Noami Mansah Anim was just six years old when she died. The little girl had battled asthma for years, her tiny body wracked by the struggle to get air into her lungs. On a cold dawn morning in 2019 she finally succumbed. Her mother Abena Anim is still overwhelmed with grief. “Anytime Naomi got an…
Journalism
Blind Women Defy Disabilities to Become Entrepreneurs
Blindness is one of the many tragedies that Liberians suffer at higher rates than people in other countries because of limited medical care. As many 22,000 Liberians suffer from impaired vision….
Presidential Candidate Tiawan Gongloe Promises to Sweep Corruption from Liberia, But Can He Win Over Voters?
Counsellor Tiawan Saye Gongloe, a veteran statesman and human rights lawyer, is one of few of the 20 presidential candidates in next week’s election with a detailed plan to fix Liberia’s problems….
At 78, Boakai Claims Age Makes Him the Best President. Critics Say He’s Too Old and Alliance with Johnson Will Hurt Liberia
With just weeks to the presidential election, pundits say Joseph Boakai, standard-bearer of the Unity Party (UP), presents a serious threat to George Weah, the incumbent president. …
As Instability Sweeps, West African Leaders Plead With Liberian Party Chiefs to Stop Inflammatory Comments
A series of violent incidents by political partisans, and inflammatory comments from party leaders, has Liberians on edge in the runup to next month’s presidential and legislative elections….
Nimba First-Time Voters Say Education Most Important Issue in Choosing President, in Survey
They’re a big group of new voters, in the country’s second-largest county. First-time voters in Nimba will have a major impact in next month’s election so there is a lot of interest in how they will vote. …
The Physically Challenged Candidate Running For Office
Our coverage of election-related activities is not only about presidential candidates. We are also spotlighting representative candidates and their platforms for their constituents. …
Candidate Wants To Boost Representation Of Liberia’s Million People With Disabilities
If resilience were all that was needed to win election, Samuel Dean would win in a landslide. The 45-year-old, who is contesting the Montserrado County District #8 seat against sitting representative Acarous Moses Gray, has had an extraordinary journey—escaping wartime Liberia as a teenager, being shot by police in New York City and, finally, using his payout to help hundreds of Liberians with disabilities….
Liberia’s First-time Voters Overwhelmingly Back a War Crimes Court Survey Finds
As Liberia commemorates 20 years since the end of the civil conflict that left devastated the country and left 250,000 people dead, a survey of first-time voters conducted in two of the country’s biggest counties found overwhelming support for a court….
In Liberia Drug Addiction Is Becoming A Major Problem. Here’s What Presidential Candidates Plan to Do About It
Drug abuse is a growing problem in Liberia. There is no reliable data on user numbers but one study, by the United Nations Population Fund, found a staggering one in five Liberian youth take narcotics. …
As Drug Addiction Reaches a Crisis Liberia’s Presidential Candidates Promise Tough Remedies
In 2012 Cecelia’s life fell apart. Struggling to take care of nine children after the sudden death of her husband, she turned to her oldest son, then in his early 20s, for help. But he was lost to the family, a year into a drug addiction that was destroying his life….
Call for Applications: Journalism Fellowships, Liberia
Journalists with at least three years experience are invited to apply to join New Narratives as reporting fellows for one year projects on a range of topics including governance, democracy, human trafficking, gender-based violence, climate change, pollution, biodiversity and land rights. Funding is provided by Swedish International Development Assistance, the US State Department, Wellspring Philanthropic…
Air pollution: the growing threat to our food supply
Though it has not received much attention until now, air pollution has become a huge challenge around the globe, with significant implications for human life. The last few years have been hard on Saeed Jafat and his family. The 45-year-old maize farmer has no irrigation system or underground water supply. He depends entirely on the once-a-year rainy…
Wood dust: The silent killer of Ghanaian woodworkers
Wood dust has become a silent killer causing a range of health problems….
Fish Smoking: The Livelihood Causing Pain and Death in Coastal Communities in Ghana
When his mother fell ill and started coughing incessantly, Kojo Ansong and his siblings thought it was a minor infection that would go away with some over-the-counter medication. It didn’t. Sixty two-year-old Christiana Ntiamoah’s coughs became raspier, more frequent and she sometimes coughed up blood….
DEADLY TROTROS: How Ghana’s Most Popular Mode of Transport is Wreaking Havoc on Our Health
Israel Nkegbe never imagined a time when he would feel afraid to leave his house. Once a strong and commanding chief police inspector he now struggles just to breathe. The world outside his house is filled with dangers: toxic air pollutants that could trigger an attack that takes his life. A year ago the 63-year-old…
Ghana’s Air Quality Crisis: Asthma Burden Worsens as Air Quality Deteriorates
In the bustling streets of Accra, the daily spectacle of cars ensnared in traffic jams is a sight all too common. Yet, amid this urban hustle, a disquieting reality looms – a shroud of dense, noxious fumes billows from the exhaust pipes of countless vehicles….
Air Pollution – Enemy of Children, Elderly and the Vulnerable
In Ghana, a growing menace lurks in the air, imperilling the most susceptible members of the population—children and the elderly. This silent and invisible adversary, air pollution, has raised alarms among health experts who urge both the government and citizens to take immediate action….
Liberia: Presidential Candidate Cummings’ Business Experience is Unrivaled but is it Enough to Win Over Voters?
Alexander Cummings, a former Coca-Cola executive, touts his global business acumen as crucial for Liberia’s economic revival in the upcoming presidential race, facing incumbent President George Weah and others….
Survey Finds One in Three Liberians Do Not Trust the Biometric Voter Registration System for October’s Elections
A survey by New Narratives reveals deep mistrust among Liberian voters towards the new Biometric Voter Registration system, marred by glitches and double registrations, ahead of October’s manual voting….
Liberia: Trafficking Victims Await Restitutions, as Ex-NSA Agent Appeals 25-Year Sentence, Another Trial Indefinitely Suspended, Amid Drama Over Lack of Lawyer for Defendant
Victims of Arthur Chan-Chan’s trafficking have not received court-ordered restitutions, while the Liberian government, despite denials, faces criticism for failing to provide for the survivors’ welfare….