LAP President Kamara presents the check to ULAA Secretary General Zawolo

The Liberian Association of Pennsylvania (LAP) has donated over $1,068.00 (One Thousand Sixty Eight Dollars) towards the Liberia Refugee Project initiated by the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) to assist Liberian refugees as they return and reintegrate in the Liberian society.  

Presenting, the amount Mr. J. Shiwoh Kamara, President of LAP, said the donation was raised from members of the Liberian community in Philadelphia and its surroundings in response to the appeal by the ULAA to assist Liberian refugees in Ghana following the Liberian refugee crisis in that country. He said he hope the amount will be used to bring humanitarian relief to our compatriots.

 Receiving the donation, the National Secretary of the Union, Hon. Isaac Zawolo thanked the officers and members of LAP, saying the donation is a manifestation that we as Liberians are indeed our brother’s keeper. " I want to appeal to other ULAA chapters t o follow the example of the LAP and contribute to the ULAA Liberia Refugee Project, " he intimated. All those wishing to contribute to the project, according to the National Secretary, can visit the Union's website (www. ULAAliberia.net) and make their donation through the Paypal.          

In a related development, in continuation of its commitment to addressing the humanitarian needs of Liberian refugees, the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) has established contact with the Liberian Government and will making an initial donation of over $5,000.00 (Five Thousand Dollars) towards the reintegration and rehabilitation of Liberian refugees returning home.
 
The amount being donated includes funds raised and presented recently to the Union by Dr. Maria Seton, ULAA Executive Director , Social Service Commission and matching funds from the Union coffers to augment the donation. The Union is expected to continue several fund raising programs throughout the United States to support its Liberian Refugee project initiated amidst the recent Liberian refugee crisis in Ghana.  

In a communication to the Executive Director of the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission,  Cllr. Wheatonia Y. Dixon  Barnes, the Union specified that its initial donation  should  cover three  of the several reintegration  programs earmarked by the LRRRC  to address the social and economic needs of the returnees. , namely   Shelter Program for Returnees, Non-food Items (NFIs) program for Returnees and Skills Training Program. (See below details of the LRRRC Reintegration programs).
 
The Union noted further that it remains committed to collaborating with the LRRRC in its plans to address the plight of Liberian refugees residing in other countries in the sub-region of West Africa, including Guinea, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Ghana where Liberian refugees are being repatriated under the supervision of Tripartite Committee, including Liberia, Ghana and the United Nations and those returning home to contribute to the post-war development of Liberia.
 
Executive Director Barnes, in response to the Union's communication, which was exchanged through its External Affairs Committee headed by Mr. Sam Togba Slewion, noted: "The LRRRC extends compliments and wishes to respond in reference to your communication of June 3, 2008, requesting collaboration with the Commission on the Liberian refugee situation in Ghana. We wish to also commend the officials and members of ULAA for your nationalistic efforts in establishing a national fund drive to address the humanitarian needs of Liberian refugees and returnees."
 
The LRRC boss noted further that the Liberian government has been exerting  frantic efforts  to address the plight of refugees and returnees, including the establishment of a Tripartite Committee, partnering with relevant organizations for the reintegration of the returnee population through sustainable programs and mass information campaign to encourage refugees to return home and sensitize communities in Liberia to give returnees warm reception.
 
The third component of the Communication strategy, according to the LRRRC letter, is concentrated in the Diaspora, adding that the basic message is that as Liberian refugees return, remittances that were transmitted to them by relatives while in exile should now be redirected to Liberia. This aspect is necessary because it was recently discovered that during a period of a year, over US600,000(Six hundred thousand ) dollars in transaction al remittances were sent to Liberian refugees at the Buduburam refugee resettlement. These remittances support the economy of Ghana. If this amount is redirected to Liberia, it would help to alleviate some of the economic constraints faced by returnees.
 
The letter concluded by asking the Union to share with other Liberian organizations information about the several reintegration programs established by the LRRRC to reintegrate returnees into the Liberia society with the expectation for them to donate to these programs to enable the LRRRC effectively implement the programs for the benefit of returnees.  

Meanwhile, the Union is calling on all Liberians and friends of Liberia to continue to support the Liberia Refugee Project by making donations through its Paypal service which can be found on the ULAA website (www.ulaaliberia.net) to enable Union continue to contribute to the LRRRC programs. We also want to encourage individuals and organizations to donate directly to the LRRRC, if they so desire.
             
(Excerpts from the letter of the Executive Director of the LRRC sent to ULAA)  
           
The Need for Assistance to Support Reintegration Activities for Returnees

LRRRC is focusing on formulating reintegration programs to enable the returning population to restart their lives. The following constitute areas in need of urgent assistance:
 
1.Refugee and Returnees Referral/Employment Services Programs “This program is established at LRRRC to link returnees, especially those with marketable skills, with employment opportunities.
 
2.Cash Grant Scheme “The purpose of this program is to give out grants to returnees to establish small and medium size businesses. LRRRC is soliciting US$100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in assistance to fund the project and empower returnees.  Grants will range from US$100 to US$500 for qualified candidates.
 
3. Shelter Programs for Returnees “LRRRC hopes to construct at least 100 shelters for extremely vulnerable returnees. Vulnerability criteria include single mothers, unaccompanied minors, the disabled, the elderly, and widows. The proposed cost of the entire program is nearly US$800,000 for skills training in construction and agriculture for beneficiaries, the cost of materials and construction of shelters.
 

4.Non-food Items (NFIs) for Returnees “ Even though UNHCR provides non- food items (cooking utensils, mats, etc) to returnees at the LRRRC managed Transit/Reception Center in Schefflin, Margibi County, there is an urgent need to assist in providing supplementary items like mattresses.
 
5.Skills Training Program “This program is intended to link returnees with skills training institutions to enable them acquire basic skills. LRRRC would like to raise US$75,000.00 (Seventy Five Thousand United States Dollars) to sponsor 250 returnee s. The cost of a skills training program per family is US$300, which includes a starter kit to enable returnees who complete the program to apply their skills by starting small businesses.
 
6.Agricultural Training “This assistance is aimed at empowering returnees and host communities engage in agricultural activities to meet their subsistence needs and improve household income.