One of the glaring indicators of Liberia’s ranking as the 4th poorest country in the world is the ever-present piles of garbage (Liberians refer to it as dirt). It is always juxtaposed to the bright colors and bright smiles of the joyful communities living in the midst of it.
As an impact of Liberia’s civil war(s) essential services were demolished and have never managed to recover. The lack of public sanitation services remains a significant public health threat today.
During our visit in 2020, it was apparent that the burning of garbage (much of it plastics), by the neighboring households to the school, was causing health impacts for our students and staff. Without adequate sanitation removal services communities suffer.
We had a meeting with Gabriel Nyarko, a local environmentalist, visionary, and sanitation provider, to discuss possible partnerships to address solutions for the Gardnersville community.
With a generous grant from Jim and Sally Olson, in honor of the employees of Olson Lab, a plan was created, and the work began.
