Diaspora Liberians Urged to Prioritize Development

A Liberian philanthropist based in the United States of America, Prince Woods, has urged his fellow Liberian citizens residing in the US to prioritize development within their various local communities back home.

Woods said this can be done through a collective effort for the good of the country and the citizens. He made the remarks when he served as keynote speaker at the 2022 Logan Town reunion conference in the United States. 

The conference aimed to encourage citizens particularly from the Logan Town township to focus more on the community initiatives.

According to Woods the development of Logan Town requires the mobilization of resources, mainly finances and the ability to identify the needs and skills of people.

"If we focus on the local communities to empower the less privileged and build human capacity, we can have a better Liberia than what it is now" Woods said.

The program which was under the theme: “Developing a Community Through a Collective Effort" brought together Liberians who were born or raised in Logan town, and have traveled to the US. 

Woods, who runs a Foundation in Liberia that provides scholarships, and renders other assistance, said the abandonment of local communities back home is not a good idea, stating “it is one of the main reasons the country's developmental drive is on a slow pace.”

“The challenges in Logan Town today are numerous, but the story can change if we all decide to use the little we have to improve the lives of the citizens in the various slum communities with a focus target,” Woods stressed.

According to him, to be successful in whatever they want to do, there must be specific achievable goals and objectives set which are measurable with outcomes.

He calls for the need for citizens living outside of the country to start to support and help those who cannot afford back home, stating “My Foundation is already empowering the citizens.”

He said that it is a fact that Liberians are good at what he described as "Photo app." 

Woods challenged his colleagues to work together constructively to achieve their goals.

"I must remind all of us that the photo app must not be our challenge, and as the hopes of the Logan Town family back home will rise and they will be happy to hear about our gathering and plans" Woods said.

He further urged his colleagues to start to treat the ordinary people from the slums as partners, and not as mere recipients, stating “We must give them an ownership role in whatever project or development they will decide to do.”

He however lamented the living conditions of his people back home and called for concrete action to take them from the condition of poverty.

“The rivers are not overflowing causing the people to live in abject poverty,” he explained.

The Liberian philanthropist is the Founder of the "The Prince and Taywah Woods Foundation '' an humanitarian group that he has managed for several years in Liberia along with his wife.

The Foundation has provided and continued to provide educational scholarships, and food, and render other assistance to those in slum areas in Liberia.