Meet Oretha K. Toepoe. Who is a women group leader from Grand Bassa County in District 4 lower satopo town? She has no educational background but has excelled to be the head of an organization name “The time has come.” She is a mother of four children and a women who believe in dreams and hard works.
Decontee: how is the family doing?
Oretha: everyone are doing good.
Decontee: where are you from?
Oretha: I am from Grand Bassa County, District 4
Dcontee: How are your parents, are they still alive?
Oretha: My both parents are dead; they gave birth to nine children and two passed off. So, we are remaining seven sisters and brother.
Decontee: Did you go to school?
Oretha: No, I never attended school in my life.
Decontee: Why you never attended school?
Oretha: my parent never had money to support our education.
Decontee: How was it like, growing up as a young girl?
Oretha: Like I said first, I didn’t go to school, I was a girl who used to help my mother to sell in the market when we were in the interior and my mother was engaged with lot of businesses; so I learned so much from her. My late mother used to sell fufu, potato greens, bonnie and other things and I was always with her until me and my other sisters started to grow up and move to Monrovia with our big sister who was already established.
Decontee: When you came to Monrovia?
Oretha: I came to Monrovia in 1983 with my big sister and started to make live on my own in 1985. Establishing life on my own was not easy. I was selling in red-light market and later came to Du-port Market, and I sell for almost six years to earn money, I later started working, babysitting for people, taking care of their home and getting paid at the end of the month. I met my children’s father and we began to live together, things were not really good for us because my children’s father was not working, so I had to sell and help support the family.
Decontee: How many children you have?
Oretha: I had 10 children, but six died and I am left with four; two girls and two boys. After I born my children, I started selling again to support them in school. Something happened between me and their father and we broke up. I was doing every alone. My children are grown up now; my daughter has her family and she also have children.
Decontee: Where do you live presently?
Oretha: I am currently living in Grand Bassa County, my home town but I am here in Monrovia on a family issue.
Decontee: What are some achievements you have made in your life?
Oretha: With all of what I have been through, I knew my life was not over. After I moved back in the interior, I saw so many women who were not doing anything and my home town don’t have hospital and school, children have to go to LAC to attend school and women who want to give birth have to come to LAC and at times they can even give birth on the road which is not good. So, I put a group of women together and we reached out to NGOs and the government and informed them about our situation.
The organization name is “The time has come” and we have paper and are recognized by the government. We have had many meetings and workshop with NGO organizations. When I put the group together and saw that the women were not doing anything, I brought an idea to have a club and save money. For each time we have enough money in covers; we give it to two person to starts business and pay us back and it has really been a success that women are making money for themselves now. We have operated for two years now.
Decontee: How do you feel, leading a group of people?
Oretha: I feel excited about it, knowing that I didn’t go to school. Sometimes I am called to sign on documents and to represent my team and head group meetings which show that it left with us to do the best and not to sit doing nothing. So, in am very happy to explain that as my achievement.
Decontee: What you could be you last statement?
Oretha: Lastly, I know some women out there want to do something great but they scary and think that they old and cannot achieve anything again. Let me tell them that time can never pass; encourage yourself and do something better. To those are already in position, encourage and help your friends to get somewhere in life. I am 60 years old with no educational background and if I can share my ideal and help empower my friend women, you can also do the same.
