Jacques C.O. Adegbidi, left, with Isaac Monah at the Dougbe River school site.
During Isaac’s July visit to Liberia, a United Nations official stationed in Grand Gedeh County visited the school site and met with residents of Twarbo Region. Jacques C.O. Adegbidi, a regional mission support officer of the U.N. Mission in Liberia, told Isaac he was moved by conditions in what he called “the forgotten villages” and would do what he can to help.
There are various possibilities for direct or indirect U.N. help for the Dougbe River project, from the use of equipment to improvements to the infrastructure of the area — in particular, those bridges that keep giving us problems. Chinese U.N. engineers have inspected the bridges and talked to area residents about their needs, so we’re hopeful about that.
The U.N. has already helped us in one significant way. When it was time for Isaac to return to the United States, Mr. Adegbidi arranged for him to ride in a U.N. vehicle for the difficult 13-hour drive from Zwedru to the Liberian capital of Monrovia and his flight out of the country. That’s a journey that has caused us trouble in the past.
Mr. Adegbidi, who is from the West African nation of Benin, meets Twarbo Region residents.
During Mr. Adegbidi's visit, he and Isaac had powder applied to their heads in a purification ritual intended to bring them good luck.