HELP LIBERIA FOUNDATION

Toys And Educational Materials For Former Child Soldiers In Liberia

Posted by Help Liberia Foundation on March 20, 2006

On 13 February 2006, Amnesty International Poznan, a branch of Amnesty International in Poland, in collaboration with Help Liberia Foundation, held a gift-collection campaign for former child soldiers in Liberia.

The campaign, which was held in Stary Browar, in the city of Poznan in western Poland, brought together students and officials from various schools and communities, as well as ordinary citizens and journalists.

Ola and Radek (from Amnesty International) displaying a “Smile From Poland” poster to a group of former Liberian child soldiers (imagined) (Photo was taken by Joanna Lisek)

At the start of the well-attended exercise, the Coordinator of Amnesty International Poznan Children’s Affairs, Mr. Miroslaw Smieinski, welcomed the guests and explained the purpose of the campaign and the need to rehabilitate children who have been exposed to the use of guns, instead of education and normal childhood life.

The campaign was accompanied by an exhibition of pictures of child soldiers in different countries, especially African countries. The students who participated in the action also painted post-cards, posters, banners, etc., for former child soldiers in Liberia – all these materials contained information and drawings, which both presented the plight of the children and the need to help them. It was a moving exercise undertaken by the children.

The action was carried out under the title, “Child Soldiers Don’t Have Winter Vacation.” As the campaign was launched when most of the school children were enjoying themselves during the winter vacation, the organizers chose this title because they wanted to tell the Polish children that there are children, somewhere in the world, who do not have the opportunity to appreciate the true meaning of the expression, “vacation.”

Some of the toys collected for sending to Liberia (Photo provided by AI)

Partial view of the assorted educational materials collected for onward transmission to Liberia (Photo provided by AI)

Although the campaign was launched on February 13th, the gift collection went on for a few days. A number of students and school personnel in Poznan volunteered to continue the collection of the items. At the end of the first phase, two boxes of materials, which comprised toys and assorted educational materials, were collected.

The parcels containing the toys and educational materials, which were sent to Liberia on Saturday, 11 March 2006, were sent directly to the Children Assistance Program, Inc. (CAP), operating in the ACS Building on the Old Road, based on information received from our Liberian representatives. Our representatives have also been informed to contact CAP, Inc. for the gifts and for their official presentation upon arrival. They will also tell the Liberian children about their Polish friends.

One of the volunteers, Michal, helping to pack the items properly (Photo provided by AI)

The gifts were sent as priority parcels to CAP, Inc. through the Polish Postal System, using the following address:
Children Assistance Program, Inc.
P.O. Box 9080
ACS Compound, Old Road
1000 Monrovia 10, Liberia
West Africa

The two boxes containing toys and educational material are packed, sealed and ready for shipment to the Children Assistance Program, Inc. in Liberia (Photo provided by AI)

We wish to express our appreciation to the officials and members of Amnesty International Poznan for the initiative, for choosing former Liberian child soldiers as their target for assistance in Africa at this time, and for bearing the cost of shipping the gifts to Liberia, which is about US$300.00. We are also honored by the fact that plans are being considered for a permanent cooperation between Help Liberia Foundation and Amnesty International Poznan.

Special thanks also to the students, parents, residents, journalists, etc., of the City of Poznan for their participation in this worthwhile endeavor in behalf of the children of Liberia.

Note: If you, your school or your institution would like to be part of the exercise aimed at helping Liberian children, please feel free to contact our Foundation, as we would be glad to cooperate with you or your institution.