Liberian refugee camp in Ghana

August 25, 2004 at 5:42 am | In Uncategorized |

This article is about the refugee camp in Ghana where I have been organizing my team in the Humanist Movement. I’ve been to the camp 6 times and will return before the end of this year. Here are my reports.
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Distributed by Friends of Liberia (FOL) & the Liberian Collections Project (LCP) at Indiana University
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HEADLINE: ‘WE AREN’T HOOKED ON HANDOUTS’ CHALLENGE LIBERIAN REFUGEES
BYLINE: Ajoa Yeboah-Afari
DATE: 17 August 2004
SOURCE: All Africa (c) 2004 AllAfrica, All Rights Reserved

At the Kaneshie market bus station in the Ghanaian capital Accra, conductors’ cries of “Liberia town! This way for Liberia!” mingle with calls for other destinations. No one asks why there should be a place called Liberia in Ghana.

The presence of some 45,000 Liberians in Ghana is now an accepted fact - it is 13 years since Ghana provided a safe haven for people fleeing Liberia’s bitter civil war that erupted in 1989.

Their haven, formerly the little-known hamlet of Buduburam some 35 kilometres from Accra, is a refugee camp with a difference.

There are no barbed wire fences and its inhabitants can come and go freely. In fact - but for the haphazard layout and cramped appearance that suggest hurried construction - it could pass for a normal Ghanaian town.

And Buduburam positively bustles with business: table-top soft drink bars jostle with eateries, beauty salons, dressmaking and shoemaking shops, telephone and Internet cafes. Some refugees even grow crops for the settlement’s new market - run jointly by refugees and locals.

“Here in Ghana we have learned to be self-employed,” says John Connell, chairperson of the Liberian Welfare Council, which represents the refugees. “In Liberia if you were not employed by the government, then you were not working.”

Connell, who was an insurance claims manager at home, has completed a family planning course at Buduburam and is now a distributor of family planning products.

Life in Buduburam has also given many women their first opportunity to get educated and learn business skills. “After 13 years here, when we return home the question will be: ‘What did you do during your years in exile?’” says Irene Jayee, 42, president of the Liberian Refugee Women’s Organisation. “So we decided to put our skills in order.”

Shelly Dick, a researcher who carried out a field study of Buduburam refugee camp in 2000 and now works at the US government’s Office of Refugee Resettlement in Washington, says Buduburam “dispels a common myth (held by governments, donors and the media) that refugees are dependent and hooked on handouts in camps.”

“This myth is perpetuated by the common UN agency response to dealing with a refugee crisis - which is to put them in camps.”

“While dependency is a myth, need is not - needs are very real and pressing,” she adds. But instead of giving people handouts, refugees should be allowed to contribute economically, intellectually and artistically: “Don’t create a situation where refugees are reduced to beggars.”

When Liberians refugees began arriving in 1990, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provided tents, blankets, food and medicine and, later, skills training in carpentry, masonry, soap-making and tie-dye.

It helped 3,000 refugees return in 1997 when a fragile peace was brokered, but most chose to remain in Ghana. Believing that Liberia was now safe, the UNHCR stopped giving material assistance to individual refugees in 2000. But instead of encouraging refugees to return home, the move helped galvanise them into self-sufficiency.

The refugees took over the community school and clinic, built their own houses and started their own businesses. “When the UNHCR left, we tried to shoulder our own responsibilities because we could not sit here supinely,” says Connell.

Capital for some of the ventures was raised through loans, remittances from families abroad and credit from Ghanaian suppliers in Accra.

Meanwhile, the UNHCR was forced to re-establish its presence at Buduburam in April 2002, when the conflict intensified in Liberia and thousands more fled to Ghana.

David Kamphuis, UNHCR protection officer for Ghana, says Buduburam is a success because - unlike most refugee camps - it does not isolate refugees from locals.

But the picture is not all rosy. Some are unemployed, some cannot even afford to buy bread. “Although they have managed very well, it’s clear some people fell through the cracks,” says Kamphuis.

“The assistance we now provide is not so much to individuals. We help the schools with books, benches, building a new school block,” says Kamphuis.

Allison Hughes, a refugee and physics lecturer at the University of Ghana, believes the UN should study Buduburam and use it as a model: “If we were able to survive, they should find out at what point aid should be cut off so that people’s initiative will grow.”

But Delphine Marie, UNHCR spokesperson in Geneva, says “withdrawal of aid doesn’t necessarily lead to self-sufficiency”. Negotiation with the host government to allow refugees freedom to leave the camps, settle in local communities, sell goods and find jobs is also important - as are skills training programmes.

Despite the success of Buduburam, many Ghanaians have mixed feelings towards the refugees, often perpetuated by the media. They reflect the usual stereotypes: some mistakenly believe the government in this heavily indebted poor country is spending its overstretched resources on the refugees. Others fear Liberians are involved in crime.

“The biggest problem dealing with refugees is ignorance,” says Mumuni Bawumia, secretary of the government’s Refugee Board. “We’ve been trying to educate people that they’re just like us, that they’re no different.” Connell is convinced that most refugees in Ghana will return home if peace is fully restored - taking their newfound skills with them.

Buduburam’s refugee women have already taken a visible role in the Liberian peace talks in Accra. On 22 July, they hit international headlines when they threatened to strip naked if the three fighting factions refused to reach a compromise.

Says Jayee of the Refugee Women’s Organisation: “We’ll be going back to build a new Liberia. And who are the new Liberians? It’s we, those now in exile.”

17 Comments

  1. I have read this site and currently speak to some refugees inside the camp, (via paltalk) I, am absolutely convinced that the job you are doing is brilliant, however I want to sponsor these people and bring them out to my home town in Australia where they can be with us, talking 2 possibly 3, I think this is the best I can do for them, so that they may be in a safer environment and get back to school

    Comment by alberta fontaine — January 13, 2007 #

  2. I am looking for Johnson Zosky and his mother. They are liberian refugee. Are they stiil living ans taying in the Liberian refugee camp?
    Please reply immediately. They are having negitiations with me.Its a delicate negotiation. I am afraid it could be fraud or a scam.

    Thank you. Please keep in touch the soonest possible time.

    Comment by Dorcas D. Revaula — February 1, 2007 #

  3. I have not been to the camp for nearly two years so I’m sorry to say that I have no more information.

    Comment by ted — February 4, 2007 #

  4. HI there: I have spoken to young refugee from one of the Budaburam camp from Ghana. The young man I’ve syas his name is shilue and has a sister named Blessing. Shilue ans Blessing are alone and tells me that Blessing is very sick. He has beg me to help her get medical treatment but I am unable to help for her meds. Is there anyone to help these this young people. Can someone email me if they know this kids. thany you… Woodland_loon

    Comment by Woodland_loon — February 9, 2007 #

  5. sorry, my email is woodland_loon@yahoo.ca

    Comment by Woodland_loon — February 9, 2007 #

  6. I too have been talking to people at the camp and helping them. How do I know that I am not being scammed? Is there an organization that I can give to that would help these people? Please tell me how to best help my friends there at the camp. mom.

    Comment by Ruth Coffing — April 19, 2007 #

  7. I too have been contacted via paltalk by a 17 year old girl named Sarah and her brother Joe asking for help.
    Their parents where killed in Liberia, living i the camp for four years, they are struggling to survive in the camp- can anyone verify these children? How would I ever know if I where supporting more violence?

    Thank you
    Nancy

    Comment by nancy — June 5, 2007 #

  8. sorry, contact me if you have any information
    azurenooner@yahoo.com

    Comment by nancy — June 5, 2007 #

  9. I am stephen Bendah sm, living with my sister and 2brothers, we been living at the Buduburam Refugee camp since march 10,1993 we had to leave Liberia cas we lost our father and later heard our mom was also killed, they weren’t even educated people, but some people think they were preaching the gosple against their culture pratice, female multilation and the cutting of young man skin saying it was the mark of the devil, and our parents refused to have us joint them because they were Christian, therefore as soon as the war brook out in our area they use that as a medium to hunt our entire family, we even lost 2 of sisters and other relative, those same people who did those acts are still living in Liberia and some even working in the government as top official, we need ur help, our refugee # 2348601, live zone 8 house # 090, e-mail stephen_myself@yahoo.com, tel:233-243653678, if you can help i will suggest that u contact us via UNHCR or Church of Christ, Buduburam/ Labone Baptist Church Accra. Thanks for your concern

    Comment by Stephen S.M Bendah — June 8, 2007 #

  10. I have also been contacted by a young woman living in Buduburam with her little girl. She says her mother and father were killed in Liberia and she escaped. Her hope was that I would sponsor her and her daughter to come to the US, but I couldn’t accept that responsibility. I believe she spends hours on the computer there trying to contact sympathetic people and I don’t object to that because I don’t know what opportunities, if any, are open to her.
    I read the letter above and thought about the “sick” routine. I think that can be a scam although it can be hard and expensive to get medicines in Africa. I am unable to dismiss her claims because of the possiblity she’s suffering, so I am trying to help her a little.

    Comment by painterjayne — June 23, 2007 #

  11. I am corresponding with a man from the camp who has a 4 year old daughter. He says rains have broken his house down and they have to sleep on a friends porch, and are very cold. He says they have to pay for water and even to use toilets. He has asked me to pay school fees so his daughter can go to school. I would like to do this if I could be sure the funds were actually used for that. Do you know anything about the schools, costs, and possibility of paying direct to the school?
    Is it so rainy and cold in the camp?

    Comment by Nancy — June 30, 2007 #

  12. i have been in contact with a man named wilson dior…he said he has run out of funds and needs my assistance and is now staying at this camp…if anyone knows of him at this camp please let me know…he is asking for money while he awaits a check to get out of there….i need to know this is not a scam

    Comment by Amy — July 7, 2007 #

  13. hi i have been in contact with rev henry josiah and he tells me about the conditions in side the refugee camp and i said i would try to help with some aid .although im willing to help in a small way how can i be sure it will get to them my heart goes out to all the orphan children andd the starveing ,how do i really know this is not a scam yours truley s holmes

    Comment by sylvia holmes — July 12, 2007 #

  14. I have been contacted on Paltalk by a young Liberian girl named Marietta. Her family have been killed with the exception of her 3 yr old niece who has malaria. I have sent her a small amount of money for food for one month, but I’m not in a position to do this regularly, so I tried to get help for her from others on Paltalk. However, there was a very poor response, all said this was a scam. However, I believe what Marietta has told me about her circumstances and I would like to highlight her problem at Buduburam camp as she desperately needs food and shelter. She finally had to take her niece to hospital yesterday as she became very poorly. Her niece is all she has left in life. If there is any way these people can be found and helped I’d be really grateful.

    Comment by Gracee — July 20, 2007 #

  15. hi
    i now live in washington D.C usa.i once live at the buduburam refugee camp,i was a refugee too some years ago.when i look back the my life at the buduburam refugee camp i feed so sorry for all the refugees at the cam.l live at buduram for over 12 years,
    when ever i find time i always go back to Afririca (buduburam camp)and try to help the refugee community in any way i can.since i came over to the States i have traveled back to the camp with many other people who want to help the refugee at the camp.If any one wanting to learn more about buduburam you can contact me by paulbismarck@mailpuppy.com

    or if you are in Washington DC i will be very happy to meet up with you

    Comment by bismarck — July 23, 2007 #

  16. Hello everybody,
    I am in contact with a 30 years old woman in this camp. She meet me at Friendscout and wrote me about her story. After a while I deside to help her and send her money. During the time I thought to take her to Germany where she can live with me. Because she need a Visa and a passport (it costs 850€, the Visa is for 5 Years) I sand her this money also with Western Union. I ask ´her to go to the german embassy to get all this papers, but she told me, that is much easier to choise a Travel agency. This will be more expensive but she will get her papers in one week. I am i contact with someone names Mr. Ben Williams from TRUSTWORTHY TRAVEL AGENCY. He booked also a flight with KLM for her, but I found out myself, that the prize is much to high (1200€) Instead of this I can book a ticket via internet which will be 678€.
    Because I sand all this money he booked this ticket (KLM) without my permission. I wrote him to cancel this and he gave back the money to my girlfriend.
    She get to know from Mr. Williams that seh need a treatment in a hospital wich will cost 570€.
    During all this procedure she informed me, that her sister was found in Congo and will be carried to her. The sister was sick and need medicine.
    For my heart it looks terrible to take my girlfriend to germany and left her 14 yeras old sister in the camp. But this means also a lot of moeny for me, which I have to send.
    I read now a lot of stories about scammers and I am afraid to deal with someone here. Also I found out, that my girlfriend has a lot of different messengers.
    I don’t know now what do to… May she is honest, may she is a scammer. I have good feelings for her and also for her little sister and also I want them to stay in my house, but its hard to trust.
    Is there anybody here, who now how to check this woman? Does anybody know Mr.Ben Williams or his agency? Does it helps to ask her for a copy ot the treatment, Visa and Passport? ( I ask Mr.Ben Williams last saturay about this, but my girlfirend told me yesterday, that he left and will write me on 25th of July
    I would like to ask for help..
    My EMail Adress is PElbers@gmx.de

    Kindly Regards

    Comment by Peter — July 24, 2007 #

  17. Amy…
    A man contacted me recently from a dating website. He said that he is an engineer working in Ghana, and he is French born. He is white…. I do not know if this is the same person. Do you have any other information? Thanks for your input… I will wait to see if he seems OK or if he asks for money also…. Many scams coming out of Africa…. I will write back if I learn anything.

    Comment by Vicki — July 26, 2007 #

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