base groups to strengthen local people. Its Pastoral Network comprises of 800 grassroot churches and 1000 Pastors that promote the body of Christ in Liberia through sustainable development projects and protection of the environment. The children are the future of Liberia. Who will protect and guide them if it does not first start with MOH and Children Services Providers? Where would they be, if we did not nurture them properly in becoming productive and upright citizens? How would we develop our country, if children are not given a positive direction on the way forward to change their attitude, behavior and mindset? Liberians must fundamentally improve the livelihood of those living at the bottom of the social strata, especially the innocent and helpless children.
Francis W. Nyepon
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