WHAT WE DO
We believe everyone has the right to live a happy, healthy and hopeful life.
We welcome your help to provide opportunities and hope to some of the world’s most optimistic people.
WHAT WE DO
We believe everyone has the right to live a happy, healthy and hopeful life.
We welcome your help to provide opportunities and hope to some of the world’s most optimistic people.
Farming
Farming is the life blood of the Mano River communities.
They grow fruits, vegetables and rear livestock, to sell at local and regional markets.
They’re skilled farmers and growers. They’re looking for affordable micro-finance to:
- invest in their land
- look after their livestock
- store their crops for food security
- transport their produce to the markets.
I am ageing now but have hope I’ll see things that once held these communities together coming back again. The wars, displacement of the population, lack of services and poverty has turned our community backward. All the youth leave for greener pastures. The aged are no longer able to cultivate the lands which hurts everyone eventually. (Translated in English from Kissi)
Health
The number of hungry people living in the area continues to rise. Disease and long-term illness happen as a result. COVID-19 has made this worse.
A lack of information and resources mean many people experience poor health unnecessarily.
The communities want support to:
- combine traditional cultural knowledge with modern medicine
- promote healthy lifestyles to reduce serious illness
- provide culturally appropriate nutrition resources
I received a lot of knowledge about common diseases, their prevention and treatment through the weekly education Light Blue Project. My wife and I got ideas to help manage our poor health.
Education
Education is important to the people of Mano River. It transforms lives, offers a way out of poverty and increases employability.
Learning builds their confidence and character, improves their skills and knowledge.
They’re keen to take learning beyond the traditional classroom. To learn in safe and comfortable surroundings, having opportunities to:
- gain vocational skills at training centres
- gather knowledge in the field, taught by community members
- be mentored by their peers who have training and skills to teach.
I’m happy MARSDA has helped me learn to read and write in my community language. Because of the prolong civil war in Liberia and extreme underdevelopment in our regions, I missed out on education. This can be difficult because job opportunities today favour those who are both literate and skilled. Many people in this community have neither skills nor formal education to compete in today’s job market. The learning opportunities MaRSDA and KICEDA provide to support community development projects in local language is the right kind I have been waiting for. (Translated in English from Kissi)
Culture and History
Traditional languages of the Mano River Region are being lost and forgotten. People are discouraged to speak in their mother-tongue.
Language carries cultural knowledge. Without it, the people risk losing their culture and connection to heritage.
The communities need support and resources to:
- revive and preserve their traditional languages
- record the traditional language and teach it to their children
- collect, transcribe and store oral histories from older generations
- recognise language loss can result in loss of autonomy and loss of soul
Story telling forums under the White Project (Kissi Culture & History) has helped me to appreciate our culture and build on community and individual development virtues such as honesty, forgiveness, discipline, and hard work.
Recently moved to Australia?
Have you recently emigrated from the Mano River Region to Australia?
Whether you’ve come alone or with your family, if you’re looking for cultural connection, understanding or opportunities to learn a new language and way of life, we can help.
