The intermittent civil war in Liberia, which devastated the country from 1989 – 2003, had a particularly painful impact on a very young girl living in Harper, Maryland County. At the age of four, Saba Cooper witnessed her grandfather being killed by rebels when he refused to allow them to take her underage aunt as their wife. Still traumatised at the age of eight, she herself joined the same rebel group that killed her grandfather. She worked as a helper, doing chores such as cooking, until the nationwide disarmament in 2003.

After the war, Saba was in Ganta County, far away from her home county, enrolled in grade 6 at the Ganta YMCA School. She explained how she was battling with the strain and memories of the war: “I was downhearted because of the war that occurred. In Ganta, many things were destroyed. Many people – those I knew – were killed during the war. Many of my friends could not be seen.” She was encouraged to join the YMCA psycho-social programme where she received extensive counselling.

Following a YMCA skills training and entrepreneur workshop, as part of the rehabilitation and reintegration process, Saba was asked what she wanted for her future. “I replied that I wanted to resume schooling and get involved in petty trade that would help me financially to continue my education.” She then qualified for a US$70 loan to set up a petty trading business.

“It is from this amount that I began the little business selling mainly dry goods1 and was able to pay back the loan and I am now surviving through the business as well as going to school.”

Saba, now 24 years old, is currently in grade 11 and plans on studying Public Administration at university when she has completed her high school studies. She is also an apprentice hairdresser through the YMCA skills training programme.

“There is nothing in roaming the streets [a reference to prostitution]. Being a woman depends on how you set your goals. For me now, my goal is to go to school and become prosperous for the future. Prostitution is not the solution to your problems. Can you imagine, I am a chorister, also doing praise and worship in the church and all can be attributed to the YMCA. I am one of the many females who is proud of what I am doing - petty trade. I call on young females to set their goals.”


________________________________________

1 Merchandise sold at retail prices.