Garbage Business Is Big Time Money!

Continuing the IMPAC 1-year celebration, the IMPAC team, CBEs, and other MCC employees participated in a parade from Cellcom, to LU, to the City Hall Theater where the Mayor gave excited words to the team. We stopped traffic for a few minutes, but we promise it was for good reason! Walk with us as we show pride for our year old project!

CBE’s Receive New Tricycles for Trash Collection

As the IMPAC Project rounds out its first year in action, we had much to celebrate as the Community Based Enterprises (CBEs) received their new waste collection tricycles over the weekend. With these tricycles, small business trash collectors are able to go door to door collecting trash from homes for deposit to our dumpsters. Then, the larger trash companies take the trash from the dumpsters to the big dump sites. This way, everyone has a hand in keeping Monrovia beautiful! My favorite picture is the one with the proud CBE owner with his hand on his new tricycle. These tools are going to help these men make money and serve the city!

Meet the New Guy

“Now it’s time to say goodbye…”

It’s been a ton of fun working on this site for MCC, but new opportunities are leading me in new directions and unfortunately this will be the last week I will be operating MCC’s web base and MCC TV. Growth is good and change is awesome!

I’d like to introduce you all to my colleague Smith who will be taking over this work once I’m gone. Smith is our resident IT genius, and now he’ll be keeping you up-to-date on all things City Hall. You’re in good hands, just a new perspective.

If you miss me terribly, you can always follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and my African lifestyle website will be in full swing on January 1, 2011. Though it’s no substitute for the closeness we’ve experienced here, I’d love to still be intouch!

Smith will takeover the site on Oct 3, 2011. Be as great and honest with him as you have been with me!

 

Sensational at 60? That’s Mayor’s Area!

In case you missed it, the Mayor had her birthday party right at home in the City Hall Ballroom this week. It was a great celebration with great music, performances, and lots of yummy food. Peep the festivities you missed, and remember, you can still wish her a happy birthday right here! She will be 60 all year long!

Happy 60th Birthday, Mayor Broh!

Yes, I was just as surprised by her age as you are. But indeed, Tomorrow is her birthday! Leave a comment here to wish her many more, and I’ll give them to her during her celebration!

The Trashy Bags Training Conference

Members of our team recently went to Ghana to learn how to turn trash into trashy bags! I love trashy bags because they are an adorable way to reuse the bags of water that we discard in the rivers and swamps. As you can see from the pictures, they turn “Trash into Cash” by sterilizing the bags, then sewing them together to make recycled tote bags. The tote bags are then stitched into a piece of lappa with a zipper around the edges for neat travel, making them perfect for carrying to the grocery store.

Visit the official website for Trashy Bags here, but check out the pictures from the trip in our gallery. I LOVE Trashy Bags!!

Liberian Police Goes Tough on Crimes

LNP has tightened it up a bit, which is good news for anyone headed this way for elections! I found this article in the Daily Observer interesting so I figured I’d share.

 

In an effort to curtail rising wave of incendiary attacks against unsuspecting people including the throwing of petrol bombs, Liberia National Police (LNP) has embarked on new tough security and safety measures.

Addressing a crowded news conference in Monrovia yesterday, police spokesman George Pardue said henceforth, nobody would be allowed to sell petroleum products along the principal streets.

He further disclosed that no unlicensed vehicles would be allowed to ply the streets.

According to him, officers of the LNP would conduct random “breathalyzer testing” to prevent incidents of drunk driving. “Spot checkpoints would also be erected throughout the Country and vehicles including motorcycles as well as individuals would be thoroughly searched as of midnight to 6:00 a.m.” Mr. Bardue noted.

MCC Supports Calvary Youth Empowerment Team

MCC was excited to celebrate the end of this summer’s Calvary Youth Empowerment Program. It was chaired by our HR manager Samuel Duo, and MCC was a proud corporate sponsor. In addition, many children of employees attended while other employees donated money for snacks or to help with field trips. Here’s a quick look at the basketball program and other fun times the kids shared. Don’t let your child miss out next year! Leave me a comment with your email address for more information!

Liberia Marathon Press Release and Photos!

BHP+Billiton+Liberia+Marathon+FINAL+PRESS+RELEASE-1

http://allafrica.com/photoessay/LiberianMarathon/#photo

Having a few technical issues with links and wordpress today. It’s not working as much as I’d like, but since I’m dying in anticipation as I wait for the official Marathon photos to be released I figure I’d put the information up for you to navigate yourself anyway. Today, Bonnie Allen posted the above link on AllAfrica.com, so hopefully they curb your Liberia Marathon appetite! Check out the Mayor, Ambassador, President, and even get a look at the CEO of BHP Billiton, the headlining sponsors of the event, get to running in the rain!

 

 

 

 

 

The Most Moving Marathon Run You’ll Ever Finish

The Most Moving Marathon Ever from Archel Bernard on Vimeo.

If she ran it! So can you.

Personal article available on my personal blog. Pics and full video coming soon!!