Miles From Home Liberians in US Help War-Torn Country

Thousands of miles away from their war-torn homeland, Liberians here in central Arkansas are celebrating the country`s independence. At the same time, they`re working to heal old wounds made by war. In August 2003, another rebellion erupted and the country`s president, Charles Taylor went into exile. The Conference of Liberian Organizations in the Southwestern United States is made of residents from Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and Arkansas. The lack of health care in their country is just one problems they work to solve. The group sends medical supplies, clothes, and bed sheets to Redemption Hospital. "The Redemption Hospital is a hospital in Liberia that because of the war it was destroyed and the women and children had nowhere to stay in the hospital," said Maria Chibli during the group`s Independence Day Celebration and Conference at the Arkansas 4-H Center in Little Rock, on Saturday. "We come together to raise funds for projects back home in Liberia," said Dr. Wede Elliott-Brownell, the group`s secretary-general. "We feel no other nation can build Liberia but Liberians. Our forefathers worked hard for their country, and it would be a shame for us not to come together and see that country go to waste," said Chibli. The group also adopted an elementary school at home. They`ve donated 350 chairs because the children had none: they were either sitting on the floor or bringing them from home. "We`ve been blessed in this country, we thank the Lord for the US, but we still have the requirement to provide for the suffering brothers and sisters, it`s a requirement," said Brownell.