As hypertension, diabetes, and obesity continue to rise in Liberia, health officials are urging citizens to make exercise part of their daily lives. A new National Exercise and Wellness Day aims to encourage healthier habits, regular health screenings, and active living to help prevent chronic diseases and improve overall well-being. Tetee Gebro reports in this…
Journalism
Global Study Shows Most African Workers ‘Struggling’; the Cost is Paid by Teachers, Healthcare Workers Who Hold the Economy Together
By Tetee Gebro and Joyclyn Wea, health and gender correspondents with New Narratives Summary: BENSONVILLE, Montserrado County – Before sunrise, Elaine Duowai prepares lesson notes in a house where electricity is not reliable. By morning, she is walking to Euphemia Barclay Elementary School, where some pupils are already missing from the rows of benches before…
Charlyne Brumskine Becomes First Liberian Woman Appointed to Regional Human Rights Court
Liberian lawyer Charlyne Brumskine has made history as the first Liberian woman appointed to the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice. In this report, she reflects on the significance of her appointment, the court’s role in protecting human rights across West Africa, and her vision for making regional justice more accessible to ordinary citizens. As Liberia…
Liberia’s Rape Justice System Fails Survivors
Liberia’s justice system is failing rape survivors. This investigation follows one woman’s search for justice and reveals how court delays and weak enforcement leave many cases unresolved despite millions in international support. Reported by Tetee Gebro in collaboration with New Narratives This story was produced in collaboration with New Narratives as part of the Investigating Liberia…
Swedish Ambassador Pledges Continued Support for Post-War Justice, Sexual and Reproductive Rights Among Other
As the Swedish government’s direct support for Liberia comes to a close this month, the Swedish ambassador has given an interview assuring the country that it will continue to support Liberia’s efforts to establish a War and Economic Crimes Court and other priority areas. It will just do it through international organizations such as the…
As Hypertension and Obesity Rise, Government Urges Citizens to Get Moving
By Tetee Gebro, gender and health correspondent with New Narratives Summary CATHOLIC JUNCTION, Monrovia – Rain was falling Saturday morning when Nadia S. Jolo joined a group of people walking from through Monrovia’s streets as part of the country’s first National Exercise and Wellness Day. For the 51-year-old, getting wet was not enough to turn…
Lack of Transparency Clouds Government’s Street Child Program as Officials Concede Funds are Inadequate to Address the Exploding Numbers
By Augusta S. Lafalay, senior reporter with New Narratives Summary WEST POINT, Monrovia – When school lets out here in this informal settlement on the seashore, 15-year-old Stanley does not go home to rest or study for the next day. He picks up a bundle of plastic bags and walks towards the traffic, selling until…
Witness Protection Agency Seeks to Build Trust as Push for War Crimes Court Gathers Momentum, but Funding and Capacity Remain Key Challenges
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: · Liberia’s Witness Protection Agency is stepping up operations as the country pushes to establish war and economic crimes and anti-corruption courts. · The Agency faces major challenges, including limited funding, a shortage of trained protection officers, no safe house of its own and the need to build…
As Climate Change Gathers Pace, Monrovia Sees Another Destructive Rainy Season
Monrovia is facing another devastating rainy season as climate change brings heavier and more unpredictable rainfall, worsening flooding across low-lying communities. Thousands of families have been affected by flooded homes, disrupted schooling, lost livelihoods, illness, and even deaths. Experts say the crisis is being fueled not only by climate change, but also by blocked drainage…
As Climate Change Gathers Pace, Monrovia Sees Another Destructive Rainy Season
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary LOFA COMMUNITY, Montserrado County – Paulina Manloh knows the water is coming before she sees it. She has lived in the Lofa community since 2019, long enough to recognize the pattern: rain falls, and within hours the ground around her home disappears beneath brown…
Liberia Launches Exercise Campaign to Tackle Rising Chronic Diseases
Liberia has declared the last Saturday of every month National Exercise and Wellness Day as hypertension, obesity and other chronic diseases become a growing health threat. Tetee Gebro reports on the campaign and why health officials say regular exercise, healthier eating and routine health checks must become everyday habits. This story was produced in collaboration…
Liberians Warn Lawmakers: Back War Crimes Court or Lose Our Votes
Nine in ten respondents in a FrontPage Africa/New Narratives survey support establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court and say they will not reelect lawmakers who fail to support it. Gloria Wleh reports from Margibi County, where survivors share differing views on justice, forgiveness and accountability for Liberia’s wartime crimes. This story was produced in…
Nimbaians Overwhelmingly Back War and Economic Crimes Court in a New Survey
By Jerome Saye with New Narratives Summary: SANNIQUELLIE, Nimba County—They are the second biggest voting bloc in the country. They’re also the former constituents of long-time senator, Prince Johnson who was the loudest opponent to a war and economic crimes court. He even threatened to take up arms if he were indicted. So the views…
Fed, But Starving: Health Workers Say Misinformation, Fees and Aid Cuts are Causing a Dramatic Rise in Severely
Cases of severe child malnutrition are rising in Liberia, as misinformation about infant feeding, healthcare costs and cuts to international aid put vulnerable babies at greater risk. In Grand Bassa County, the story of four-month-old Princess shows the devastating consequences when families lack access to accurate nutrition information and affordable treatment. King Brown reports in…
Nimbians Overwhelmingly Back War and Economic Crimes Court Establishment in a Nation Wide New Narratives/Radio
A New Narratives survey finds overwhelming support in Nimba County for establishing Liberia’s proposed War and Economic Crimes Court, with nine in ten respondents backing the court and warning lawmakers that their position could influence how they vote in future elections. Survivors and residents say the court is essential for justice and accountability for crimes…
Free Phone Service Triples Some Farmers’ Income, But Most Liberians Can’t Access It
A free mobile phone service is helping farmers in parts of rural Liberia check market prices before selling their crops, giving them greater bargaining power and helping some significantly increase their incomes. But with the service currently reaching only a small number of farmers in Grand Bassa and Rivercess Counties, questions remain about funding and…
A Government Assessment Shows Liberia Is 69 Percent Ready for Ebola. Frontline Health Workers Say the Missing 31 Percent Matters
By Augusta S. Lafalay, senior reporter with New Narratives Summary: • A nationwide Ebola preparedness assessment found Liberia 69 percent ready overall, while logistics scored only 47 percent, leaving major gaps in equipment, supplies, isolation facilities and training. • Frontline health workers say those logistics gaps can mean the difference between safely isolating a suspected…
As Liberia Pushes for War Crimes Court, Witness Protection Agency Seeks Safe Houses, Stronger Safeguards for Victims and Witnesses in US$20 Million Plan
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Liberia’s Witness Protection Agency is proposing a five-year, US$20.54 million plan to build a nationwide system for protecting victims, witnesses and whistleblowers as the country moves toward establishing war crimes and anti-corruption courts that will significantly increase the number of witnesses and whistleblowers needing protection. The…
War Crimes Court Office Chief Urges Boakai to Recall Lawmakers for Special Session to Pass Court Bill Before U.N. General Assembly This Month
Liberia’s push for a War and Economic Crimes Court is gaining urgency as Jallah Barbu, head of the court’s establishment office, calls on President Joseph Boakai to recall lawmakers from their break and pass the court bill before the U.N. General Assembly. Survivors and advocates say justice for victims of Liberia’s civil wars can no…
Hungry and Out of Options, More Poor Liberians Turn to Begging as Prices Outrun Income
As the cost of living continues to rise across Monrovia and beyond, growing numbers of vulnerable Liberians say they are being pushed into begging just to survive. The story highlights the struggles of families facing unemployment, soaring food and transport costs, and limited access to healthcare, while aid organizations and community groups report increasing requests…
Ten Years On, Liberia’s Ebola Survivors Still Fighting the Aftermath
A decade after Liberia was declared Ebola-free, many survivors and families are still living with the emotional, physical, and economic scars of the devastating outbreak. From grandparents raising orphaned children to survivors coping with lingering health challenges and trauma, their stories highlight the long road to recovery and the need for continued support, remembrance, and…