Two prominent peace movements-Liberia Institute for Growing Patriotism and the Angie Brooks International Centre formally launched a book, an embedded story of Ebola survivals and struggles titled: “Stepping up to the Plate: Liberia Untold Ebola Story”
As the official launcher of the book over the weekend, Liberia’s former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf shared her experience as a president during the Ebola pandemic. Upon knowing the virus, and how it spreads, she said her first thought was to stop the movement and make sure everyone stayed in their homes while looking for solutions.
“The riding call was one plan, one strategy, one program and that message was we did want anybody from any institution from the international community coming to tell us what they felt the priority was,” She said. Madam Sirleaf also shared her grief and commanded the efforts of the doctors, partners, churches, businesses men, and everyone who worked collaboratively to eradicate Ebola.
Like the former president, prominent Liberian educator Madam Mary Laurene Browne narrated: “Liberia’s Untold Ebola Story has been ready for some time but for one reason or the other we have not been able to have an occasion for its formal release, madam former president had indicated to us that she’d do us the honor, thank you, madam, for being true to your words.”
She emphasized that the book details the stories of Liberians from all parts of the world. “What they did, and how they survived when people said that we as a country couldn’t do it, urged the president to turn the country over, but we did it. Therefore stepping up to the Plate shows how Liberians did it. All Liberians within the diaspora narrated their own stories.
Browne: “In no other time in the history of Liberia has criticism been seen more in action than during the Ebola Crisis in Liberia.” She mourned the death of Ebola survivors and celebrated the life of its survival not forgetting to appreciate those who fought strongly for their efforts.
She extended thanks and appreciation to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for sending a representation and his efforts as vice president during the Ebola pandemic. Madam Browne noted, “It was the Mano River Union member states, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Cote D’Ivoire that supported our president to lead International efforts and mobilized the World, AU, the United Nations, and ECOWAS, and others help to end the pandemic and also the general efforts of Liberians.”
Madam Ora Richards, president Boakai’s representative at the occasion complimented former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for the hard work done during her administration, along with everyone that worked for the eradication of Ebola. She remarked that it’s about time that we write our own stories as Liberians. “If we don’t tell our history someone else will and if we don’t speak about our lives someone else will and that will not be in the interest of our people,” She remarked.
