Paradise...not quite

I know things have been quiet on the Liberian Living front lately, but a poorly done article from the Washington Post has roused me from my blogging slumber! It is titled "In Postwar Liberia, Paradise Amid the Poverty" and you can read it here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052903983.html

My colleagues and I can't get it off of our minds, for a lot of reasons.

First, there are far more important stories to be writing about Liberia. The topics are endless…from visible infrastructure improvements made since January…to the country trying to be a model in post-conflict health services delivery…to the food crisis and rice shortage facing this country.

Second, I have no idea how two sushi restaurants and a supermarket that stocks pop tarts have come to represent paradise (and I ask you, what good are 16 types of pop tarts when wheat bread, canned tomatoes, and black beans are never guaranteed?). The few amenities that are here can be found in any suburb in America. Should ex-pats feel badly because they want to enjoy a Friday night meal at a restaurant, after spending the week in an office with irregular electricity and no running water?

Third, you have to acknowledge the reality that during 14 years of civil war, most educated and/or elite Liberians left the country and have not returned. It is challenging to find Liberians in the diaspora who are willing to come back and fill posts here. There are some programs that are trying to make it happen (The Scott Family Fellows Program, run by the Center for Global Development) but it is slow going. Salaries, benefits and amenities here are nothing like what these Liberians have been enjoying in their new environments.

I will not pretend to be an expert in economics, but in a country where the majority of people earn less than $1 a day, businesses and NGOs that are employing Liberians are providing a fair, consistent wage that goes directly into building the local economy. While ex-pats may frequently support non-Liberian owned businesses, the money they spend does trickle down to the population. It seems naïve to think that a country emerging from prolonged civil war that is missing entire segments of its population could instantly rebuild its own economy.

I realize I might sound defensive, but it's laughable to describe the ex-pat lifestyle here as "paradise." It's true that there is a disconnect between the ex-pat and Liberian populations, one that continues to give many of us pause in our daily lives, though it is perhaps no different than the gaps that exist between aid workers and local populations in any developing country.

I do anticipate being in paradise early next week, when I travel to Nairobi, which sounds like a vibrant city! I am visiting my friend Elissa for one week and I cannot wait! The plan is to spend time exploring the city (or showing me around) and taking a 3-day safari. I hope to enjoy an iced coffee with soy milk as well.