HELP LIBERIA FOUNDATION

Justina Departs Liberia

Posted by Help Liberia Foundation on December 20, 2010

After spending more than a month in Liberia, Justina left the hot West African nation called Liberia and returned to her cold European nation called Poland. She left Liberia in the second week of December.

Justina’s friendly and down-to-earth attitude made almost everyone liked her. She joked and interacted with all, both young and old, at times teaching the kids in Paul’s community some Polish games and plays. Everyone misses her.

“Why are you going back so soon? You should spend Christmas with us,” remarked a female neighbor who had befriended Justina.

Justina smiled and assured the neighbor, “I will visit Liberia again. Liberia is a good country, and you people are wonderful people. It was nice to have met you all. I will miss you, too.”

Justina teaching kids some Polish plays and games

While in Liberia, Justina visited a few places, including Buchanan and Mt. Barclay. No only that. She also ate various Liberian dishes and food items – pepper soup and fufu, palm butter and fufu, cassava leaves and rice, torgborgee and rice, plantains, eddoes, sweet potatoes, young coconuts, young coconut water, potato greens and rice and so forth.

“I’m used to eating Liberia food now. I don’t know what I will eat when I go back to Poland,” remarked Justina a few days before her departure.

“You will eat potatoes and bread, as usual,” Paul responded jokingly.

Justina and Paul posing in front of Paul’s newly painted house

In Paul’s view, there were two interesting aspects about Justina’s stay in Liberia. One aspect has to do with her encounter with the unmerciful and annoying Liberian mosquitoes and the scorching sun, and what she did to deal with the two problems.

With the mosquitoes, she applied various techniques. She sprayed her hands, feet, neck, bust and hair every evening before sitting or going out. She also wore a special long-sleeved shirt and a pair of long, plastic-like trousers. Paul called them “Justina’s mosquito clothes.” Besides, she swallowed one malarone tablet every night. Then there was the mosquito net, which she didn’t forget to sleep under nightly. But the most fascinating part was when she was jumping up and down, and here and there, like a volleyball player in the room all because she had seen a single mosquito which she was determined to kill at all cost. She was given the nickname “Justina the mosquito hunter.”

Justina half body lying under the mosquito net

Concerning the heat, Justina did a number of things. She swam in the Atlantic Ocean quite often. In addition, she sometimes poured water on her head, washing her face and arms as well. She also drank a lot of cold drinks, including water and soft drinks. The funny part was when Justina sometimes jumped in the rain just like that, with all her clothes still on her, while others were running from the rain.

The second interesting aspect connected with her stay in Liberia is the fact that she ate monkey meat. This is what most Poles consider “unimaginable!” After eating some of the meat in a palm butter and rice dish prepared by Paul’s mother, Justina admitted, “It’s nice!”

Justina eating monkey meat

After all the fun, the interactions, the visits here and there, the eating of Liberian dishes, seeing the kids and staff of HLF School, etc., it was time for Justina to leave Africa for Europe.

Before leaving Paul’s premises for the airport, Paul’s mother said to Justina in Bassa, Paul’s native language: “Thank you for visiting us. I am thankful to God for bringing you here safely and for protecting you all the time you’ve stayed here. You never got sick, and you never experienced any harm. I am happy that you’re going back just as you came. You’re my daughter. Please come back next time.”

Paul’s mother and Justina with her mosquito clothes

Escorting her to the Roberts International Airport were Paul, Paul’s mother, Mr. Burgess and Benjamin, two of Paul’s family members. Following the handshakes, hugs, teary eyes and thank-yous, Justina slowly disappeared behind the border security guards. She had to wait in the terminal for her flight.

It was her very first trip to Africa. A journey had been completed. A dream had been realized. But time flies, and it flies so quickly.

Meanwhile, Paul intends to write a little book about Justina’s more-than-one-month stay in Liberia. It will be titled Justina in Africa. It will also contain a lot of interesting photos.

Paul’s mother, Mr. Burgess and Justina in front of the Roberts International Airport shortly before Justina’s departure

Justina sitting in a canoe on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean

Justina relaxing on the front porch of Paul’s house

Justina posing with some of Paul’s relatives

Justina and Benjamin swallowing fufu (the meat is monkey meat)

Justina posing with some boys at the Saint Joseph Catholic Hospital in Monrovia

Justina posing with Mr. Burgess in his office

Justina and Sister Kebeh (Mr. Burgess’ wife)

Justina helping the kids to cook outside the house

Justina and a child named Paulyna at Mr. Burgess’
house

Justina spraying herself against mosquitoes

Justina posing at the Saint Joseph Catholic Hospital in Monrovia

Justina beating dry pepper

Justina enjoying a Liberian dish

Justina posing in a building material store at ELWA Junction

Justina sitting on a motorbike, the newest and most popular means of transport in Liberia at the moment

Justina swimming at the Bacoli beach in Buchanan

Monkey meat displayed for sale in the dry meat market in Paynesville in Monrovia

Paul’s mother holding the dry monkey meat bought for Justina

Justina swimming in the Atlantic Ocean

Justina and Paul at HLF School