Wood Camp Youth Consider COP 15 as the Gateway to the Future

The United Nations celebrated it’s 64th anniversary on Saturday, October 24, 2009, with millions of youth around the world, including Liberia, where a youth group dedicated it as a day of climate action as prescribed by the United Nations calendar, “The Road to Copenhagen.” To read more of this story, go to www.ceasefireliberia.com.

After-School Hour

After-School Hour is an article written by me, and it can be found at http://www.ceasefireliberia.com or click on the title ahead.

Wood Camp Youth Versus Climate Change in Liberia

In observance of September 21-25 as climate change week, as declared by the United Nations, the youths of Wood Camp community in Paynesville, Liberia, in collaboration with Youth Crime Watch of Liberia and Action Against Climate Change in Liberia, joined the rest of the world to raise awareness about climate change with the slogan, "Go Green Liberia; Do Something Green." The awareness campaign was headed by Saki Golafale, a resident of Wood Camp community.

The activities started on Thursday, September 24 and ended on Friday, September 25. On Thursday, the youths staged a community parade with awareness messages being said out loud on mega-phone. The parade went on for three hours with demonstrations from a youth drama group and distribution of green fruits to standing crowd and those who answered questions concerning climate change. The climax of the "Go Green" activities came to an end on Friday with tree planting in three different locations with in the Wood Camp community. This was followed by a football match which ended in a 3-3 draw.

The executive director of Youth Crime Watch of Liberia, Mr. Zuo Taylor was impressed with how the young of Wood Camp organized themselves to stage such campaign. He encouraged the young people to continue the fight against climate change. For his part,the executive director of Action Against Climate in Liberia commended the youth and asked that they join his organization in the fight to protect the environment. He urged other young people to get involved with the process as it is not only a Liberian problem, but also global one.

The pictures above show events as they unfolded.

DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES, WE CAN STILL MAKE IT!

The University of Liberia is one of Liberia’s highest institutions for academic learning, and one of Africa’s oldest. Formally Liberia College from 1862 to 1951, the University, in Liberia’s post war era, faces many challenges at its infrastructural, faculty, and academic levels.

Currently, the University has about 15,000 students both at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and more students are patiently awaiting admission for next academic semester. There are five colleges and three professional schools. Among the five colleges, the College of Science and Technology has been the most disadvantaged college since the outbreak of the 14 years civil war in Liberia which ended in 2003.The technological aspect is totally lacking.

The college is located on the Fendall campus, an annex to the University, which is a 45 minute drive north of Monrovia. Its location is ideal for students pursuing careers in the sciences. There are eight departments with nine disciplines which include: Biology, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, and Zoology.
Students majoring in these disciplines are faced with a lot of challenges as the college has been under funded and lack of a strong faculty since the course of the civil war. There have been no adequate research facilities such as laboratories, libraries, IT center and so forth. Learning at the college has been one of the most difficult experiences. Some courses are being taught without the required text materials or labs. And one of the most frustrating things is the poor and unhealthy science labs at the college. The chemistry labs, for example, have been operating for the past five years without simple materials such as Bunsen burners, distillation sets, analytical balances, quality laboratory grade chemicals, and safety materials. In this modern time, instead of Bunsen burners, we have been used to using COAL-POTS to conduct experiments, and one of the many disadvantages to the use of COAL-POTS is that temperature regulation is completely out of control. What a sad thing! Recently, two professors, Dr. Shem Wadinga and Dr. Geofrey Kamau, from Kenya and South Africa respectively, were hired by the Ward Educational Fund to come and assess the needs of the Department of Chemistry at the University. Here is a link to their assessment report: http://www.universityliberia.org/ul_news_2_09.htm. The Ward Educational Fund (http://www.thewardfund.org/) is a Liberian owned organization in memory of the late Prof. Victor E. Ward, Liberia’s first chemist who was killed by rebels in Liberia in the early 90s.
T
he frustrations, the over stay at the University coupled with the present economic hardship cannot divorce us from learning. We believe that we are the Lux in Tenebris (Light in Darkness) in Liberia’s road to national recovery. Liberia needs chemists, physicists, engineers, doctors and geologist to help build its national systems of order. That is why we have been burning our mid-night candles, deriving the Schrödinger’s wave equation, and demonstrating the phenomena of Newtonian and Quantum Mechanics, the bifurcation theory and the magical theory of relativity by Albert Einstein. As the song writer says, “Though we burn a million candles, we still read on”. We cannot divorce learning from life. We are patiently enduring the pains as we wait on the University to regain its pre-war status and be counted again among the best Universities in Africa. We believe this can happen!

Again, the future looks very bright for us as our new president, Dr. Emmet A. Dennis, a parasitologist and a former dean at Rutgers University, sees the Science College as one of his major priorities within the next few years. Dr. Dennis seems to be very promising as his relationship with the student populace strengthens day-by-day. During his inauguration, he promised to make the University of Liberia ‘A Student Centered Institution’. Also, with the construction of the new University by the Chinese Government, which will be turned over to the Liberian Government by April 2010, there is light at the end of the turner.

We can make it happen; just give us the tools!

One of Liberia’s Longest Serving Medical Doctors Celebrates His 80th Birthday- A Brief Profile

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Dr. G standing third from left 1955 and lower right corner, in his lab at Cuttington College

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Dr. G, as he is affectionately called, had moments of joy and reflection as he celebrated his 80^th birthday on Saturday, June 20. Born in 1929, Dr Kanda Golafale started his elementary school in his hometown of Damballah in1939, and after three, he enrolled at the Mbaloma mission school where he graduated from the 8^th grade in1946.

From 1946-1951, Dr. Golafale attended and graduated from the famous St.Johns Episcopal High School in Robertsport, Grand Cape Mount County, Liberia. It was father E. Bolling Robertson who took him to St.Johns. He immediately enrolled at the Cuttington College (Now Cuttington University) in 1952 and graduated in 1955 with B.Sc in chemistry. Kanda is thankful to Madam Catherine C. Barnabay, his chemistry teacher at St.Johns, who guided him to develop interest in the sciences. He returned to St. Johns and taught biology and Latin for beginners for six months at which time he received a scholarship jointly sponsored by the Liberian Government and the Federal Republic of west Germany-Deutsher Akademisher Austausch Dienst (DAAD) as the program was called. This was in 1957.

Dr.Golafale enrolled at the University of Heidelberg Medical School in 1957.since he had two years of German class at Cuttington College, he immediately started med-school without having to go through a language class as this was required for foreign students. After a student excursion trip to Berlin in 1957, he fell in love with the city, and he decided to matriculate to the Free University of Berlin in 1958 where he graduated in 1964 with a medical degree (MD).

After two years of internship, Dr.G came back to Liberia and worked at theLiberia Government Hospital in 1966 for six months. He again received a scholarship to go to West Germany to specialize in general surgery. From 1962-1972, Dr. G received his training at the Staedtisdes Krankenhaus Spandau Nord under Prof. Baukhage.

Dr. G came back to Liberia in 1972 and worked as a general surgeon at many medical facilities in Liberia including the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital where he served the position as Chief medical Officer. During the period under review, he visited the Guy’s Hospital in London for a refresher course in medicine for three months.

Dr. G was retired in 2006 at the age of 77 after serving as medical director at the Redemption Hospital for eight years.

He now works as a private consultant at his Tweh Farm’s residence in Monrovia.

Dr Kanda Golafale is Liberia’s oldest practicing medical doctor. During his speech at his birthday celebration, he remembered the following people who made positive impact in his life as a student and a professional. The following persons include: His mother Nyamgbey Golafale, A. Tamu Diggs who taught him ABC, Oldman Kinni Freeman and B. K. Metzger who served as fathers, Father E. Bolling Robertson, Catherine C. Barnabay, Dr. Arthur F. Kulah Bishop Emeritus, United Methodist Church, Prof. Gunther Hartmann of Free Univerity of Berlin, and Rev. Dr.James Karmbor of the United Methodist church.

He grew up as an Episcopalian but now a Methodist. He is married with four children: Jaa, Saki, Mike Tango, and Jamba.

To know more about Dr. Kanda
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Golafale, keep reading this blog!

Saki Now Presents Science In Action

Exactly three weeks ago, I started the long awaited science program on Lux Radio, the University of Liberia's official radio station. I must thank the dean of the Science College, Dr. Korli Korheine, for his continuous support and Mr. Paul Samuels, the station manager.
Science in Action is all about bringing science closer to people by discussing science as it is applied to our society। Now, I can discuss science related activities with students, professors as well as other professionals working in any field of science.

Last week, I had my first program aired. It was about science, technology and society under the topic, ''Obtaining a Cleaner Energy।" Two students at the University of Liberia were my guests. They are building an electric power system that, according to them, could bring about clean, silent, and continuum energy. That could be a solution to the global demand for cleaner energy source! I wish to publish their concept here if permitted to do so.

This week, I will be visiting the White Planes water treatment plant in rural Montserrado County to have a forum with the staff at that water plant। The topic to be discussed is, '' The science of water purification-from the source to the consumers." Vey interesting!

Next week, another interesting topic about science, nutrition and society. We'll be discussing the chemistry and side effects of monosodium glutamate (MSG), a spice mostly used by locals to sweeten food in Liberia. My guest will be the dean of the school of Pharmacy at the University of Liberia, Prof. Tapowar Kieh.
I hope you'll be a regular listener if you're in Liberia.

A POLICE OFFICER MAY BE DISMISSED

The investigation surrounding my flogging at a police station in Monrovia started yesterday with the first witness testifying at the national police headquarters. It was quite interesting considering the professional manner in which the investigator{a Liberian}, tried to handle the case. Well, from the thorough investigation, I have the belief that one of them will be dismissed from the police force. I don't really want anyone to be dismissed because times are hard, and I do not want to take the blame.

Things that the police officers were not to do to me, according to their boss include, flogging me, (not yet established), illegally detaining me, and taking my cell phone and footwear. It continues Monday. I am sure it will be more interesting as the commander who ordered my flogging will be testifying. The investigation, to me, is not only about finding someone guilty or someone being dismissed but also a learning process. There are a lot of good things the police officers and I will learn from this investigation.

Saki Has Sent a Formal Complaint to the Police Headquarters

Go to http://www.allabuja.blogspot.com/ to view the entire story of Saki’s ordeal.

Progress is Being Made
Yesterday, I wrote a formal complaint to the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police, Hon. Beatrice M. S. Browne. After viewing my complaint, the case was transferred to the Professional Standard Division (PSD) for investigation. The two police officers whose ID numbers I indicated in the letter have been called upon to report to the police headquarters for investigation. The investigation starts tomorrow at 1:30 PM.