Monrovia, Liberia - This is a day of remembrance, to visit and clean the graves of those departed. And it is a very different Decoration Day after the Ebola crisis. I took a trip to the new National Cemetery early this morning. It is just off the Robertsfield Airport Highway more than an hour from central Monrovia, almost to the airport. It opened December 24, 2014, the day the crematorium closed. The Indian community made their crematorium available to the country during the height of the crisis as traditional burial practices were escalating the infection rates. It is impossible to imagine the impact cremation has had on so many families – so completely opposite their traditions of washing and touching and honoring the dead before burial. All of this impossible now with Ebola. The cremation remains of 3000 of the more than 4,100 people who died of Ebola in Liberia were transferred from the crematorium to the new cemetery last Saturday, in preparation for this Decoration Day.
The cemetery in on 25 acres of land that the government bought from a private party, though as the American Matt who is in charge told me, “The first check bounced; this was not easy.” Nothing in Liberia is easy. The National Cemetery is a sacred site with 600 plots so far and a capacity for 10,000. The ashes from the crematorium are in a beautiful circular building; all Muslim graves are together with individually marked mounds of dirt; all Christian graves are together and marked by a white cross with a name written. The order and respect is everywhere.
Being there took my breath away – and at the same time gave me great peace. OMG what this country has endured…
I then traveled back to the Kendeja where I live; only to realize once here, that the film crew had forgotten an important bag at the cemetery. Back they went and returned almost two hours later. Nothing in Liberia is easy. Thankfully the bag was just where Henry had left it.
We interviewed two of my dearest Liberian women friends who work here at the hotel – and then off the film crew went to pay respects to their departed fathers, one in his seventies a few years ago and one in his fifties a couple of years ago. Henry spoke of the non-existence of health care in this country; how they want medical check-ups but get not much more than a temperature check which now happens everywhere. We all agreed that perhaps due to Ebola that may finally change. With the average life span in this country less than 50 years, young people do not have a bright healthy future.
It is now late afternoon on this holiday and I have surrendered to rest and quiet and reflection – and to witnessing hundreds of people now on the hotel property enjoying themselves by the pool, by the sea; largely aide workers, few Liberians. But the Liberian staff is welcoming back some normalcy – and hopefully some money into their pockets. The hotel is at 50% occupancy for the first time since the crisis began – and since I was the last person to depart in August when there were zero bookings on the calendar for the foreseeable future. A start.
I thank God every moment I have been able to return to Liberia – to reconnect with such dear and special people – and with a country I love. May together we all continue to show Liberians that we are standing next to them…
~ Deborah
Being there took my breath away – and at the same time gave me great peace. OMG what this country has endured…
I then traveled back to the Kendeja where I live; only to realize once here, that the film crew had forgotten an important bag at the cemetery. Back they went and returned almost two hours later. Nothing in Liberia is easy. Thankfully the bag was just where Henry had left it.
We interviewed two of my dearest Liberian women friends who work here at the hotel – and then off the film crew went to pay respects to their departed fathers, one in his seventies a few years ago and one in his fifties a couple of years ago. Henry spoke of the non-existence of health care in this country; how they want medical check-ups but get not much more than a temperature check which now happens everywhere. We all agreed that perhaps due to Ebola that may finally change. With the average life span in this country less than 50 years, young people do not have a bright healthy future.
It is now late afternoon on this holiday and I have surrendered to rest and quiet and reflection – and to witnessing hundreds of people now on the hotel property enjoying themselves by the pool, by the sea; largely aide workers, few Liberians. But the Liberian staff is welcoming back some normalcy – and hopefully some money into their pockets. The hotel is at 50% occupancy for the first time since the crisis began – and since I was the last person to depart in August when there were zero bookings on the calendar for the foreseeable future. A start.
I thank God every moment I have been able to return to Liberia – to reconnect with such dear and special people – and with a country I love. May together we all continue to show Liberians that we are standing next to them…
~ Deborah
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