Garmu, Liberia, Fall 2021
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The Panta Region of Liberia – Past and Present
Quanuquanei Karmue (Q), founder of Save More Kids, Inc., family has a long and distinguished history in the Panta region of Liberia. Before Liberia was made a republic in the 1847, the region was governed by a feudal system of kingships and queenships. The slave trade was in full force. People were traded for food to take back to the villages. Q is very proud of his family history. His great-great grandmother, Gbainjay, was a matriarchal queen who had great power and influence in the region and controlled a large tract of highly productive farmlands (reflected in the image above). This female leader was ahead of her time. She did not treat slaves how they would typically be treated. Instead, she traded commodities for slaves and then freed them to live and work as they chose. Q’s great-grandmother, Nyempu, was a girl slave who was traded to Q’s great-great grandmother, Gnainjay, in the 18th century. His great-great grandmother’s son, Kormahyah, fell in love with her and married this Nyempu. This is how Q’s great-grandmother came to be in the Panta region. The influence of strong women and progressive ideas has persisted over the generations. It is no coincidence that powerful African American iconic women such as Oprah Winfrey have genealogy and roots that are traced to Q’s tribe, the Kpella people, in Bong County (according to Oprah.com.)
Centuries later, the influence of these powerful women remains in Garmu. Traces of how his ancestors organized the town still exist. She had divided the area into seven quarters that remain to this day. The main quarter, Gbanan Quoi, interpreted as “First Kitchen” is where Q and his family grew up in the center of town. The seven quarters have a unique arrangement that surrounds the town. This region has continued to be a main farming district for Liberia because of its history of abundance, the fertile soil, and favorable growing conditions. Much of Liberia and its capital city, Monrovia, traditionally sourced many of their fresh foods from the Panta region. Crops grown there include the very important staples rice, cassava, and palm oil; cocoa (coffee) bananas, plantains, bitterball (eggplant), potato greens, potatoes, cabbage and rubber.
The History of the Road – A Deep Family Connection
The road that Run Liberia will reconstruct was initially built two generations ago in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s through the inspiration of the grandparents of Save More Kids Co-Founder, Quanuquanei (Q) Karmue. Q’s grandfather rallied the local communities to engage in a movement to build the road. He understood the necessity of this route for trade, access to health care, and community development. He was a very inspired and patriotic man who persevered in spite of many obstacles. He knew that connecting a passable road to the main road would bring well-being to the people. Q’s grandparents united villagers from ethnic groups who previously did not work together. He was able to unite them in this purpose and together, the people manually built the road from Garmu to Baramu, a village where the road ended at that time. Now, history will repeat itself as Run Liberia and the local Liberian communities band together to rebuild the road and the communities connected to it.
Quanuquanei Karmue (Q), founder of Save More Kids, Inc., family has a long and distinguished history in the Panta region of Liberia. Before Liberia was made a republic in the 1847, the region was governed by a feudal system of kingships and queenships. The slave trade was in full force. People were traded for food to take back to the villages. Q is very proud of his family history. His great-great grandmother, Gbainjay, was a matriarchal queen who had great power and influence in the region and controlled a large tract of highly productive farmlands (reflected in the image above). This female leader was ahead of her time. She did not treat slaves how they would typically be treated. Instead, she traded commodities for slaves and then freed them to live and work as they chose. Q’s great-grandmother, Nyempu, was a girl slave who was traded to Q’s great-great grandmother, Gnainjay, in the 18th century. His great-great grandmother’s son, Kormahyah, fell in love with her and married this Nyempu. This is how Q’s great-grandmother came to be in the Panta region. The influence of strong women and progressive ideas has persisted over the generations. It is no coincidence that powerful African American iconic women such as Oprah Winfrey have genealogy and roots that are traced to Q’s tribe, the Kpella people, in Bong County (according to Oprah.com.)
Centuries later, the influence of these powerful women remains in Garmu. Traces of how his ancestors organized the town still exist. She had divided the area into seven quarters that remain to this day. The main quarter, Gbanan Quoi, interpreted as “First Kitchen” is where Q and his family grew up in the center of town. The seven quarters have a unique arrangement that surrounds the town. This region has continued to be a main farming district for Liberia because of its history of abundance, the fertile soil, and favorable growing conditions. Much of Liberia and its capital city, Monrovia, traditionally sourced many of their fresh foods from the Panta region. Crops grown there include the very important staples rice, cassava, and palm oil; cocoa (coffee) bananas, plantains, bitterball (eggplant), potato greens, potatoes, cabbage and rubber.
The History of the Road – A Deep Family Connection
The road that Run Liberia will reconstruct was initially built two generations ago in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s through the inspiration of the grandparents of Save More Kids Co-Founder, Quanuquanei (Q) Karmue. Q’s grandfather rallied the local communities to engage in a movement to build the road. He understood the necessity of this route for trade, access to health care, and community development. He was a very inspired and patriotic man who persevered in spite of many obstacles. He knew that connecting a passable road to the main road would bring well-being to the people. Q’s grandparents united villagers from ethnic groups who previously did not work together. He was able to unite them in this purpose and together, the people manually built the road from Garmu to Baramu, a village where the road ended at that time. Now, history will repeat itself as Run Liberia and the local Liberian communities band together to rebuild the road and the communities connected to it.
The Impact of One Road
Access to Healthcare
Roads have been a primary challenge for Liberia’s recovery since the Second Liberian Civil War ended in 2003. During the Liberian Civil Wars, up to a quarter of a miller people were killed and approximately one million people were displaced, major businesses fled, and government services were upended. Despite the current stable political conditions, today, nearly 60 percent of unpaved roads remain in very poor and often impassable conditions. The lack of a reliable and sustainable road in the region inhibits the people’s access to medical care, and has contributed to some of the world’s highest infant, child, and maternal mortality rates. According to the United Nations Children's Fund (“UNICEF”), the 2020 infant mortality rate in Liberia was 63 for every 1000 live births (for a frame of reference, the US infant mortality rate was approximately 5 for every live births in 2020). The road will reduce travel times by 75%, enabling people to have more rapid and accessible access to medical clinics and hospitals, greatly reducing suffering and mortality for the entire region.
Economic Development and Poverty Reduction
Due to the lack of a traversable road, economic development and poverty reduction in the region is nearly impossible, as the majority of the nation's produce is grown in remote villages connected to such roads. Local farmers are unable to build solvent businesses and feed their families due to spoilage of fresh produce because of their inability to get their products to markets in a timely manner. This produce is also unable to be delivered and marketed to the growing market in the populated nation’s capital of Monrovia nearly 250 miles away. Additionally, children walk long distances to attend schools, interfering with their ability to complete their education, trapping them in generational poverty. The Run Liberia road will connect an existing major paved road that ranges across Liberia to the Panta region, improving the health, economic opportunities, and future prospects for tens of thousands of people.
Trade Route
For the first time since the wars ended in 2003, this road will re-open a major trade route between Liberia and Guinea, improving the economic progress and well-being of the entire region. Poverty and human suffering are exponentially exacerbated simply because of the lack of a passable road. Furthermore, this event can be a catalyst for other events and projects that can rebuild other regions of Liberia by example. Save More Kids seeks to abate these issues by hosting an incredibly unique and transformative event, Run Liberia.
The Incredibly Welcoming Community of Garmu and the Panta District
Garmu is a tranquil town located in the beautiful Panta District of Bong County in the Republic of Liberia. The people who reside here have suffered the effects of the past wars, yet, they are among the most friendly and inclusive people in the world. You will find yourself feeling completely at home, being included in a culture you have never encountered. The warmth and humanity of Liberians is beyond description, one must experience this connection in person, as it is unforgettable.
Access to Healthcare
Roads have been a primary challenge for Liberia’s recovery since the Second Liberian Civil War ended in 2003. During the Liberian Civil Wars, up to a quarter of a miller people were killed and approximately one million people were displaced, major businesses fled, and government services were upended. Despite the current stable political conditions, today, nearly 60 percent of unpaved roads remain in very poor and often impassable conditions. The lack of a reliable and sustainable road in the region inhibits the people’s access to medical care, and has contributed to some of the world’s highest infant, child, and maternal mortality rates. According to the United Nations Children's Fund (“UNICEF”), the 2020 infant mortality rate in Liberia was 63 for every 1000 live births (for a frame of reference, the US infant mortality rate was approximately 5 for every live births in 2020). The road will reduce travel times by 75%, enabling people to have more rapid and accessible access to medical clinics and hospitals, greatly reducing suffering and mortality for the entire region.
Economic Development and Poverty Reduction
Due to the lack of a traversable road, economic development and poverty reduction in the region is nearly impossible, as the majority of the nation's produce is grown in remote villages connected to such roads. Local farmers are unable to build solvent businesses and feed their families due to spoilage of fresh produce because of their inability to get their products to markets in a timely manner. This produce is also unable to be delivered and marketed to the growing market in the populated nation’s capital of Monrovia nearly 250 miles away. Additionally, children walk long distances to attend schools, interfering with their ability to complete their education, trapping them in generational poverty. The Run Liberia road will connect an existing major paved road that ranges across Liberia to the Panta region, improving the health, economic opportunities, and future prospects for tens of thousands of people.
Trade Route
For the first time since the wars ended in 2003, this road will re-open a major trade route between Liberia and Guinea, improving the economic progress and well-being of the entire region. Poverty and human suffering are exponentially exacerbated simply because of the lack of a passable road. Furthermore, this event can be a catalyst for other events and projects that can rebuild other regions of Liberia by example. Save More Kids seeks to abate these issues by hosting an incredibly unique and transformative event, Run Liberia.
The Incredibly Welcoming Community of Garmu and the Panta District
Garmu is a tranquil town located in the beautiful Panta District of Bong County in the Republic of Liberia. The people who reside here have suffered the effects of the past wars, yet, they are among the most friendly and inclusive people in the world. You will find yourself feeling completely at home, being included in a culture you have never encountered. The warmth and humanity of Liberians is beyond description, one must experience this connection in person, as it is unforgettable.
