Liberia -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l 1
Liberia
This program is currently inactive.
Habitat for Humanity worked in Liberia from 2000 to 2004, when the political and civil unrest made it impossible to continue operations.
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A woman prepares food in front of her home in a rural village.
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Why Habitat was needed in Liberia
From 1989 to 1995, Liberia was embroiled in a civil war and in 1999, fighting broke out again. Peace was only achieved in 2003. During the civil war, approximately 250,000 people were killed. Hundreds of thousands of people fled from the fighting, and many refugees who fled to neighboring countries have yet to return. Others who stayed were forced to live in substandard housing conditions.
The years of conflict left Liberia’s infrastructure and economy in ruins. Progress has been slow, partly due to heavy international debts. The capital city, Monrovia, is still without running water or electricity. Illiteracy is high and 85 percent of the population is unemployed. As a result of this, an estimated 80 percent of Liberians live below the poverty line, and the average life expectancy is just 41 years.
How Habitat helped
Before the close of the program, Habitat Liberia was able to construct 98 houses.
Highlights
One of the Program’s highlights was participating in the Jimmy Carter Work Project of 2002.
Facts about Liberia
Location: West coast of Africa, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Population: 3.6 million
Languages: English and more than 20 local dialects
Climate: Tropical
Religions: Indigenous beliefs, Christianity, Islam
Government: Republic
Economy: Main exports include diamonds, iron ore, rubber, timber, coffee and cocoa