Wou Town Community just five minutes’ walk from the Rehab Center and two kilometers away from Ganta City in Nimba County is where those who migrated from other counties and towns as a result of leprosy and TB settled due to stigma and discrimination from family members, associates and even the society.
The community which began with a very small number of inhabitants now has a population of over 2,500 persons who basically farmers, despite their physical challenges.
The female dominated community are citizens from the 15 political subdivision and interestingly, speakers of the 16 tribes in Liberia who moved to Nimba to seek medication for leprosy, tuberculosis (TB) after being neglected and thrown out by the community and family members.
All was not loss when the dwellers agreed to engage in farming as a major activity for sustainability and survivability and establishing a group called ‘Help Provider Women Group Liberia’ through the innovation of Pastor Saye Duogon.
According to the chairperson, Musu Soau, the group 55 persons including 35 women and 20 men was founded in 2019 with the aims to engage in agriculture activities to cater to their medical as well as social economic needs.
Ma Musu, as she is often called, said in 2019 the group made no progress due to the challenges of getting started as some residents were left without fingers and some were abnormal, but that did not deter them as they continue to assist each other and today their agriculture project has improved and they are able to raise funds to at least pay their children school fees, buy food and settle members’ hospital bills when necessary.
Ma Musu explained that the current climate condition poses a serious challenge to their farm work as they cannot get sufficient yield for their farms. The group basically farms in corn, okra, cassava and beans.
The group’s Advisor Yah Gurah said the women themselves are engaged in their farm work along with the men and called on government, local and international partners working in health and agriculture to come to their aid.
“We need farming tools such as cutlasses, hoes, shovels, diggers and boots as well as seeds and chemicals to boost their work,” Ma Musu appealed. Report by Roseline Tengbeh, USAID/FeJAL Media Activity Gender Fellow.
