PHOTO: Two happy beneficiaries, Patient Gray of Diankpo community and Sara Doe
By Alfred Kollie, alfredkolliejr92@gmail.com
Several beneficiaries of the European Union (EU) funded “Enough Project” have commanded the institution for the life-changing transformation initiative which is being implemented in Liberia’s southeastern Sinoe County by Women Solidarity Incorporated (WOSI).
The implementation is being done under the supervision of Oxfam and the Foundation for community initiatives.
Several of them have been giving testimonies, but this report highlights two of the beneficiaries, Patient Gray of Diankpo community and Sara Doe of Kerkekpo community thank the EU sponsor project for the transformation largely in Liberian parlance.
“Hello, my name is Patience Gray. I live in Diankpo , Sinoe County. From the time we been in this County here, we na see this thing here yet. My husband and myself use to fight, people will come look at us but now it is not happening because of the training.”
“My husband really the lil house we build him and myself, he will say I Moi move from inside the house. But since WOSI came in Diankpo here 2021, the people start training us in this place here,” Patience says.
According to her, through the training and workshops their lives have been transformed.
“They people will teach us about this Sexual Gender Base Violence. How your man mor na beat on you. How your man mor na force you to have sex when you not want have sex. When I leave from the workshop I will go home and tell my husband and tell say o the people say it na good to force woman. My husband really before, he will beat me in the town, he will naked me” Madam Doe narrated.
She maintained that since training her husband has changed and the children he never wanted to support are not going to school and provide other support.
“But with the help of T-Girl, WOSI Monitor, at least this time na my childred in school. Even this year, the children, or them passed. My husband na can even give me food money,” she said.
She however, thanked WOSI and EU for sponsoring the project by thinking about them but also commended Oxfam and FCI for the help as well.
“And I want say thank you to Sis. Catherine, who help in this community, at least today our man them not beating us again, our man them understanding us today. I want to say thank you to you people” She ended.
For her part, Madam Sarah Doe appreciated both institutions for the life changing initiatives.
“Your thank so much. We too happy we the people of Diankpo. I want to say thank you, this time my man is so good, let God bless you for coming in our community, we say thank you,” Sara Doe says.
She explained that through the project in the community, many lives have been change through empowerment.
It is helping we the women them in this community here today you see me standing here, my daughter uhm, I na know how to tell your thank you. Because I able to open my own market on my own. Before we were depending on the men them for them to do everything for us. But you see me today, my daughter, I able to open the market here, this market here, that it sending my children to school, from this same market here, when my head hurting, that the place I can take money from, today we the women we can stand on our own, whether man give it to us, man not give to us, we standing on our own,” she notes.
Since 2020, WOSI with funding from the European Union has been implementing a project: ENOGH! Empowering Women, Girls, Boys and Men to take Positive Action in Ending SGBV” in Sinoe County.
Through the activities of the project which include training and creating awareness on Sexual gender-based violence, empowering women and girls to take action against GBV, child abuse, domestic violence, negative masculinity, and traditional norms affecting women and girls, many residents have experienced positive changes and were so excited to tell their stories and appeal that the wanted world to know what enough project has done for them as they peal for its continuation.
Women Solidarity is a national NGO and a civil society organization that focuses on women’s respect, advancement, and protection through community-driven initiatives.
The organization has been working in the country since 2006 striving for a women-friendly society by supporting the negative situation of women and girls in Liberia.