Check us out at our new location

Dear friends and supporters,

We moved!

Our blog is now integrated into our new website, making it a little more user-friendly for you to stay abreast of what's happening with The Niapele Project!

You can subscribe to the blog via RSS feed at its new location.

Please note that we will no longer be using this blog to post updates about news & events, so update your bookmarks!

Looking forward to being in touch with all of you in the coming weeks and months,

Cheers - The Niapele Project team

Calling all Detroit Friends of Niapele!

Do you live in the Detroit area?

Do you want to rock out to some great bands in a fun atmosphere?

Then check out our benefit on October 11th ! Details below:

please email carrie@theniapeleproject.org for more details!

The "Process is On" in Liberia...one of the many informational signboards
(click image to enlarge)

Broad Street, Monrovia, Liberia

ARCH water well in Liberia

Dear friends,

I have returned from my recent month spent in Ghana and for the first time, Liberia. As many of you know, The Niapele Project is moving with our partners from the Buduburam refugee settlement in Ghana, back to their home country of Liberia.

After 14 years of civil war, Liberia, now led by the democratically elected administration of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, is trying to rebuild. The job ahead is "not easy" as they say in Liberia, but an amazing opportunity exists for Liberians to establish themselves as a peaceful, stable and thriving nation. This tremendous potential for positive change is visible throughout Liberia, and we at The Niapele Project are honored to be a part of this process.

Refugees are retuning to Liberia everyday from the Buduburam settlement in Ghana, and The Niapele Project continues to assist our project partners during this time of transition.

The ARCH family is on their way to their new home in Paynesville, a lovely four bedroom house with a yard and their own water well. Also, the Harmony Center is looking forward to completing their move and to establishing operations for physically and mentally disabled children in Monrovia.

The Niapele Project registered as an International NGO (non-governmental agency) and established a headquarters in Liberia to coordinate our projects as we move forward. In the months ahead, we will expand our initiatives to include the development of an organic permaculture farm on 100 acres of land that will sustain the school nutrition program on the future site of the Carolyn A. Miller School in Suakoko, located a few hours north of Monrovia, in Bong County.

The community based projects we are partnered with are happy to be home and full of hope for their future as sustainable organizations contributing to a brighter future for Liberia.

Stay tuned for updates to follow how YOUR support is making a difference in the lives of the war-affected Liberian children!

Peace and much love,

Celina
Co-founder & Director
The Niapele Project

Iron Ladies of Liberia - DVD Discount !

Announcing an opportunity for our supporters to purchase the award winning documentary Iron Ladies of Liberia at a discount rate!

Now through August 15, purchase online and enter the code 1234444 at checkout to save $5, and an additional $5 will go to The Niapele Project!

The film profiles the first year in office of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, as she undertakes the task of leading her country after years of devastation. Iron Ladies of Liberia gives behind-the-scenes access to President Sirleaf’s first year in government, providing a unique insight into the workings of a newly elected African cabinet.

Iron Ladies of Liberia is directed by Siatta Scott Johnson and Daniel Junge and produced by Henry Ansbacher and Jonathan Stack.

See www.ironladiesofliberia.com to learn more about the movie and order now!

Recycle with Us!

Don't know what to do with your old electronic equipment?


Donate it to The Niapele Project !

We recently partnered with Planet Green Recycle, and are now accepting your unwanted electronics for recycling!

If you live in LA:
You can send your cartridges, phones and pda's to us and/or look for our box and recycle
@ Psychobabble Coffee House in Los Feliz Village in LA @ 1806 N Vermont 90027
Coming to other locations soon!

For everyone else:
You can still send us all your old electronics - we have a particular need for cell phones and laptops, which we then redistribute to our partners and their organizations in West Africa. Questions? info@theniapeleproject.org

Our mailing address:

The Niapele Project

3371 Glendale Blvd., #227

Los Angeles, CA

90039-1846

USA

World Refugee Day - LA event details!

You will NOT want to miss The Niapele Project's local LA event to commemorate World Refugee Day -

From 7pm @ The Rock Rose Art Gallery - Highland Park

Evening highlights:

Open Bar & International Buffet

Bar sponsored by STARR African Rum & IZZE beverages - you will DIG the selection of drinks!


Multimedia Art displays - photography by Christopher Leombruno, Pierre Le Tulzo, art work by refugee children

Screenings - Discover the work of The Niapele Project on behalf of vulnerable refugee children, with the premiere of our PSA, produced by Ayoka Productions. Learn about the crisis affecting refugees in Ghana with a short documentary highlighting the incredible difficulties this population faces.

Raffle and silent auction - fabulous prizes including a vacation in the South of France, yoga classes, beautiful framed photos, restaurant certificates, Tom's shoes, and exciting "green" packages!

Sale of refugee-made clothes & accessories! Discover the beautiful selection of original clothes and accessories created by refugee women in Ghana.

ONLY $10 @ the door !!
All proceeds will benefit The Niapele Project's initiatives
with vulnerable refugee children in West Africa.

Get Your Raffle Tickets Now!!

In honor of World Refugee Day on June 20th, The Niapele Project is offering you a chance to win a fabulous week long vacation in the French Riviera! All proceeds will benefit The Niapele Project's initiatives in West Africa.

You can participate in this raffle no matter where you live - the winner will be announced at the World Refugee Day Los Angeles event on June 20th. If you are unable to attend, you will be notified by email. Here are the details:

1st Prize - One week vacation for 2 in Cannes!

Spend a week in one of the most beautiful places on Earth! The hotel Les Liserons de Mougins, set atop a hill behind the bay of Cannes, is offering the raffle winner a week long stay.
Valued at over $800, you can enjoy everything the South of France has to offer, from beautiful beaches to lovely mountain top villages, fabulous cuisine and wines, as well as its perfect weather!
For more info - http://www.hotel-liserons-mougins.com/

Note: airfare not included - black out dates apply (Cannes Film Festival/ July/August)

The village of Mougins

2nd Prize - A beautifully matted print -
photos by Christopher Leombruno

Leombruno visited the refugee settlement where The Niapele Project works and took a series of amazing photos that will be on display in both Paris and Los Angeles during World Refugee Day. Valued at $100, this print of a smiling child will brighten up and enliven any room in your home!

choice of photo available

3rd prize - 5 Bikram Yoga Classes

Get in shape with this 5 class pass at Bikram Yoga Silverlake! Valued at $70, this is a chance t get in touch with your body - Bikram Yoga is done in a heated room to warm your muscles, prevent injury, allow a deeper workout and cleanse the body by flushing toxins.


Other prizes include a wine tasting at 55 Degree Wines, and small prints by Christopher Leombruno!

Get your tickets now!

1 raffle ticket = $3
2 for $5
5 for $10
10 for $15
20 for $20
50 for $40
100 for $75

we will email you with your receipt and ticket numbers!

GOOD LUCK

June 20 is World Refugee Day!

You're invited to come join The Niapele Project honor more than 30 million refugees and displaced people worldwide at 2 locations : Los Angeles & Paris!

Click on photos below for event details.

questions? megan@theniapeleproject.org

Stories from the Field

By Dana Binnendijk, Field Coordinator

The heat hits you hard upon arrival in Ghana. At the Buduburam refugee camp, there is little relief besides the shade of the trees or the sporadic breeze if it has just rained. The sun beating down on your back during the day is not relieved in the evening, since the humidity continues to overwhelm the small stuffy rooms in the tiny UNHCR and refugee-built houses. Even with a fan beating directly on your face through a malaria net all night, you will undoubtedly sweat through your sheets. And this is the rainy season - the coolest season of the year.

Those living in the camp wake up with the sun in the morning to start their days. The sound of pots and pans banging starts around 5am. If that doesn't wake you up, the roosters will. All of the activity is so close that it sounds as though everyone is actually in your bedroom. But you get used to it. After a few days, waking up to the smell of burning charcoal and fire is actually quite comforting despite the early hour. When I'm walking through the dirt streets later in the day, carefully avoiding trash or rivers of waste, I try to ignore the stench and summon up the comforting smells of the camp, such as the cooking of kasava or fresh bread.


The primarily Liberian settlement camp of Buduburam is a powerful example of how resilient people can be despite painful backgrounds and lack of resources. Everyone in the camp has lost a loved one – whether it is family, friends, or both - during the thirteen years of two consecutive violent civil wars in Liberia that finally ended in 2003. Small businesses have sprouted up all over camp, and it is not hard to find a place to buy a relatively healthy breakfast of egg and bread or to find a tailor to make Liberian-style clothing for men and women. The owners of these businesses hardly ever take a rest, and seem to work at least 15-hour days only to get up the next day to work again.


The Ghanaians are ready to see the camp closed. Protests in March were deemed illegal by the Ghanaian government and have lead to a serious increase in tensions between the Ghanaians and the Liberians in the camp. Hundreds of women and children had gathered and asked for $1,000 per refugee from UNHCR to go back to Liberia or to be relocated to the United States. Neither demand was realistic as the United States is no longer accepting refugees from the camp and the UNHCR does not have the funds to give such sums of money to the 42,000 slated for repatriation. During this contentious period, there were reports of protesting women running around naked – apparently untrue according to volunteers who were in Buduburam during this period. It was also reported that arrests of the protesters led to severe human rights violations such as beatings and rape of the women. It's hard to sort fact from fiction in such mixed and confused reports, but there was undoubtedly violence during March and April.

Rumors are now circulating that the camp will be broken up into different communities for 'better monitoring', as has been reported in newspapers over the past couple of months. No one knows when exactly this will take place, but one can understand why Ghanaians think it is time for the camp to close. It has been almost five years since the war ended in Liberia and Ghana, itself a not a rich country, has tried to be generous. But dividing people in the camp seems to be a drastic move that will take extra resources and potentially split up friends and family. It will not necessarily accomplish an earlier departure. The Liberians I have spoken to already want to go home. The majority has plans to leave in the next month or two, and people are repatriating at a record rate. It is hard to understand what the splitting up of the camp would accomplish except to create more resentment and raise tensions still further. Since the details of these potential plans were never publicly stated, it is unclear how the change in the Interior Minister of Ghana will affect decisions made about refugee repatriation.

Certainly, fears mix with anticipation when refugees look toward their journey back to Liberia. The general fear people have about going back has to do with finding houses, finishing their education, getting jobs, and keeping family together. Those who have either lived all their lives on camp since 1990 and/or whose families and friends were killed during the war are uncertain about their futures. Without connections, will they be able to find homes when they go back to Liberia? If they have started businesses, will they be able to set up shop in their village or in Monrovia? Will those who were unable to finish high school be able to find a job or go back to college even though they have little to no money? Another concern is the overcrowding of Monrovia, since it is a city already with a large population that could be overwhelmed with the number of incoming refugees.

It is not hard to see both sides of the issue. From the outside, it seems that the majority of Liberians and Ghanaians want the same thing - a return to Liberia. Refugees want to return to a place where they can legally find work and create new lives for themselves, while Ghanaians want to have their land back. So why the struggle?

A severe lack of resources reinforces underlying fears among Liberians. For some, this fear translated into frustration with lack of help and a sense of abandonment, despite all the previous aid from Ghanaians and the international community. Aid has tapered off as early as 2000, and even more so since the end of the war in Liberia in 2003. The protesters captured these feelings and put them into action, but unfortunately this only increased tensions between the two parties.

It is true that there is little help in the repatriation process. Each refugee receives a small sum of 100 USD from UNHCR upon return to Liberia, which does not even cover the cost of transporting themselves or their belongings. After that, everyone has to make their way on their own, hopefully with some help from friends and family in Liberia. It's hard to blame any of the parties involved since it seems to come down to the fact that no one has the money to support the return of 42,000 refugees. Without the projects that several small NGOs are running, some refugees would return with no plans, no money, and no support mechanisms. For some, it must feel like walking straight off a cliff with their eyes closed.

The Niapele Project Goes CarbonFree!

Press Release

The Niapele Project is proud to announce a step forward in our commitment to environmentally responsible initiatives by offsetting our carbon emissions with Carbonfund.org, one of the country’s leading carbon offset organizations. As a CarbonFree™ Small Business Partner, we offset carbon emissions from our business operations and travel through the support of Carbonfund.org’s renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects.

Our mission to promote sustainable strategies for the empowerment of vulnerable refugee children, through the development of community-based initiatives compels us to be accountable for our impact on the planet.

"Each member of The Niapele Project staff has witnessed the effects of limited access to clean drinking water and a lack of sanitation in West Africa. Whether we work in the field or from our home offices, we remain aware of our personal and professional impact on the planet. We believe that the success of our empowerment strategies is intrinsically connected to a commitment to social and environmental sustainability,” said Celina Guich, co-founder and director of The Niapele Project.

“To this end, The Niapele Project has begun a partnership with Carbonfund.org to offset our carbon footprint and neutralize our impact on the environment. This is a natural extension of our work on behalf of refugee children and our imperative to promote sustainable development.”

View The Niapele Project & CarbonFund.org's joint press release on CSR newswire!

Sneak Preview!

PSA premiering on World Refugee Day, Friday June 20, 2008 in Los Angeles, Paris & Buffalo - stay tuned for details!

The Plight of Liberian Refugees - Documentary

Ayoka Productions has just released this documentary which clearly explains the situation faced by Liberian refugees in Ghana in recent months. The Niapele Project and Buduburam Refugee Concerns International collaborated with Ayoka Productions on this project, and we are proud to present it to you.

This documentary will also be screened as part of World Refugee Day (June 20) events held by The Niapele Project in various cities - details coming soon!

Thank You

The ARCH family thanks YOU for your continued support!

And the Team Expands!

We would like to take a moment to welcome our two newest team members, Megan Sullivan and Carrie Hadler. Both of them also spent time volunteering in Buduburam, and - similarly to Celina and Penelope - they were moved by the plight of refugees and wanted to continue their engagement with this community.


The Niapele Project will undoubtedly greatly benefit from having these women join the team - we are thrilled to continue developing and strengthening our organization, and with this additional (wo)manpower, no doubt we will make great strides! Carrie, pictured below, is joining us as Fundraising Coordinator, and will be taking the lead on grant writing and finding innovative ways to finance The Niapele Project. Megan, in the photo above (bottom left), is Niapele's Communications Officer, and is responsible for helping manage and improve the organization's growing network.



For more info about out staff and volunteers, please visit The Niapele Project's website, and click on the About Us link!

Buduburam Refugee Concerns International

Since the recent crisis that has been unfolding in the Buduburam refugee settlement, The Niapele Project has associated itself with a coalition of NGOs and individuals with ties to Buduburam in order to advocate on behalf of the refugee community. In order to offer a platform for news and resources, we have launched a new website, which we encourage you to visit - check it out here.

The Niapele Project will continue to be a part of this effort - while we remained primarily focused on the development of our initiatives, we are proud to associate ourselves with this worthwhile cause.

Here are a couple photos of the Kordiabe Youth Training Center, where the 650+ refugee women and children were detained for 2 weeks in March - we will post more on the BRCInternational website in the coming days - as the site is brand new, continue to check back for updates and additional resources! www.brcinternational.org

We're Back!

Dear friends and supporters of The Niapele Project,

After a month long stay in the Buduburam settlement, Celina and Penelope have returned to Los Angeles and Paris, respectively, and are now working on exciting new stages for our initiatives - stay tuned to hear more about how The Niapele Project is going to assist its partner organizations in their transition back to Liberia in the coming months!

Here are some multimedia treats from the April trip - enjoy!

The Niapele Team

School Nutrition with the Carolyn A. Miller School

Veronica and Dorris, preparing the bean soup

Kids at CAMES, enjoying their daily meal

ARCH

Jessica Leombruno's farewell party at ARCH

Emma, a new arrival at ARCH



The Harmony Center

Princess

Pandora, teaching

Slices of life at Buduburam


UNHCR meeting on April 16th

Making palm butter in cans

The 30 Hour Famine

Taking a break from reporting news from Buduburam to bring you a video of the 30 hour Famine, an awareness and fund raising event that was held in Los Angeles, CA, on March 7th-8th 2008.

We would like to thank Bruce and Tanya Fleenor; Christ's Church and of course the wonderful kids who participated in this event

Keeping you informed

A telephone interview with one of the refugees deported to Liberia on Sunday, March 23rd 2008.

This is a report by the BBC's David Amanor - one of the few mainstream media reports which displays journalistic integrity. David actually took the time to investigate, to speak with the people whose lives are in jeopardy. By the way, the aid worker featured in this report is Jessica Leombruno, the Niapele field coordinator.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Meanwhile, you can click here to make a donation to help us provide the detained refugee women and children with basic necessities.

Emergency fundraising for detained refugee women and children

We have set up a special "emergency fund" for the detainees at the Kordeabe center in the Eastern region. Our first priority continues to be the 560 women and children now in their 11th day of detention in dire conditions.

An American volunteer in Ghana will receive these funds to avoid drawing suspicions or attention on our local contacts. She will purchase and coordinate delivery of the most necessary items via the human rights lawyers and advocates involved.
Current needs are:

• medicine,
  
• food,
  
• water,
  
• underwear,
  
• sanitary pads, and
  
• pots/pans/utensils for these individuals in great need.
  

Please click here to make a secure online donation to help provide detained refugee women and children with basic necessities

Thanks for your support,

The Niapele Project Team

Update - UNHCR takes position on recent refugee crisis in Ghana

This is a summary of what was said by the UNHCR spokesperson at today's Palais des Nations press briefing in Geneva.

Following a deportation on Sunday 23 March of 16 Liberians by the Ghanaian authorities - 13 of them registered with UNHCR as refugees – we have urged Ghana to cease any further forcible removals.

The deportation followed a five-week sit-in demonstration by a group of Liberians which started last month on 19 February at the Buduburam refugee settlement, some 35 km west of the country's capital city Accra. Refugees were demanding to be resettled to third countries or, if they were to return to Liberia, for the return grant, currently $100, to be increased to $1,000. Despite our extensive efforts to promote dialogue and convince the demonstrators to express themselves within the confines of Ghanaian law, the group engaged in increasingly threatening and disruptive action.

After having shown restraint for over a month, the Ghanaian authorities arrested some 630 demonstrators on March 17. The group was taken to a youth training facility at Kordiabe in the east of the country, where they were visited and assisted by UNHCR. On the evening of 21 March 2008, UNHCR negotiated the release of 90 of the most vulnerable of the group, including separated children and pregnant women.

However, the following day on March 22, we were informed of the arrest of some 70 Liberians from Buduburam. We immediately requested the authorities to be granted access to the group. This request was still pending when we learned that 16 people from the group had been deported to Liberia early in the morning on March 23.
Thirteen of them - 10 men and 3 women – were refugees.

We regret the deportation of this group of refugees and hope that our ongoing negotiations with the Ghanaian authorities will help resolve the situation of the refugees still in detention.

The demonstration stopped on Monday. We are continuing to try and persuade the refugee community to use existing channels to address their issues as well as reminding them of their obligation to obey the laws and regulations of their country of asylum.

There are 26,967 Liberians officially registered as refugees in Ghana - most live in Buduburam refugee camp. From October 2004 to June 2007 UNHCR ran a major repatriation programme for Liberian refugees who has fled to various West African countries during a brutal civil war. Some 105,000 Liberian refugees returned home
under the programme.