An EU-Ireland-Founded Initiative To Document Liberia’s Painful History, While Strengthening Peacebuilding Amongst Youth And Women
By: Gabriel M C Parker
MAHER TOWN, BOMI, Liberia–Kvinna till Kvinna in partnership with the Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL), and the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), with support from the European Union (EU) and the Irish government, has held a one-day Memory and Reconciliation Session in Maher Town in the western Bomi County.
This event comes 23 years after Liberia ended 14 years of brutal civil war which claimed the lives of about 250,00 people, according to United Nations estimate.
The session was held at the weekend (Friday, August 21, 2026) and brought together partners of the Generation for Change Project (PEACEGEN Liberia), survivors of the Maher Massacre, local officials, and community members.
The event was organized under PEACEGEN Liberia, a project focused on promoting peace, justice, and the active involvement of women and youth in Liberia’s post-conflict recovery.
Giving the overview of the project, Comfort Baysah, Programme Manager of Kvinna till Kvinna, said PEACEGEN is a three-year initiative funded by the European Union and implemented by Kvinna till Kvinna in partnership with WONGOSOL and four other national partners.
“The overall objective of PEACEGEN is to strengthen sustainable, in-country capacity for effective conflict management and peacebuilding,” Madam Baysah explained.
She further stated that the project seeks to strengthen the meaningful participation and leadership of youth and women in Liberia’s ongoing peacebuilding, conflict prevention, decision-making, and transitional justice processes at both local and national levels.
According to her, the activity is currently being implemented by WONGOSAL in five Counties to include: Bomi, Bong, Montserrado, Nimba, and Sinoe.
Explaining the significance of the gathering, WONGOSOL Program Lead Berttee Forkpabio said the session was organized to reflect on Liberia’s history at the site of the Maher Massacre through storytelling and documentation.
“This gathering is to reflect on Liberia’s history at the Maher Massacre, documenting our past through story telling. It will also build capacity and enhance the knowledge of the younger generation, and help heal the wounds of the past,” Ms. Forkpabio emphasized.
Following the formal remarks, several survivors recounted the events of the Maher Massacre, which claimed the lives of over 150 people during Liberia’s second civil war.
One of the survivors, Maime Binda, recalled the tragic incident with visible pain.
“The people were taken from Tubmanburg to carry them to Monrovia for food and safety on pickup trucks. But as soon as they reached the Maher Bridge, they were killed and their bodies dumped in the water,” Mrs. Binda narrated in a somber tone.
Residents and local officials of Bomi County commended the PEACEGEN project for the daylong memorial and reconciliation session, noting that it enhances understanding of Liberia’s past and promotes healing.
The Maher Bridge now stands as a historical site, serving as a solemn reminder of the over 150 Liberians who lost their lives there during the country’s now ended 14 years of civil crisis.