Helping the Saye Town Fire Victims

By Ciata Victor, February 5, 2010

On Sunday, January 31, 2010, at about 9:00 PM a fire was started by a candle in the Saye Town Community on 3rd Street in Sinkor. When the fire was finally extinguished around 3:00 am, 18 homes lay in total ruin and approximately 200 people were left homeless, including men, women and children.

On Friday, February 5th, TLC Africa visited the devastated community. The Liberian Red Cross was on site when we arrived. They had been distributing rice, mattresses and water to the people affected by the fire. President Sirleaf had also contributed $5,000.00 of her own money to help the affected victims. I sat down and talk with some of the women about the fire and their prospect for the immediate future.

As we approached Saye Town, the women were all gather in the shade under a tree near the church that had been providing them refuge for the last 4 nights. Some looked aimlessly in space with worry, others try to organize their kids and still others discussed the possibilities of rebuilding and renting. The fire was started accidentally in one of the closely built zinc structures that made up the community of Saye Town, before they could think as one lady put it, the fire was spreading and jumping from one zinc house to another. All they had time to do was grab their children and old people and get out. Fortunately for them, there were no fatalities. For many of these people their options are few if any. They have no money and really no where to go. They also lost everything they had in the fire, including their market goods that they kept inside their houses at night.

As we talked, some expressed a strong desire to rebuild, other just wanted to find somewhere to move their families to, if only they had the money. The US Dollars I had in my bag at the time I give to them, which they immediately changed to Liberian Dollars (LD) and equally distributed amongst themselves. Some bought coal, others bought oil and other things to use to cook the rice that was distributed to them by the Red Cross. It wasn't much and I wish I could do more and that is why I am turning to you our readers to please help these women in any way you can. I took the name and telephone number of the woman the women identified as their community leader, not promising them anything just telling them that I would make public their plight and hope that kind hearted Liberians abroad will assist them with small funds to help them rebuild or rent if that is what they need to do. If you would like to help these women in any way, please call their community leader, Sonnie Guwor at +231-5-973-821. (Sorry, but these people have no access to email. If you want to help, more then likely you will have to send moneygram or western union directly to them through Mrs. Guwor or make a donation directly to the Liberian Red Cross for the Saye Town Fire Victims). Thanks in advance and may God bless you if you do decide to help.

Below are pictures of what was left from the destructive fire in Saye Town, Sinkor.

Ciata

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