Our Causes
ROAD empowers Liberian children and persons with disabilities of all backgrounds and affiliations by advocating for them and providing them with the essentials they need in education and “life” support to become positive contributors in their communities, and the world at large.
Determined To Make A Difference
Liberia has a dismal paying economic system. ROAD is committed to elevating children and disabled individuals through education, good meals, mentorship, and advocacy for a brighter future. Our work matters every day and each day is an opportunity to make a difference. We still have a long way to go!
We Cannot Ignore What We See
Most of our staff at ROAD was born and raised in Liberia. We have walked in the shoes of those we strive to help now, including being the child forced to help the family and forego education—the key to a future of hope.
These experiences have impacted our hearts and compelled us to make a difference. ROAD will not stand idly by when we can be involved and help work to end sex and labor trafficking, child marriage, rape and assault, and begging for a handout to get even a meal for the day or go without any food at all.
Honestly, the days have never been darker in Liberia than they are now. With the constant downfall of bad economic news and dire conditions, we are helping some but more children and persons with disabilities need our help than ever before. Your donations will help us to do this work. Please consider giving a bit to us and be ensured that your gift will benefit a person in need a hundredfold.
Enabling The Disabled
The Faces of Disability:
A Spotlight on Liberia’s Disabled People and the Care and
Community They Require
- James Sobue, 47
- Lassanah Kiatamba, 45
- Edmond Kwiah, 49
Edmond had her arm amputated during the civil war where she suffered from a grenade attach.
This group of three is the first to appeal for assistance to get funds for starting up a business, where they can add value to their lives. Here’s there individual stories:
James Sobue
school no lunch. My first girl is 14 years of age, while the other girl is just 6 years.” James said he runs a voluntary study class for students from kindergarten to grade 5th, in Buzzy Quarter, Monrovia, where he lives. He pleaded, saying, “Every help I ever requested for from people to change my condition has failed, they look in my face and say I cannot do anything better for myself.” Having given up on himself, James has focused his attention to the survival of his children. “The only thing I need from you or other God-sent angels is to please help me to educate
particularly my two girls.” James fears that his girls are not safe in the community (Buzzy Quarter) where he lives currently. “The community we are living in is not conducive for girls’ upbringing. I do not want them to be at a disadvantage in life, or else, they will join others in the streets and will be abused by men and become liability on society like myself. This is one of my focuses for which I am asking for assistance.” Meanwhile James said he has skill in shoes repairing. “I am appealing also for financial existence to establish a shoe repairs workshop,” he concluded.
Lassanah Kiatamba
Edmond Kwiah
Madam Kwiah explained further that she lives in a community where they do not have access to basic social services. “I live in Buzzy Quarter where we don’t have access to clean (pipe-borne) water, electricity, healthcare, and not a good place to sleep. This is the life I am living. My three children are not going to school.” Madam Kwiah disclosed to ROAD that she sells cold water just to feed the children and her. “The profit I make from the water selling is very little; it cannot adequately take care of our needs.” She said due to lack of support, she goes out to beg for living. At the same time, Madam Kwiah is calling on donors and other humanitarians to come to her aid.
Meet Joseph Gbanyan
“I became paralyzed at an early age through polio. My parents were there to support and care for me even in school. I’m a high school drop out because when my parents died during the Liberia civil crisis, there was no one to help pay my school fees and I became selfsupported through begging on the streets of Monrovia. Many times, I would go without food because there was no one to carry me along the street to beg,” Joseph revealed. Joseph explained that sometimes he feels very bad when he sees some of his classmates and youth who he tutored in school are far ahead of him in life and living better life than him. “I accept my condition, because I am in a wheel-chair, I have no means to further my education.” “From 4 to 43 is a long time and I have considered my condition long time ago, but what’s about the young ones who are coming up? How long will we continue with this living condition? I’m asking the government and charitable organizations to empower us through vocational skill training,” he said. According to Joseph, the need for PwDs to acquire skills is important because through that they will be able to provide for themselves instead of begging somebody for five dollar or a cup of rice. He emphasized that if PwDs are given physical cash all of the time it will only last for a while but if they are capacitated through various skills such as tailoring, painting, carpentry, business etc. it will be for a lifetime thing that they will earn money from to take care of their families.
“This is my advocacy, vocational training for PWDs. If you give me money or food today I will eat it and be looking up to you for another one the next day, but if you impact knowledge in me, I think it will not go away,” Joseph noted. However, Joseph disclosed that some of the challenges PWDs are faced with most especially physical-challenged is the lack of wheel-chairs and crouches. He said if he has to make one request it would be for a wheelchair that was functional. He said because the wheelchairs they are using in Liberia are not up to standard.
Meet Bettie Donnie
“Sometimes people tell me all kinds of things before giving me money or food, to the extent that they even call me a witch because of my appearance. Some days I go on the street and come home empty handed; this is why I cannot continue begging. It is better I go back Nimba County to start my coal business than to stay in Monrovia,” she added.
These powerful stories show a need. ROAD requests your help to provide a solution
ROAD is Committed To Being a Positive Light, a Source of Hope and Support
Rose’s Organization for Advocacy and Development (ROAD) supports humanity in Liberia, where founders Benjamin Rose and Levi Gaye have a big goal to support underprivileged Liberian children and the disabled through advocacy, assistance, and educational opportunities. As you can see, these spotlight profiles we shared are people who want to work, not beg. Anything we can do to offer them dignity and a better quality of life is something our humanitarian hearts dictate we do.
ROAD believes the first steps are to provide nutritional meals for the needy families and mobilize funds through the generosity of donors to assist underprivileged kids and the disabled with financial aids for scholarships and other life supporting needs that enhance their living conditions.
Being from Liberia, Benjamin Rose left for a better opportunity but never forget about those who were not as fortunate to receive that chance. Because if this, he, along with ROAD, fight every day, both in the US and in Liberia, to make a difference.
Liberia has one of the lowest paying economic systems in the global labor force. This fact paired with knowing how many parents struggle to meet the needs of their children or send them to school is tragic. What can become of these children and adults is harrowing. They are susceptible to predatory acts such as rape and child sex and labor trafficking. The lack of basic social services in the slum communities make the challenges worse. ROAD knows this and exists because of this pressing need for change.
Liberia is known for its terrible 14 years of civil war and outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease in recent decades. The devastations perverted on the Liberian populace during these crises were enormous; thousands of lives damaged, families ruined; the breakdown of the health and education system, and so on.
The crises that impact Liberia happen quickly and are never recovered from. Our goal is to change that with the advocacy and action that ROAD offers.
Please Support Us in This Challenge
We know that we are in an uphill battle but it is still a battle worth fighting; a battle filled with the hope and promise of a better tomorrow. Persons with disabilities have the human right to live a life free from poverty. Their powerful stories show they are tired of begging in the streets and want to earn their way. This requires time, education, and money. However, poverty is not just about money; it is about access to opportunities. Be that person that helps lift people with disabilities in Liberia out of poverty.
As of right now, begging is the primary way that the disabled earn a living but it is not the way they want to live. Their hearts, spirit, and passion want to contribute to their own better life so they can become their own source of support. Then they can give their children opportunities as well. All of this is a most noble pursuit, of course, but the effort has to begin somewhere. That’s where the biggest challenge exists for those who are not living in poverty because it requires action on your part.
Let’s put an end to the marginalization and stigmatization of people with disabilities in Liberia. Help them gain a voice by receiving educational opportunities, skills training, and having a stronger voice in decision making and policies at the government level.
Here’s an interesting, yet dismal, supporting fact on why human decency and a desire for the wellbeing of those some may like to forget about is worth the effort:
According to the 2022 Index of Economic Freedom “Liberia’s economic freedom score is 47.9, making its economy the 159th freest in the 2022 Index. Liberia ranked 39th among 47 countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, and its overall score is below the regional and world averages.”
Currently, a huge number of skilled and employable youth and other workforce are yet to be employed. Many Liberians are finding it extremely difficult to eke out a living, let alone those with physical disabilities. It would be an incredible opportunity to get these people off the streets begging and into the workforce as contributors. Nobody would love this more than a person with a disability. It would provide a chance to restore their dignity and let them prove their worth, like they are so desperate to do.
Won’t you join us on the ROAD to opportunity and advocacy by contributing to help the disabled, underserved, and marginalized of Liberia by donating at Donate – Rose’s
Youth Mentorship Program
ROAD is relying on your help to keep advancing our mission. Every step we take is a result of somebody like you choosing to make a difference through your donation.
ROAD is relying on your help to keep advancing our mission. Every step we take is a result of somebody like you choosing to make a difference through your donation.
