Stories from the Field

Today is International Women's Day, and, coincidentally, we have the perfect story to share with you to mark the occasion.

This is our first "Stories from the Field" feature - we hope to shed light on the reality of life as a refugee through these occasional stories.


By Jessica Leombruno, Field Coordinator, The Niapele Project

Hundreds of women are staging a peaceful sit-in on the roadside soccer field of Buduburam refugee camp. With each day, the women's movement is growing. What started as five women facing the road with illegible signs, has grown to a force of hundreds of woman and children. They sit outside all day under the hot Ghanaian sun, sleep outside with the relentless mosquitos and dance through thunder storms.

The women are trying to draw the attention of the world community, or at the very least, the attention of the UNHCR. They are requesting that each repatriated refugee be given $1000 to return home with. Their hope is that this money will be enough to start a new life in Liberia - to buy a house, food, water, pay school fees, perhaps even start a small business. During other rounds of repatriation the UNHCR had been giving each returning refugee a laughable sum - $5, a bag of rice, a gallon of oil, and a blanket. Not surprisingly, many of those people quickly ended up in Liberian IDP settlements. After all, how can anyone expect a refugee to return to a war afflicted country after 5, 10, or 15 years with $5, little or no family, no place to call home, and no one to turn to for support? Despite this, I seriously doubt the women will be able to achieve their demands. By many estimates, there are still 35,000 Liberian refugees at Buduburam. Giving each individual amounts to $35,000,000. Given UNHCR's relative disinterest in Buduburam in recent years, there is little evidence to indicate that they would even consider meeting the demands of the women.

Nevertheless, the UNHCR is aware of the women's protest and have taken steps to respond. A representative visited the camp recently, but was reported to have not taken the protest seriously. He sited the fact that the schools were still in session, the markets were running, and life on camp was pretty much business as usual. In turn, the women responded by asking every school on camp to close, and asking the markets to close by noon each day. I was shocked to see that these changes took place rather quickly. Many people foresee the protests lasting through the end of the month at the very least. Considering the momentum the movement gains each day, I would not be surprised in the slightest.