This morning, Hope and I set off for the refugee camp mid-morning. The traffic in Accra was – well, you have to see it to believe it! I had to keep reminding myself to breathe. I told Hope I would never drive there. He laughed at me. We talked about his children and the situation with Joseph. Hope is obviously a caring and ethical man. When we arrived at the camp, he decided to park at the UN office and follow with me for the day. I’m glad he did, as he was not aware of the camp, and it ended up a learning experience for him, too.
Tom was waiting for me at the office. It was a cheerful meeting! After signing in with the camp officer, Tom led Hope and me through a labyrinth of tiny dwellings until we reached his home. There I met his mother, who has so happy to meet me and thanked me for helping her son. Tom was THRILLED at my gift of a laptop (which he partially paid for by what he has made through my sales of his artwork). Their entryway barely contained the three of us, and at 5’2”, I had to duck to go inside. Tom led us around the back of the home to the entrance to his small bedroom. It is packed with his amazing artwork, and he does much of his work there by dim light. He showed us many of his works, showing his development over the past couple years. Tom is 17, and he began painting at 14. I gave his mother a candle, and I also gave Tom computer CDs and some art supplies. He was so grateful. Tom is a gentle, quiet, but thoughtful young man. He just passed his exams and must look for a secondary school for the next term.
Then he led us to Philip’s home, about 10 minutes through narrow paths boarded by small dwellings everywhere. Philip’s home is a bit bigger, but also inhabited by more family members and children. When his mother saw me, she just put her arms around me and said “thank you, thank you,” over and over. She looked weaker than Tom’s mother. Both women are tiny. Then I met the family members and handed out the same presents, equally joyfully received. I knew there were small children in Philip’s family, so I also brought a couple stuffed animals, which the little girls were thrilled with. I am sure they are the only toys like that they have ever had.
Tom and Philip took Hope and me about a half hour’s walk to a quiet hotel where we could sit outside with cold water and conduct our interview. I was surprised at how strongly the boys want to return to Liberia after their education and help to rebuild their country. Both of them had to leave Liberia as toddlers, by car or bus. Philip’s father died in Liberia from disease, and his mother was ill. His older brothers got them to Cote d’Ivroire where they stayed at a camp for a couple years. An older brother took his mom onto Buduburam when she became ill later, and Philip followed about a year later. Tom’s family came directly to Buduburam, but his father remained in Liberia, where he is still. So many women are left to care for their children on their own, and they often do not have the skills or health to earn wages through jobs. They live on meager handouts from the UN (which has drastically cut rations in the past several years), moneys sent from relatives who are abroad, their children’s assistance, ngo’s, and people like me.
Both boys are passionate about their artwork, and they are the closest of friends. I was quite surprised that Philip was more articulate than Tom, as the boys’ emails have led me to believe that Tom is the more mature of the two. They are both equally remarkable in their grace, their motivation, and their dedication to their families, their education, and their studies. Philip was a t the top of his class in this year’s exams. I hope their friendship stays so close if one succeeds more at art than the other. They are clearly a support for one another, and they expressed strong motivation (and better life values) as a result of their art and their amazing encouragement by their mothers.
We went back to the UN office, and Tom and Philip went to get their artwork they want me to bring back to the States and their mothers (I had told them in email that I wanted to take them and their mothers to lunch. Hope and I waited for about an hour when they began to arrive. I took not only their mothers, but their brothers and sisters for lunch! It ended up 12 of us. For 12 chicken and rice meals, it only cost me 96 Gh cedis (so, about $75US). They were big meals; I couldn’t begin to eat all of mine. We pooled the leftovers into plastic bags for the families to take back for later. I knew they had a couple good, healthy meals out of the day. They were all very warm and appreciative. While we waited, everyone was so quiet that I worried I had made a mistake about the meal. But we eventually felt more comfortable with one another.
Goodbyes were hard, but I am so grateful to have had the day with the boys and their families and learn more detail about their lives. Traffic returning in Accra was just as bad and it took nearly 3 hours. Sue cooked dinner, and I showed Phil and her the artwork. There is one large painting by Tom that I think could result in a sale of a few thousand dollars. It is a beautiful , colorful, joyful piece of a man playing a xylophone. It exudes so much joy and movement. I am bringing back about 10 canvases. I will look for an African gallery to sell them and send back the proceeds.
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