This document provides background information on Liberia and the Foya District of Lofa County. It discusses the history of Liberia including its establishment through resettlement by freed slaves from the US. It describes the geography, demographics, and counties of Liberia. For Foya District specifically, it outlines the population, ethnic groups, education, health, agriculture, security, infrastructure, markets, and pictures. It also provides a brief history of the Kissi people and Diompillor Minnesota, an organization of Kissi residents in Minnesota.

1. Diompillor-Minnesota Awareness Program Presentation on Foya District

2. Background on Liberia

3. Background cont’d Liberia is located on the west coast of Africa. It is bordered on the west by Sierra Leone, on the north by Guinea, on the east by Ivory Coast and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean.

4. Present day Liberia was called Grain Coast by Portuguese explorers who established contacts there as early as 1400s because of the abundance of Malegueta pepper. The British installed trading posts on the Grain Coast in the 1600s but these posts were destroyed by the Dutch a few years later. There were no further reports of European settlements along the Grain Coast until the arrival of freed slaves in the early 1800s.

5. U.S.-LIBERIA RELATIONS In 1819 Congress appropriated $100,000 for the establishment of Liberia and the resettlement of freemen and freed slaves from North America. The resettlement was carried out by the American Colonization Society, led by prominent Americans such as Francis Scott Key, George Washington's nephew Bushrod Washington, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and Presidents James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson. The first group of settlers arrived in Liberia from the United States in 1822.

6. Independence Liberia declared independence on July 26, 1847. Great Britain was the first to recognize Liberia’s independence. The United States did not officially recognize Liberia’s independence until 1862.

8. It has 15 sub-political divisions called Counties.

9. Total Population as of 2008 census is 3.49 million.

10. There are four ethnic groups (Mei, Mende and Kwah, Americo-Liberians).

11. 95% of the population is indigenous (Mei, Kwa, and Mende).

12. 5% Americo-LiberiansNumber of tribes under each group

13. Lofa County

14. Lofa Cont’d Lofa county is one of the 15 counties of Liberia. It is located in the northwestern Liberia It is bordered on the west by Sierra Leone, on the north and east by Guinea, on the south by Bong and Gbarpolu counties. Lofa has a total land area of 3,854 sq mi and six districts . As of the 2008 Census, it had a population of 270,114, making it the fourth most populous county in Liberia.

15. The districts of Lofa co. and Population (2008 census estimates) Foya District (71,364) Kolahun District (59,057) Salayea District (22,968) Vahun District (16,876) Voinjama District (40,73) Zorzor District (40,35

16. Brief History of The Kissis and Foya The Kissi people come from three countries that Share common borders. Before political boundaries were created, these people were one, as shown by their location in the adjoining map. These boundaries constituted a great inconvenience for the people as they divided a people who once shared a common currency and other elements of commerce.

17. History of foya cont’d- Foya District is located in Lofa County in north western Liberia. It is bordered by Guinea on the north, Sierra Leone on the west and Kolahun district on the east. Foya is largely home to Kissi ethnic group in Liberia. Kissis can also be found in Sierra Leone and Guinea in towns and villages bordering Foya District. The population of Foya is seventy three thousands. Foya was created as a statutory district by an act of national legislature in 2005, yet is has no statutory superintendent or administration.

18. Education status in Foya: There are about seventy schools in Foya including missions, public and private. There are only two senior high schools, four junior high schools and the rest are elementary schools. The student population is about 21,000 with 63 government paid teachers, the rest are community paid. The government of Liberia through the help of INGOs has succeeded in constructing more the 20 schools in Foya. There is only one small public library recently constructed and furnished in Foya city. It has a capacity of 20 students at a time.

19. Health status in foya: The health sector of Foya is on its knees. This means that there are only six clinics, one mission clinic and one government public hospital that has no staff, no drugs and weak administration. The six clinics are without nurses, drugs and only one medical doctor in Foya with a population of 73,000.

20. Agriculture in foya Agriculture: The agriculture sector of Foya is gradually picking up with support from Gtz, Samaritans purse, and others. The cocoa, and coffee farms are under rehabilitation by the citizens with some help from NGOs. There is only one mechanized agriculture company currently engaged in rice production in Foya(ADA/LAP). The farm is located in Temisadu, along the makona ricer bank. More than 17000 hactares has been cultivated according to ADA farm manager. The company has employed more than 400 citizens. The only farmers cooperatives is trying to gain its pre war status.

21. Security situation in foya Security Sector: The security sector of foya is heavily supported by UNMIL and the LNP. The citizens are cooperating with the securities in making sure that crimes are minimized with support for the justice system.

22. Information disemination in foya Source of information: There is one local radio station that operates on a 35watts transmitter that is currently non functional. There is a need for a 300 watts transmitter to cover the entire district with Sierra Leone and Guinea since we speak the same the kissi language. There is an 8 rooms radio house newly built by the citizens with the aid of Plan InternationalLiberia, and PAKBAT 10 and 12. It is located on mount Tamba Taikor. The station has a board selected by the district elders and has a station manager.

23. Social life in foya Social Life: There are few night clubs, shops, and video clubs in Foya operated by private citizens. There is one leading club and, a guest house and restaurant. Many youths relies on this club for amusement on evenings especially week ends and holidays . There is one 65kva generator donated to the district by the Vice President of Liberia. We have managed to plant few poles and connected wires to few and have only 7 street lights connected. The generator can only come on when a dignitary individual visits town. There is no source of fuel. There are two electricians who are volunteers to maintain the generator.

24. Road networks in foya Road Net work: The major high way from Voinjama to Foya is deplorable. There is no means transportation especially in the rainy season when this road is cutoff by heavy floods on the latterite road. Nowadays, people only use motorbikes to travel from Foya to Voinjama. L$1000.00 per person on motorbike. Feeder roads are a bit better with the construction of concrete bridges on rivers around Foya district. Thanks to Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment(LACE), GTZ and SP for their help.

26. The foya market The Market system: The women and Youth of Foya are now engaged in business in the district. There is a newly built market hall in Foya done by LACE. Goods from Gueckedou guinea, and Sierra Leone are mainly seen on the markets due to bad road condition from Foya to Monrovia. We use four currencies in Foya; the United States dollars, the Liberian dollars, the Guinea francs and the leones of Sierra Leone. Foya is headed by a district commissioner, paramount chief, City mayor, a youth leader and a women leader.

27. History cont’d The foya Traditional Week Market The foya town is located in the center of the Liberian kissi tribal area, has an important weekly market. The Saturday foya market day, is a very colorful happening and has an important regional economic function. It is estimated that an average of 5000 to 7000 people participate on each market day. Most of these are local farmers while there are also several hundred of traders.

28. History cont’d . In addition to these local kissi traders who buy and sell local agricultural commodities, the market is visited by several others from the capital Monrovia, neighboring countries Sierra Leone, and Guinea. The market surveys in the 1970s showed that the annual export from foya of coffee, cocoa, and palm kernels amounted to at least 400 metric tons of commodities, presenting a value of some US$40,000.00 based on an average kg price of US$0.10. The foya Saturday market turnover confirms the firm establishment of the money economy in Lofa county Liberia in the early 1970s. This is in spite of the fact that Farming in Foya district is mainly done through traditional subsistence production for family consumption

29. Foya in Pictorial

46. A Brief History of diompillor MN Diompillor MN was born out of the desire of the Kissi people living in MN, to unite in order to build a stronger Kissi community, as enshrined in the preamble of its constitution.

47. The preamble of diompillormn constitution We the citizens and descendants of Foya District and those along the Makona river belt of Guinea and Sierra Leone residing in Minnesota, the United States of America, Realizing the amount of destruction and untold suffering the crisis in Liberia has brought to the Kissi People and the people of Foya District and its environs in particular, And being concerned about the social, economic and political effects of the devastating civil conflict on our people, characterized by severe loss of human lives, massive displacement of people and the destruction of social, physical as well as political infrastructures coupled with present political, ethnic and religious divisions and intolerance, social injustices, the abuse of human rights and non-adherence to the rule of law which continue to perpetuate violence within both rural and urban communities in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, And recognizing our cultural and traditional duty to stay united as one people, ensure the well-being of each other at all times, and promote healthy and peaceful living amongst the Kissi people for the prosperity of the Kissi tribe, Do hereby resolve to establish a national organization of citizens and descendents of the kissi tribe residing in Minnesota, the United States of America to be named and styled DIOMPILOR.

48. : OBJECTIVES OF DIOMPILLOR MN The objectives of the organization are as follows: Help improve and promote healthy collaboration, cooperation and coordination among members and the Kissi community in Minnesota; Build a link between Kissis residing in Minnesota and those residing in Foya District and along the Makona river belt of Guinea and Sierra; Help build and strengthen local structures of Foya district at both community and national levels for the development of the Kissi people and Foya District; Mobilize resources for the promotion of sustainable peace and development initiatives in Foya District; Provide members and other partners with information on needs and developmental initiatives for Foya District.

49. Types of Membership Full Membership: Full membership shall be accorded to people of the Kissi tribe and descendants of the Kissi tribe who express willingness to become members of DIOMPILOR. b. Associate Membership Associate membership shall be accorded to people who consider the Kissi tribe as their second tribe, or those who share the values and traditions that DIOMPILOR stands for. We hope you all can become associate members and help us build a united and stronerdiompillor.

50. Thank You for Attending!

51. References http://www.travelpod.com/photos/0/Liberia/Foya.html Moses A. Saah President/ Foya Youths United for Development FOYUD Cell: 06412880 www.liberiapastandpresent.org/SantenCharlesVan/Author.htm