Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Good News for a Change!!

Hello to Everyone!
Well, just over 4 more weeks and I will arrive in Calgary. My first time in Africa is quickly coming to a close, and although I will miss Ghana incredibly, I am thrilled to be coming home! I miss my "white man's" food, my comfy bed, my leather sofa and all my movies. But most of all, I miss my Ma and Pa and all my friends and family.

Prosper is hoping to make the trip to Canada around the same time. I hope he can get his Visa and Work Permit in order quickly and book a trip to the COLD COUNTRY soon! He's so sad to have missed the coldest, snowiest part of the year! (NOT!!!)

My latest news article has appeared in the Fort Record.

http://cgi.bowesonline.com/pedro.php?id=10&x=story&xid=382331

It details my wonderful, but extremely "brief" volunteer work on camp. I'm going to miss my Liberian friends a great deal!

Alright, 32 more sleeps and I'm on a plane headed home! Can't wait!

Peace,
Heather

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Attention: Please Read!

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AT LIBERIAN REFUGEE CAMP!

Hi Everyone!
First things first - I know many of you have been worried about my safety over the course of the last month because of the situation on camp. But I assure each of you that I am safe. I am not even on camp anymore. I am safe and sound with Prosper and his family in Accra. And yes, I fly home at the end of April. Couldn't be soon enough, because this country is headed into chaos.

THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD IS STARTING TO TAKE NOTICE OF THE ATROCITIES OCCURING ON CAMP, BUT NOT FAST ENOUGH. I FEAR THAT IF THE GOOD PEOPLE IN OUR WORLD DON'T STEP UP SOON, BLOOD WILL FLOW ON CAMP AND MANY INNOCENT LIBERIANS WILL DIE.

The Refugee Women for Refugee Concerns are holding peaceful demonstrations every day to bring attention to the situation on camp. They stay on the field all day and sleep on the field at night. Many women have fallen ill due to extreme heat, no food, and no water. The NGO's on camp have all raised money for the women to purchase water and food. Many nights, the Government sends armed Police out to the camp and they surround the women on the field. They come to intimidate the Refugee Women in the hopes of shutting them up, however, the Liberians are desperately tired of the situation on camp. Many of the women personally told me that they are willing to give their lives for the truth to be known.



The Refugee Women are demonstrating against forced Integration by the Ghanaian Government. They simply want to return home, but the United Nations High Commission for Refugee's will not grant them the $1000 that is required for their transportation home. The UNHCR is currently only providing each refugee with $5 US to return home. Tell me, as a war refugee who has lived in asylum for 18 years and has nothing, how can you be asked to return home to Liberia with five dollars. You have no home in Liberia (rebels burnt it down in the civil war), you have no job, you have no food, and many of your family members are dead from the civil war, so you know nobody in the community. How are you suppose to start a life?? As one young Liberian refugee told me, "the five dollars given to you to return home is like a slow bullet to the head."





I have many more pictures - many including child victims of sacrificial murders being carried out by Ghanaians. However, BLOGGER will not even allow them to be published on my blog. Better anyway because I want you all to remember my blog as one filled with pictures of beautiful, smiling children!!

I am currently creating a Human Rights Abuse Package to send to various African governments, the UN in New York, my own Canadian Government, Geneva, Italy, France and the various NGO's and Human Rights groups that have stepped up in the Congo and Darfur. I am sending a package to Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Don Cheadle, Matt Damon and George Clooney (all the Hollywood actors that have been vital in addressing Darfur) You know, the world sat back and watched innocent men, women and children be hacked to death in Rwanda, starved to death in Somalia, and now perish in Kenya. The good people in our world must step up and stop the violence. We are all dead wrong if we think this is simply Africa's problem. When our brothers and sisters suffer anywhere in this world, we all suffer! We must stand together and fight the tyranny and oppression so many innocent lives still face in our world.

Peace to All of You!
Love Heather

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Dream Comes to an End!

Hi Everyone!
This is by no means a cheerful blog. I know many of you have been wondering where I've been for the last month. The fact is, there are so many problems on the Buduburam Refugee Camp that I don't even know where to start.

This country is so political and corrupt, and as I've told you, it's going to get very dangerous in this country prior to the December 2008 elections. Tensions have hit almost a boiling point here, and daily there are army helicopters flying overhead. It is widely speculated that there will be a cout d etat in this country soon, and a violent one. Good thing I'll be getting out of here at the end of April.

This is effecting the Liberian refugees greatly as the current government doesn't give a damn about their welfare. President Kufour has even sent army and police on camp regularly to arrest all the men over 15 years of age, accusing them of being rebels used to overthrow the government. There are cases of beatings, rape and murder on camp that are not being investigated. There are reports of young children being murdered for sacrificial purposes. You have to be in Africa to understand the twisted and barbaric ritualistic traditions that still grip so-called prosperous African countries like Ghana!

So, being an International Volunteer with connections to the International world, the camp manager, a Ghanaian, has ordered me to never return to camp. It seems I pose a serious threat to the Ghanaian police's wicked control over the 40,000 refugees who call Buduburam home. They fear Internationals will talk to the outside world about the atrocities that are occurring on camp. Many Volunteers have fallen victim to this. Doctors, dentists, nurses, teachers, journalists have all faced harassment and even threats by the Ghanaian police on camp, and in particular the camp manager. Materials, including medical supplies have been confiscated by police and they have been handed out to Ghanaians, instead of the refugee population who so desperately need them.

So, to make things short, I no longer travel to work on camp. I'm totally heartbroken, because I have made an impact in the short time I was there. My Grade 5 class, the SMART KIDS, the Adult Literacy group and the NGO volunteers all miss the white girl who cares so much for them. But I continue to do my work from my comfy room at home. I must address the plight of my Liberian brothers and sisters to the world. After all, no country is ever immune to war. And when it hits, we all need wonderful and caring people like the ones I have met at Buduburam. I am so humbled to have met and worked with so many Liberians. They have all experienced so much trauma in their lives and yet they are some of the most warm and peaceful people I have spent time with. We could all learn a great deal from our Liberian brothers and sisters.

Peace,
Heather