Refugee Camp Humanitarian Profile

The Story of Liberian Refugee Karrus Hayes, President of Unite For Sight's Chapter at Buduburam Refugee Camp, and Founder of Carolyn A. Miller School
A Profile About A Special Humanitarian

by: Cindi Loftus with Karrus Hayes

• Childhood memories of being raised in a Civil War.
• Growing up determined to get an education.
• What life is like in the refugee camp where he now lives.
• An interview with Karrus about the free school he founded and directs for refugee children.

Karrus Hayes was born and raised into adult hood in Africa. Here we tell his life story from childhood until today. As a youngster growing up poor in Liberia, Karrus overcame the obstacles of hunger, poverty, beatings, and long days of hard work. His only desire was to keep attending school. Growing up, he had to move constantly to avoid the civil wars. But all through his teen years, often on his own, he continued his education. Today at the age of 32 Karrus is running a free school and helping other refugee children attain the dream of an education.

Karrus was born on July 25, 1974 in a small town hospital in Liberia. His child hood was terrible by his own description. Karrus explains "Many days I went without food. I was beaten by my father always. I slept outside in the street many days under market tables and empty drums. My one and only pants were torn into pieces and it could no longer be sown, therefore I could only tie it (to try and cover the holes) and the most shameful part was that I never had under briefs to wear. The same with my shirt. I walked with my ten toes for many years on the ground, with no shoes."

Karrus was raised by his parents along with four brothers and three sisters. Karrus adds some details "I remember when I was a kid, my Dad was making a very small rice farm along with my mom. But after sometime they both were no longer working together and my mom started a little business buying and selling and she was able to use that to get food for us in the house. But my father was not interested in our education. He took us to the farm to work for the whole day without food. We would actually get something to eat after 5 or 6 p.m. in evening. I often had to follow my father to go in the bushes to cut palm. This was not a palm farm but bush palm. We would walk for hours before you can come across one tree. There was no road in the bushes you have to make you own to follow. And to tell you the true when we cut these palm we have to put the palm on our head to bring them to the main road or the nearby village for processing. Where we lived in Sergeant Kollie Town to the village it was 5 to 6 hours and from that village to the farm that is another 2 to 3 hours. I was never happy when I was in my father's house, the fact remained that I was sponsoring myself to school as a child and he would stop my education because of his farming work. This was something that I never wanted to do, but I was forced to stop school to please him. If I didn't there would be a beating. And another thing I underwent was the issue of my Dad putting stop to me and others eating in the house and also telling the neighbors not give us any food, sometimes for a month. If it was time for his farming work and you have a test to do at school you have to go on the farm then school. If you refuse to do that you will not be feed for a month and you also be beaten for 25 lashes on your back. When he made his rice farm, as soon as it is bearing flowers we have to stop school and move to the farm. Well, there were many things I underwent but I cannot even mention them all. But even though all that went on, today I see that these things help make me what I am. I can withstand any circumstances in life being it good or bad. And also this has helped me to know the needs of people and I can help in that direction."

Karrus's best childhood memories are "The day I wore shoes for the first time. It was a real luxury for me. And I was happy finishing my first year of school where I got a double promotion into second grade." That promotion was a very important happening that led Karrus down the path of believing how important education is to better yourself and your country. But it wasn't easy to go to school poor. You had to wear clothes to go to school and Karrus had to wash that one beat-up outfit every night to wear it again the next morning. Karrus remembers "My whole growing up life was a total struggle but God stood with me to get me to where I am today." Karrus's education was disrupted on so many occasions. He moved three times, which meant changing schools each time. The civil war erupted in Nimba county Liberia on December 24, 1989 and the war entered into Monrovia on July 1, 1990; in Paynesville.

When that war happened, Karrus's education stopped and his family had to run for their lives. The family was separated. Some were displaced to the Bong Mines. Karrus lived there among citizens and many rebels. He moved again to Sergeant Kollie Town when he was told that his mother died from illness that as the result of the war.

In 1992 the road reopened from Gbarnga to Monrovia and Karrus was able to get back to Monrovia. Everywhere was dark and depressing but he knew he wanted a meaningful future and to finish his education. He tells me "I sold toilet tissue, candy, and many other items in the street of Monrovia. I had been living with a family before the war, but they had moved to Ghana. The money I was earning would help me get back into school. I returned to school from 1992-1996." But again a civil war broke out and again Karrus was forced to stop his schooling. He moved again. This time leaving the country for Ghana. He was able to attend high school in 1997- 1998. Karrus finally graduated from High School at the age of 24. Then he moved, again away from war to Buduburam, the refugee camp in Ghana. There were thousands of other Liberian refugees there. Karrus continued his studies "I attended a local community college in the refugee settlement and I did business studies and I obtained a certificate. Then I went back to the classroom in 2004 where I attended Aptech to learn Information Technology. I did Microsoft ware and website designing and completed the course." Although Karrus did well in all his classes, his favorites were always social studies, histories and later business related courses. Karrus made it through all that strife of growing up, sometimes alone, but he ALWAYS, whenever humanly possible, got himself to school. Karrus says, "The worst thing was that I really struggled to go to school as a child. There was no one to help pay for my fees and encourage me to go to school. I sold bread, ice cream, and Kool aid, to earn money to pay for my school tuition. I also went into the bushes along with other friends to break wood to sell and I earned $1.00 or 50¢ from each trip. And these amounts were kept for a year to be able to pay for my school. When I worked for other people I earned the sum of $10.00 US dollars a month." The best thing about Karrus completing his education is being able to relate to people around the world. He adds " I can express myself to others and they can understand me and can work with me."

Karrus continues to give back to those caught, as he was, in the trap of poverty and war. Karrus is now the director of a free elementary school in a refugee camp. Today Karrus is doing his part to make the world a better place by educating little children. It's not an easy thing to do with little money and few supplies, because there isn't much in a refugee camp. But he does his best, and his best makes a difference in his world. And the world he has chosen is a refugee camp. A refugee camp is a tough place to live. Let me tell you about what life is like there. (Much of this description comes from Karrus)

Buduburam Refugee Camp is located in Ghana, and the closest city is Accra,which is also about 45 minutes drive. The closest town here is Kasoa it is about 5-6 minutes drive. The refugee camp itself had close to 48,000 people, but some refugee have returned to Liberia. There are now about 41,000 refugees in the camp. Initially, people lived in tents, but as time went on, refugees were able to make dirt block and build their own houses. There are some shops in the camp, and some material stores around the camp. St. Gregory clinic is the major health center on the grounds.

I asked Karrus "How do people make a living at Buduburam?" He said "I will firstly starting by saying it is by the grace of God that people are making a living here. If we want to look at the physical aspect, then of course some refugees have their relatives in the US and other part of the world that send them money sometime on a monthly basis. Another group of refugees are teachers, some other refugees make a small green garden, some groups make dirt block for construction that which they sell for money to other refugee who want to build a dwelling place, some groups sell provision, some sell water, some have a call center since many people depend on phone calls as their means of income and some sell food items."

Since I speak to Karrus on the computer and on the phone, it seems as if the camp has all modern conveniences. But you would be surprised to learn that while there are cell phones and computer internet service, there is no running water, and no plumbing. Electricity is only available to those that can afford to pay for connection and the monthly bills. And even if you are connected, the electricity is sporadic. Drinkable water must be purchased. It is brought in by truck and sold to wholesalers who resell it in buckets or bags.

There are very few refrigerators or televisions. But many people have radios. There are two-refugee newspapers in the camp. There are some computers. Karrus clarifies, "There are three Internet cafes here where every refugee goes to communicate with their relative and the rest of the world. Yes, there are mobile phones that widely used here since that is one of the best ways people can be able to get in touch with their relatives and friends aboard. The mobile is very important to everyone here. It is like one of the major means of getting income. The fact is that it is used to call someone when you are in need of money."

THE INTERVIEW

I asked Karrus about having come so far, what his life is like today and three wishes for the future.

When you got to this refugee camp was there a school?

Yes, there were few schools here that required fees. Their charges were so high that many refugee kids couldn't afford go to school.

How did you get involved with opening a free school?

I got involved with the school in 2003. There was a great need that existed at the time, there were so many kids been deprived from going to school because they had no money to pay for tuition. Before I started there were over four thousands two hundred plus unaccompanied minor, orphans and others refugee street kids all over the refugee camp who were completely out school and there was no hope for their educational future. I bless the good Lord that gave me the idea to start the push so that now many are now enjoying a free education.

How did you become the director of the school?

I feel that is the right of every child to go to school. After I saw the kids being deprived from education, I decided I wanted to help solve some of the problems, but I did not have money to sponsor a child by paying for their tuition. I knew I could do something about it. I therefore asked a friend, Mr. Henry Cole who is right now in the US, if we could start something that some of the kids who were out of school can benefit from. I tell you true everyone I spoke to accepted the idea and I was able to discuss this issue with my church. The pastor encouraged me to go ahead and they offered me the church building where we started. I got some money to start and I also borrowed some money from the church, which was pretty closed to $50.00. I was able to use that amount to make chalkboards and bought chalk. Then some of my friends and I were able to go from street corner to corner and in all the street of Buduburam to meet some of these kids and encouraged them to come to school free. Best of all, my friend, Henry F. Cole was the man that really worked hard. I am so proud of him. As time when by, we got many kids in school and the building could no longer accommodate them. This is how today I am a director for the Carolyn A. Miller Elementary School. If just you wish to know why I named the school Carolyn A. Miller, then you may have this answer. Carolyn A. Miller is an American lady who live in Liberia for over 25 years and she has made a great impart on the lives of Liberian children. She has been able to sponsor and support hundreds Liberian children in school including myself. I therefore named this school in honor of her. Please allow me talk about another wonderful lady Cori Stern. Cori Stern who is a screenwriter put volunteers together to build a school. Cori and her group are the reason we have this beautiful school building for the kids.

What are your duties at the school, and at Unite For Sight?

Well, if you ask for my duties right now is to supervises all Unite For Sight programs here on the refugee camp and make sure that the work is carried on. I write reports to our headquarter in the US, and also put in for request of needed items that will help us carry on our work effectively and chair meetings with the chapter members and with Dr. Clarke as respect to our work. At the school, I also supervise the day-to-day activities of the school; send report to donors and other interesting groups. I also go above informing to the world about the school through the means of email and putting the school information on others website as the means of advertising the school or making people aware of the school. I am also responsible to give volunteers who are coming to the school information as how to get here and what they expect when they get here. I also do almost every documentation for the school; project proposals and others important communications. Finally answer incoming emails and snail mails that come to the school. I will say that the school is depending on me for its operations. I also make sure that the kids have their needs met to ensure that they can learn in comfort and also teachers are well taken care of.

How many children attend?

There are about five hundreds and sixty plus kids attending the school.

What subjects are taught?

The kids learn the following subjects, English, Math, Science, Rhyme, phonic, Physical education, Environmental studies, Religious and Moral education, Social studies, French, spelling, reading, Music and drama.

Must they wear uniforms? shoes?

Yes the kids have to wear a uniform. There are two kinds of uniforms; one is for Physical Education and the other one is the regular uniform which identify them from others school kids. Yes, they also wear have to wear shoes. We provide for the kids the uniforms but they take care of the feet wear themselves since we do not have a donor to take care of that, some wear slipper to school since they don't have the means of getting shoes.

Where do you get the supplies for the students at the school?

We buy the school supplies from Accra and sometime people send them from the US as a donation for the school.

How do you choose teachers? Do they get paid?

We choose teachers by the means of appreciation and an interview. Yes the teachers are paid. I first started paying teachers $10.00 per month but now some are paid between $30-$45.00 and this is really a worry for me because sometimes I don't have it to pay and this is embarrassing when I am been requested to pay their salaries. The issue of salary is one of the major problems I have running this school but I pray that it will be settle one day.

Karrus do you earn a salary for your job?

No, I am not paid any salary I am totally doing this as voluntary work and I really enjoy it.

What is a typical day like for you? You get up at..... and then.....

Now if we talk about the typical day for me, it is rough many time to really start the day because when you get up in the morning the first thing that come to your mind is food and water and how to get them. Water and food are the two major things in demand here. I normally get up 5:45am to get myself ready and depart the house by 7:30am since some arrive at the school by that time and also Unite for sight work starts at 9am. What I do is schedule myself or ask other people to handle some aspects for me in either area. I could also say that I do not really have a set hour for work since I am so over loaded. I am always finding myself with many tasks coming from all difference directions. I will be doing some work for people in US and I will have work coming from the UK and also other work I have to do here. I have to make sure to take care of all that, plus I have to do for the school and Unite For Sight.

How many hours per week do you work?

Well, I sometimes work for 45 or more hrs per week depending on what I am working on at the time. I sometimes work late in the night to enable me to complete some huge work on hand. It is a normal for me since I am now used to it. I sometimes go to bed at midnight or later.

Do you feed the children at the school?

No we do not feed the kids since there is no sponsor for that aspect of our school program.

If you could make three wishes come true for the school, what would they be?

If I could make three wishes for the school, I will wish for another school to be built in Liberia, I would wish for school supplies and payment of teachers administrative staff and support staff salaries.

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