My Mission in Liberia is coming to an end next month. I can look back on some personal enrichment and I am grateful that, after all those many years of working, I still can have such experiences. I have met a lot of people, interesting ones, important ones and great ones. "Big shots". And yet very humble people. I would like to mention two who have marked me.
At the beginning of the Ivorian Refugee Crisis early 2011, when everything was messy and the humanitarian action had to set up, we had a weekly meeting called the HAC (Humanitarian Action Coordination) meeting. As the situation became more stabilised the meeting was held monthly. I presented the activities and results of the food sector.
What I just wrote, I could make copy/paste for another person.
To assist the population, we need donations. We get them from everywhere. Last year, ECOWAS, the community of West African States, donated rice for the refugees to the Government of Liberia who charged us with the distribution. Last December, the official handing over ceremony from ECOWAS to the Goverment of Liberia was held.
The President of the ECOWAS Comission, Mr. Kadré Désiré Ouedraogo, came personally for this ceremony. He is a national from Burkina Faso and used to be the Prime Minister of that country. During his stay in Liberia he went on a field mission to visit the refugees. I had the pleasure and honor to be part of that mission. As with Mr. Soumaré, I felt very much at ease with him. A real gentleman too.
So, even if you are a "big shot", you still can be a humble person.
I am not a "big shot". But I try to be humble.
