Doctorroots TV: The Voice of  Unconventional Truth and Justice
Channel: African Renaissance Festival 2023
Date: 2012-11-14

I am a survivor of the horrific   uncivil war in Liberia.   In early 2002, I escaped Liberia, sought and received political asylum in the United States and settled down in Staten Island, New York, home to more than ten thousand Liberians who fled the civil war in Liberia. In the spring of 2003, in partnership with psychologist Jack M. Saul, PhD, the Executive Director of the International Trauma Studies Program/REFUGE, Program for Survivors of Torture, and other progressive Liberians, we formed African Refuge, Inc. This was in response to the many needs of war victims from Africa living on the North Shore of Staten Island many of whom are below the poverty line.
 
In July 1990, during the height of the civil carnage in Liberia, I miraculously survived the infamous St. Peter's Lutheran Church massacre that took the lives of about six hundred people and injured many others. I witnessed the execution of my older brother by the Government death squad and escaped, living under false identity in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia for several days. In October 1994, I survived an assassination attempt to my life by anti-democratic forces, leaving me with a shattered right leg and physically handicapped for over 10 years.
 
Despite of the many catastrophic events in my life, I have always kept a positive outlook. Since arriving in the United States, I have continued to volunteer for good causes, even under extreme circumstances. In 2004, while recovering from a reconstructive orthopedic surgery marked by excruciating pain, I served as a volunteer youth mentor for Joint Action for Community Services (JACS), a national volunteer organization engaged in helping graduates of Job Corp integrate into main stream society.
 
While in Liberia, my work centered on human rights, HIV/AIDS, environmental awareness, promotion of volunteerism, and humanitarian assistance to children orphaned by the brutal civil war in Liberia. In February 1998, I co-founded Free Teens Liberia, Inc. a non-profit volunteer organization with the mission of promoting human rights and alleviating the plight of disadvantaged children, combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy as well as the incident of drugs and substance abuse among teenagers through abstinence based education. In August 2000, I served as the Country Representative of the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE).  I was responsible for the coordination of activities surrounding the United Nations International Year of Volunteers (IYV2001), and follow-up activities in Liberia. In November 2000, I successfully co-founded Call Management, Inc. a social entrepreneur venture engaged in the sales of computer hardware and accessories, internet telephone service and other communication technology solutions, to support the work of both Free Teens, Inc. and IAVE.
 
What makes me do what I do is a strong fundamental believe in God. I am convinced beyond all doubt that God permitted me to survive the upheavals in Liberia so that I can become an agent of change; representing the downtrodden through direct service and advocacy. Philosophically, I believe that every disappointment is an opportunity. I also believe that poverty is in the mind, but will is the driver of knowledge, wealth and prosperity. My strong religious and family upbringing helped to elevate my will. I believe that what others have accomplished can be accomplished.
 
I am a graduate of the Executive Management Training Program at Columbia University 2009 class.   I hold a Master's of Business Administration (MBA) degree with concentration in organization psychology and development and Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA) with concentration in human resource management from the American Intercontinental University Online respectively.
 
My interests are human rights, politics, education, leadership, environment, religion, music, physical science, arts and culture. I am founding member and current Secretary General of Liberian Initiative for Justice ( LIJ).