Spreading the Word and Seeing the Sights

The Top Floor of the Minisrty of Education Building
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Wow - just one week left! I didn’t feel like the time was flying until I realized that I’ll be heading home so soon. As is often true with trips like these, I’m returning to the States just as I am beginning to become acclimated to my surroundings here in Monrovia. I notice so many more things as I walk down the street, now that stepping over holes and breaks in the sidewalk is becoming second-nature. I’m acutely aware of how much I have yet to see!

I’ve definitely hit “crunch time,” so I’m sad to say it’s likely that I will posting my remaining entries from home. At the moment, it looks like I’ve got one more day of personal internet time, which is to say that I’ll have time enough to upload this entry and all of its associated pictures. LEITI has three major events planned before I leave, and one of them occurs the day I’m scheduled to get on the plane! No rest for the wicked…

Looking up at the Masonic Temple
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This entry will be short on text, but long on pictures! On July 22nd, the LEITI Secretariat attended an Inter-University Intellectual Summit at the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E) University. This outreach event was held during the morning hours, and involved students from 5 universities. LEITI was there to educate the students about the EITI process, and to encourage them, as the next generation of active civil society members, to use the information provided in the LEITI Reports to enforce the government’s responsibility to use the tax revenue form the extractive sectors for the benefit of the Liberian people. After Edward and Negbalee said their respective pieces and took some questions from the students, they turned the mic over to Bobbie and me! We each introduced ourselves and made some motivational remarks, encouraging the students to remain concerned and conscientious members of their respective communities. (Betty, I was trying to channel you - I hope it worked!)

Mechlin Street
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After we got back to the office, Bobbie and I met Juleen for lunch at Jamal’s, a great little pizzeria on Center Street.  Afterwards, she took us to the open-air top floor of the Ministry of Education to take some photos of the city. I hope you enjoy them! The rest of the day was uneventful, but the evening had another little surprise in store. When I settled into my room after dinner  at the convent, I realized that the tin roof above my room had come loose from the rafters. As a result, the wind was lifting it up, only to bring it slamming back down again. This does not make for a pleasant night’s sleep… To make things worse, the next day at the office was filled with interruptions, making it impossible for me to complete any of the tasks I was working on. However, on the up side, Bobbie and I took our first unescorted walk to Diana for lunch!

Center-City Monrovia
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The next entry I post will detail our trip to the Firestone Plantation, which has been in existence for over 80 years. It also looks to be picture-heavy, so maybe it’s actually better than I’ll be posting it from home. I’m looking forward to talking to as many of you as possible after I get back on the 13th. Give me a jingle if you’ve got the time!