Liberia’s Vice President Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor says she is in talks with a number of organizations and individuals on the construction of a safe-home project for the protection of survivors of sexual gender based violence (SGBV).
This effort under the auspices of the Jewel Starfish Foundation in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President was recently boosted by a donation of eight empty containers from the Association of Shipping Line Representatives in Liberia.
Speaking when she appeared on the Popular Spoon Talk Show online and Radio, on January 1, 2021, VP Howard-Taylor put the entire cost of the project to over one hundred thousand United States dollar.
The containers according to her, will be professionally modified and designed as shelters to accommodate young females who are survivors of SGBV while they are being provided specialized care at the facility.
The Liberian Vice President then disclosed that organizations including the Spoon Foundation are being consulted to donate financial resources towards the erection of the Safe-home project.
A release from the Office of the Vice President, quotes VP Howard-Taylor as revealing that if agreed upon, the Spoon foundation will oversee all donations and the expenditure of the project to ensure a transparent and accountable process void of politics.
Decrying the increase in the number of sexual gender based violence (SGBV) across the country, VP Howard-Taylor who is a strong women advocate, vowed to join forces with others to curb these issues particularly rape, describing it as inhumane and unlawful.
Meanwhile, VP Howard-Taylor had said that result from the 2020 special senatorial elections was a message of hopelessness on the part of the Liberia people.
“2020 was a very strategic year. The people went out expressing their message of frustration through the ballots box. Democracy is the engagement and the interaction of the people. I hope everyone has heard that message”, VP Howard-Taylor said.
The Liberian Vice President who is also the President of the Liberian Senate explained that the legislature which has the responsibility to improve the lives of the people, must now begin to show love for country by the different decisions they make in that body.
She told the Spoon Talk Show that her message at the resumption of legislative activities on the Second Monday of January will be centered on love for country.
In 2014 Special senatorial elections, the current Vice President was among the only two Senators who were reelected out of fifteen sitting senators who opted for reelection.
According to VP Howard-Taylor, this trend of voting by the people has been consistent because of the poor relationship between the lawmakers and the citizens who elected them.