Building Robertsport Community Works in 2013

The Mama Liberia Sewing Co-op

Happy New Year to our supporters, partners and friends. This year, 2013, will see Robertsport Community Works continue to strengthen its projects and programs and advance our work creating conservation and tourism-based jobs in the community.

The Robertsport Community Campsite continues to be in business, although there's new competition in the Robertsport accommodation market with our friends' place, Kwepunha Retreat. Now that camping is a choice rather than the only beachside option in Robertsport, it's only natural that people would want a little bit more comfort!

The Mama Liberia Sewing Co-op is starting to make gorgeous handsewn lapa duvet covers in addition to their world-famous beach bags. We're making product samples now and hope to have them on-sale soon.

And I'm happy to announce that our fund-rasising arm, The African T-Shirt Company, is back in business. Buy t-shirts online if you can't get them from our man in Monrovia.

That, and we continue to support and help to guide the efforts of our partners programming beach cleanup, water safety, lifeguard trainings, surf mentoring and more.

It's going to be a great year.

The 4th Annual Surf Liberia Contest

Four years ago, Nate and I  hosted the 1st Annual Surf Liberia Contest at Shipwrecks in Robertsport. This year again, with partner Surf Resource Network, we're thrilled to be a part of such a great event.

Get there, if you can, and be a part of Liberian surf history.

We'll have t-shirts for sale at the event and The African T-Shirt Company will be re-launching just in time, with a full stock of Liberian and African-themed t-shirts to order!

Robertsport Community Works showcased at UNESCO Africa Week

We had the good fortune to have our community conservation and microenterprise projects featured recently at UNESCO's Africa Week in Paris. I designed two posters for the Liberia booth, both attached. If anyone wants the full files to use these at similar events, just let me know by email: elie(at)robersportcommunityworks(dot)org. 

Mama Liberia bags at conferences!

For the last year, Mama Liberia bags have been a hit at international conferences, upping the style stakes when it comes to conference bags and making a serious difference in the life of the Co-op, which has scaled up to 60 women when these large orders come in.

Check out these very cool photos courtesy of the EBD Group, one of our main conference patrons. Don't the bags bring color and life? I think so. Email me about bulk orders for your own event. Our artisan silk-screeners can place your logo anywhere!

RCW budget: January - March, 2011

Here is the first of our now-quarterly budget updates. As we transition our projects to community ownership this year, we will do our best to keep them as accurate as possible. 

Robertsport Community Campsite

Income from campsite fees and tent rental (Jan: $310.00, Feb: $60.00, March: $130.00): $500

Expenditure on staff salaries ($130 for two staff per month): $390.00

Campsite sub-total: $110.00

Mama Liberia Sewing Co-op

Thanks to a big order from the EBD Group, you'll see our Community Fund grows nicely this quarter. Because of their order--and the way we've set up RCW projects to grow the Community Fund--we now have project money for beach cleanup, sea turtle rescue and other cool stuff the community might want to try their hand at (not to mention we'll be able to give out some more small business loans)...

Community Fund tithe from Mama Liberia Sewing Co-op $3,000.00

It's been a quiet quarter, as we've been focusing on running a tight ship on our existing projects so that they can become 100% community-led. We've been an NGO in Liberia for almost two years, so it's time for our starter projects to stand on their own.

Project summary

Robertsport Community Campsite: $110.00

Mama Liberia tithe to Community Fund: $3,000.00

Community Fund as of December 2010: -$151.90

Community Fund as of March 2011: $2,958.10

Glad to be back in the green!

Budget updates for November/December 2010

Yes, these are late! We had a tumultuous start to 2011, and these updates fell by the wayside to be restarted again...now. 

Thanks for bearing with us. Project updates included.

Surf Liberia

Because of events beyond our control that disrupted where and how we store our inventory, we've put The African T-Shirt Company on hold as it transitions to local project leadership. That means, unfortunately, that sales of Surf Liberia t-shirts are also on hold. Lucky for us, the Community Fund is a doing well and this temporary pause will not disrupt our sponsorship of local surfers.

We hope to see The African T-Shirt Company and Surf Liberia t-shirt sales back up and running in a few months, 100% Liberian run.

Robertsport Community Campsite

Income

Campsite fees and tent rental: $275

Expenditure

Staff salaries (Nov/Dec): $260

Rake: $10

Sub-total: -$5

Sea Turtle Rescue

We have yet to start official fund-raising for this project, but pay for rescued turtles on an ad-hoc basis out of the Community Fund. So far, we've saved five! The turtles show up in a wheelbarrow and we carry them, flapping vigorously the closer they get to the ocean, until about 10 meters from the shore. They pull themselves the rest of the way, gaining visible strength as they reach the ocean. The waves surge over them, and they disappear, hopefully never to be seen again!

If you'd like to donate specifically to this project, please email me!

Expenditure

Two adult yellow-bill sea turtles: $20
A hutch of 100 leatherback sea turtle eggs, which sadly didn't hatch although we followed all the directions: $10

Sub-total: -$30

Community Beach Clean-up

We've collected over 2,000 pounds of marine debris in less than two years and this project is going strong. Miriama, who's been cooking the volunteers' meals as a thank-you for their good work, is taking over project leadership in the coming months.

Expenditure

Volunteer meals (Nov/Dec): $60

Sub-total: -$60 

Mama Liberia Sewing Co-op

We are working on a very large bag order that will bring in much-needed money to the Community Fund, so stay tuned for our next budget update, when all will be well!

Summary

Robertsport Community Campsite: -$5.00
Sea Turtle Rescue: -$30.00
Community Beach Cleanup: -$60.00
Sub-total: -$95
Community Fund as of October 2010: -$56.90

Community Fund as of December 2010: -$151.90

The plan for 2011

Those of you who keep track may have noticed that we haven't posted a budget update in a little. We're moving to a more sustainable quarterly budget posting, starting now.

Also, 2011 will be the year of sustainability. Robertsport Community Works will turn two and it's time for RCW Directors to take a step back and let the community run things 100%. Sure, they'll make mistakes now and then, and I'm sure there will be a bit of drama every so often. But running their own income-generating projects is the only way these projects will work--really work, in a way that brings long-term income to Uptown, especially its young people.

We're taking on a more advisory role this year. We'll be there, but we'll be in the background (in our hammocks, I hope!). I look forward to updating you on how it goes!

The Co-op photo shoot

Thanks to the generosity of the U.S. Ambassador's Self-Help Fund, the Women's Sewing Co-op has funding for a website which we plan to launch in early 2011. As part of the marketing effort, we enlisted the help of a brilliantly talented photographer friend. The Co-op photos she took last year helped launch the group's international sales, and I'm thrilled she was able to work with us again.

Here are some teasers from the shoot. As you can see, the women enjoyed themselves.

October 2010 budget update

October was a busy month at Robertsport Community Works. Dry season is upon us, which means the campsite is seeing a return of visitors eager to spend the weekend in Robertsport. We also held our 2nd Annual Surf Liberia Contest on October 24. Surf Liberia raises money for the Surf Liberia Mentoring Program--more specifically, for the university and technical school scholarships we provide for surfers who graduate from high school.

Here's the update!


Surf Liberia

The annual event for the Surf Liberia Mentoring Program, the Annual Surf Liberia Contest, was held in October. We're still waiting for two sponsors' donations to come in--fingers crossed--so that we can be 100% even on this, as planned...

Income
Registration fee for surf contest: $100
Sponsor donation: $100

Expenditure
Contest t-shirts: $300
Clean-up crew ($5 for the day to young men in the community): $40
Clean the Beach t-shirts for the clean-up crew: $48

Sub-total $-188


Robertsport Community Campsite

Income
Campsite fees and tent rental: $260

Expenditure
Thatch for the shower and bathrooms: $20
Rake: $5
Kerosene for the lanterns: $10
Staff salaries: $130
Hammocks:$35
Coal pot, receipt book and shower repair: $40

Sub-total $20


Sea Turtle Rescue

Expenditure
Rescue of two yellowbill sea turtles: $20

Sub-total -$20


Community Beach Clean-up

Expenditure
Volunteer meal for monthly beach clean-up: $30

Sub-total -$30

Community Fund Loans
Ansu $120
Sub-total of Community Fund in active loans: -$120

Project Summary
Surf Liberia -$188

Robertsport Community Campsite $20
Sea Turtle Rescue -$20
Community Beach Clean-up -$30
Communty Fund -$120


Budget Summary

Surf Liberia Mentorship as of October 2010: $7.00
Community Fund as of August/September 2010: $93.10
Community Fund as of October 2010: -$56.90

Party at the Mama Liberia Sewing Co-op!

The Mama Liberia Sewing Co-op just had it's first party. I'm not sure why it took us so long, except that gathering all the women together seemed like a volatile event and I shied away from it for a few months. I think, despite a few hiccups, that it went well and they all had a great time. Parties like this are important for building their group identity and increasing their social capital. That, and they deserved it.
Here is Miriama, showing off the chicken stew they served with check rice, followed by pepper soup and fufu. I brought the chickens and soda, and the Co-op members all pitched in for the rest of the food. They had big pots with massive, rake-like spoons. Next time, I'll get to the party earlier so I can watch the cooking.
By the time I made it into the kitchen, the dancing had begun.
This is Joe, celebrating the Co-op by dancing happily in front of the Nana's bar. Thanks to Nana's Lodge for hosting our party!
This is my favorite photo, of the women looking at a slide-show of the photos we're going to use for their Mama Liberia website. As you can see, they like them quite a lot.
Here are Tina, Ma Bendu and Matilda (left to right), the three Team Leaders of the Co-op. They're each responsible for four tenured members and a wider team that is mobilized during big orders. These three wome have been with the Co-op since the beginning!
This is Jebbeh, who is using her sewing money to build her own house.
This is Miriama dancing with her daughter, little Bendu, named after Co-op Team Leader Ma Bendu. Miriama uses her sewing money to invest in her own transport business.
This is Josephine, who opened a bank account to save her sewing money. Josephine is trained as a nurse but hasn't found work in the local health centers. I'm not sure why and this puzzles me, as Liberian is in dire need of rural health workers. I intend to talk to her more about this in the future and see if she can't find a job in the area.
Tina, who organized most of the party cooking and serving, gets ready to serve the food. That's Jenneh next to her. Tina started a crab-selling business with her sewing money and Jenneh is building her own house.
I'm posting this portrait of rather happy looking Ma Bendu wearing lovely surfer boardshorts commissioned by some friends. They look good, right? She never managed to deliver them, probably because she likes them so much herself. You two know who you are, and if you want me to organize a duplicate pair, let me know.
Of course, someone has to do the washing up. Small Bendu and Jenneh volunteered, but didn't want to be left out of the photo taking.
And last but not least, the obligatory children's shot of little Bendu and friends.

To buy Co-op products, visit The African T-Shirt Company. Thanks to all for your support!

Pics from the 2nd Annual Surf Liberia Contest

On October 24, a group of local and expatriate surfers gathered under the cotton tree at the Robertsport Community Campsite to convene the 2nd Annual Surf Liberia Contest. T-shirts were passed out and surfers registered, but where were the waves?

We waited until low tide then made the call for Shipwrecks, carried over chairs from Nana's Lodge and set up under an almond tree. We had 12 local surfers and 7 expats, including a few beginners and very new local beginners. You know you've succeeded in targeting youth when one of the contestants signs his name, "Baby Boy."

The contest lasted a little over three hours, with judging done by local and expat surfers as well as the visiting Surf Resource Network crew. We had over a hundred spectators, including Robertsport locals and weekenders, some UNMIL visitors, and even half of the Mama Liberia Sewing Co-op! The waves were a bit onshore, shoulder to head-high with some overhead sets on the drop quickly turning to mushy faces.

Of course, when it came time for the women's heat right before the finals, the swell surged to overhead plus and I got smoked--along with the relative and extremely brave newbie I'd cajoled into surfing with me. Better luck for the women's division next year!

Thanks to Robertsport Community Works partners Soul Surfers Foundation, Seren Clothing and Surf Resource Network. Thanks to our Surf Liberia contest event sponsors Nana's Lodge, Liberia Travel and Life Magazine, and Miss Boss Lady Entertainment. We value your support!

Here are some photos, courtesy of Surf Resource Network's Sean Brody, of the contest:

Alfred Lomax finishes a heat. Alfred is currently on scholarship courtesy of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and attending high school in Monrovia.

Alfred does a cut-back at Shipwrecks.
Alfred wins the contest and is chaired to the beach by fellow surfers. This is my favorite contest shot.
Alfred, 1st place in this year's Surf Liberia Contest, with a wooden plaque hand-carved in Robertsport.

Peter Swen, a university student in Monrovia, pulls into a little barrel before giving Alfred a run for his money and winning 2nd place.
Armstrong shows some local style on his newly-donated board.
Philip has gotten a lot better this year, thanks in part to a surfboard of his own donated by the Soul Surfers Foundation. Thank you!
Sam Brown Jr. looks remarkably like his father, Sam Brown, a member of our Community Board and an invaluable member of Robertsport Community Works. His board was donated by Surf Resource Network. Thank you!
For a full budget overview of Surf Liberia and the surf contest, check out the monthly budget reports on our Robertsport Community Works blog.

See you in the water next year!

August/September 2010 budget update

We went on holiday in August, so are combining our budget update for the rainy season/summer months.

Robertsport Community Campsite

Income
Campsite fees and tent rental: $80

Expenditure
Campsite staff salaries (Aug/Sept): $220

Sub-total: -$140


Women's Sewing Co-op

Income
10% from product sales to Community Fund: $6.00

Sub-total: $6.00


Sea Turtle Rescue Project

Expenditure
August salary to project leader (end of 3-month pilot): $50.00

Sub-total: -$50.00


Community Fund

Expenditure
Loan to Miriama: $350.00
Loan to Sam Brown: $450.00
Work permits: $700.00

Sub-total: -$1,500.00

Project Summary

Robertsport Community Campsite: -$140
Women's Sewing C0-op: $6.00
Sea Turtle Rescue project: -$50.00
Community Fund: -$1,500.00

Sub-total: -$1,684.00


Budget Summary

Surf Liberia Mentorship as of Aug/Sept 2010: $195.00
Community Fund as of July 2010: $1,777.10
Community Fund as of August/September 2010: $93.10

The 2nd Annual Surf Liberia Contest: 9/10 October 2010

Photo of Liberian surfer Armstrong (no pun intended) courtesy of Myles Estey.

Robertsport Community Works is pleased to announce the 2nd Annual Surf Liberia Contest, to be held on the weekend of 9-10 October on the surfing beach in Robertsport, wherever the waves look like they're breaking best.

Participants and volunteers will meet at the Robertsport Community Campsite cotton tree on Saturday 9 October at 9:00 am to decide which break is working best. We'll postpone to the afternoon/next morning/next afternoon if we expect conditions to markedly improve.

If you'd like to participate, send me an email. Registration for participants is $25 and you get a cool contest t-shirt designed by Liberian graphic designer Efren Rebugio Jr. Shirts will also be on sale at the contest site and though The African T-Shirt Company. All profits go directly to the RCW Surf Liberia Mentoring program. Local surfers compete for free.

We hope to organize a fun, relaxed event that showcases the local surfers' skills and sportsmanship, and to have a fun day at the beach!

The RCW Sea Turtle Rescue Project

Design courtesy of Tamar Losleben.

Last September, before our first beach cleanup, Alfred and I were surfing Inners and he noticed a massive pile of sand right under the big almond tree.

"Turtle!" he shouted, and started digging.

Rather naively, I asked what he was doing.

"Turtle eggs are too sweet," was his reply.

I paused for a minute, reluctant to be the white woman in Africa who pushes conservation just for the sake of it, going crazy with zeal for, say, saving turtles while the community around me was also in need. I waited, weighed my options--Alfred thinking I was insufferable versus being indirectly responsible for a hundred dead turtle eggs--and told him not to dig them up.

"But why, Elie? If I don't, someone else will." He had a point. Without a plan, and a good one at that, what was I doing trying to change the behavior of one person when clearly it wouldn't affect the outcome?

Still.

"Do it for me, okay Alfred?"

Alfred gave me a look like I was exactly the crazy white woman stereotype I was trying to avoid, then grabbed his board and we surfed a few little Inner Cottons stomach waves before starting the cleanup. We joked about the turtles for weeks.

We still joke about the turtles. Only now we've run a 3-month pilot Sea Turtle Rescue project modeled on the one in Ghana and we're a little further along from where we started. Just a little.

What we've learned from Project Leader Abraham (AB) Fanbulleh is that it's not easy for people to trust the project's motives. They think we're working with the police, who arrest people in possession of either sea turtles or their eggs and imprison them until they pay a hefty fine.

We also have teaching to do about the importance of sea turtles in maintaining species balance in the ocean ecosystem, although AB has been explaining slowly their connection to keeping jellyfish populations--that ruin fishing nets and spoil entire catches--at bay.

There's obviously more, but that the main stuff. We have a lot to work on in the future!

August 2010 buget update

Here it is, short and sweet, with a little bit of commentary thrown in where I couldn't help myself.

Robertsport Community Campsite
We're going to need to buy new tents for rainy season. The wear and tear from the sun and sand corrodes the tent poles until their elastic snaps and the poles start to rust. We're working on a marifa fix for this (Swahili for 'making something work with what you've got'), which I'll blog about when we get there. The idea being: prolong the life of the existing tents as long as possible and keep an eye out for cheap tents to purchase.

Income
Tent rental and campsite fees: +$330

Expenditure
Campsite staff salaries: -$130
Brushing behind the cotton tree to expand where we can set up tents: -$40
New thatch for the shower: -$10
Kerosene for lanterns: -$20

Sub-total: +$130

Women's Sewing Co-op
We had a massive bulk order from a conference group in the States. Ten percent of product sales go to the Community Fund--a pool for seed money for new projects and loans to community members for their small businesses. You'll see that reflected below.

We also hired a Project Manager! This piece of information is so exciting, it will need it's own post.

Income
Community fund 10% of sales: +$1,000 (!)

Expenditure
Baseline salary (before commission) for Project Manager: -$40

Sub-total: $960


Sea Turtle Rescue
This project is in its 3rd month of pilot currently and we'll be writing up what we've learned--as well as whether we'll continue--when we receive and compile monthly project reports from the Project Leader

Expenditure
Salary (July): -$50

Sub-total: -$50


Community Beach Clean-up
Because of a simple communications issue that we're following up on, we haven't been getting the money to feed our cleanup volunteers from our partner, which means that we've been covering this cost for the last 3 months. We're on this...

Expenditure
4 months of food money for volunteers: -$120

Sub-total: -$120


Surf Liberia Mentoring Program

Income
T-shirt sales: +$18

Sub-total: +$18


Project Summary
Robertsport Community Campsite: +$130
Women's Sewing Co-op: +$960
Sea Turtle Rescue: -$50
Community Beach Clean-up: -$120
Surf Liberia Mentoring: +$18
Total: +$938

Budget Summary
Surf Liberia Mentorship as of July 2010: $195
Community Fund as of June 2010: $839.10
Community Fund as of July 2010: $1,777.10

We have almost $2,000 to use for programming and loans this program cycle! Stay tuned for our plans.

How the Sewing Co-op spends their money

For their bulk order we're sending out next week, we decided to take a group photo. Three of our tenured members were missing, but here we are (the sun was bright: we normally look much better than this):

Top row (left to right): Bendu, Matilda, Tina, Jenneh, Matilda, Botoe, Josephine, Famatta, Rose and Ma Bendu

Bottom row (left to right): Musu, me, Jebbeh

If anyone is in Liberia and would like to take more professional photos of the Co-op for their new website, please let me know. We could use them.

I also asked the members of the Sewing Co-op how they're spending the money that they're earning through the project. Here are their answers...

“With my sewing money…

• I was able to invest in my own video club business.” –Miriama
• I was able to send my children to school.” –Matilda
• I built my house.” –Ma Bendu
• I was able to start my own fish business.” – Rose
• I was able to start selling scratch cards.” –Bendu
• I am doing a crab business” – Tina
• I am building my house.” –Jenneh
• I was able to open by own bank account.” –Josephine
• I am saving my money.” –Botoe
• I am going to built my own house.” –Jebbeh
  

Cool, eh?

Surf Liberia becomes a mentorship program

When we started our Surf Liberia Scholarship program over a year ago, our idea was to offer an alternative vehicle for sponsoring surfers that didn't involve throwing them cash and encouraging a consumer-based lifestyle.

We wanted surfing to be a positive force for change for themselves and their community--to grow leaders through surfing. So we paid their school fees instead.

Fast-forward one year. Nevermind we may not be the *only* people paying their school fees (gasp!). When we asked two surfers what they wanted to do with their sponsorship money, they said they wanted to buy clothes. They thought about it and that's what they came up with. I'm not saying they shouldn't buy clothes, but not with Surf Liberia money. So what good is this money doing?

Nate works professionally at a variety of educational initiatives and projects involving young people and we know we want to impact the local surfers in a way that helps them realize personal and professional goals, whatever they might be. So we're revisioning our Surf Liberia project--which has raised almost $500 in t-shirt sales to date--to be more mentoring oriented and less about just giving young surfers money and equipment. We'll still do that, but we'll have better boundaries and parameters about what we will and will not support.

For example, seed money to start a business, cool. Money to go clothes shopping in Monrovia, probably not. Thanks to Soul Surfers Foundation for their support for Robertsport Community Works and this project: Alfonzo and Phillip are holding donated surfboards above (this photo, btw, was taken in May). They're the ones who aren't getting the clothes, but they have new surfboards. I think they'll get over it.

June 2010 budget update

I know I should be better at posting what we're up to organizationally on here, and I promise to make more of an effort. You'll see. Coming this month: the challenges of sea turtle rescue, the successes of the Women's Sewing Co-op, and how we're adapting our surf mentoring program to better suit the needs of local surfers.

Thanks to a visiting Australian surfer who is helping get our Water Safety programs started and who stayed at the campsite for a bit (until he wisely decided that in the depth of rainy season, sometimes a roof and bed bed offered by the American women who run a youth program is better than a tent). His campsite fees and tent rental will ensure that our Campsite Manager and his back-up have their salaries paid through rainy season.

Also, a *huge* thanks to the EBD Group, who are purchasing 1,000 bags wholesale from the Women's Sewing Co-op for one of their conferences. More about this in another post, but let's just say that they've made an incredible impact in the Robertsport community and the lives of the women in the Co-op.

Here's the budget low-down for June 2010:

Robertsport Community Campsite

Income
Campsite and tent rental +$255

Expenditure
Wallace severance pay -$40*
Kerosene for lanterns -$15

*We had to let former campsite staff Wallace go, as he was showing up for work in a less-than-ideal condition. We will miss his kind face and hard work, and hope to see him at future beach clean-ups and in the community...

Sub-total $200

Women's Sewing Co-op

Income
Community Fund profits from bag sales (14 bags) $14

Sea Turtle Rescue

Expenditure
June salary for Project Leader -$40

Surf Liberia Mentoring Program
Surf Liberia t-shirts profits (13 shirts) +$117

Project Summary
Community Campsite $200
Women's Sewing Co-op $14
Sea Turtle Rescue -$40
Sub-total $174

Budget Summary
Surf Liberia Mentorship as of 2010 $177
Community Fund as of May 2010 $665.10
Community Fund as of June 2010 $839.10

One year of lapas at the Women's Sewing Co-op

The Women's Sewing Co-op--a project I mentor through Robertsport Community Works--is coming up on its 1-year anniversary. The women want to have a party. Most especially, they want me to make the same vegan chocolate cake I made for Bendu's birthday--and they want my recipe. They also want me to help them buy identical lapas so that we can all have matching dresses. If/when this happens, I promise to document it.

You can order bags here!

While I go up to my Tides kitchen and bake for them, here are some of the coolest lapa prints the Co-op has sewn together in the last year:

Gorgeous lapas

Whitewater
Frog feet

Cat tails

Yellow lanterns

Pineapple (so far, the Co-op's all-time favorite)

Cowrie

Plenty fish

Snake eyes

Jungle

Ladybug

Taxi


Tree lapas

Yellow trees

Klimt trees (aka Klimt deforestation)

Leaves


Wildlife lapa
Big butterfly

Honeybees (a favorite)

Peacock

Snail

Blue goose

Free bird

Migration


Entertaining lapa
Camera

Pharmacy

Rooster

School

Tropical palm trees

Bunnies

Aquatic lapa

Big fish

Plenty fish

Oyster

Sting ray

Sea creatures

Fish pond