|
Annual
Krao convention rocks Georgia in finale
Saturday,
September 09, 2006
By Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh
She was
sultry and sensual, and reminded her audience of her
days in Kendaja, when she sang and danced to the drums
and traditional tunes of the Liberian National
Cultural Center.
She was also buoyant and self-confident, crisp
and dapper in appearance and lived up to her billing,
as the sensational Tarloh Quiwonkpa whom the
convention planners hoped would bring out the crowd to
their
annual event.
Tarloh Munah Quiwonkpa/photo archive
Tarloh did performed and the crowd came out en
masse to cheer her in a packed convention hall where
her audience, hundreds and hundreds of them admired
and applauded her every move as she sang couple of her
emotionally penetrating ballads in her native Kru
dialect.
Tejajlu's
Anthony "Experience"
Seyon Nagbe
Her counterpart, Anthony “Tejajlu” Seyon
Nagbe, the old pro he is stepped up to the occasion
and first sang his new creation, “Liberia,” before
he was politely asked by the audience to sing one of
the “Tejajlu’s” signature songs that propelled
his group to fame. He did just that and the crowd
rushed to the floor to sing and dance along with
him.
Tarloh
and "Experience" Seyon Nagbe were great. We
must all salute them for their contributions to
convention '06.
Prominent Krao citizens at the National Convention
in GA;
l-r E. Wettee, Karpeh, Nimely, Sungbeh and Workpeh
Kofa
courtesy: Bushchicken
The 15th annual convention of the
National Krao Association in the Americas (NKAA), held
in Georgia by all account was a success in terms of
issues discussed, fundraising and attendance as non-Krao
crossed ethnic, political and social lines to support
the Krao people who met to celebrate their heritage
and raise funds for projects in Liberia especially the
Redemption Hospital in New Kru Town.
It all started with the arrival of the
conventioneers on Friday, the 1st of
September to the home of Mr. & Mrs. Chris Wleh
Moore, who hosted the guests to an event dubbed the
‘welcome ceremony’ in Snellville, Georgia.
The hosts did not disappoint and joyfully
opened their home to the guests who traveled many
miles away from their own homes to be in Atlanta, and
the metro area for the three-day event, which did not
end in Snellville but continued the next day to the
Quality Inn, the official venue of the convention.
On Saturday the 2nd, diabetes
specialist Josie Curran, who is one of three panelists
invited to the convention discussed the danger of the
deadly disease and its effects on other organs when
left untreated.
Ms. Curran stressed the need for exercise –
at least 30 minutes a day, proper diet and a change in
lifestyle to avoid heart attack, stress, stroke,
amputation and blindness.
She advised men over 40 years of age to
“please check your prostate and psa level,” and
also advised women to “visit your doctors to check
your reproductive organs,” which could be affected
when diabetes is in the equation.
The second speaker, environmental engineer
Morris Koffa, who is also Executive Director of
Liberia Environmental Watch (www.liberiaenvironmentalwatch.com),
spoke candidly about the “environmental crisis” in
Liberia, and how we can help alleviate the problem in
our country.
With power point and slides to backup his
claims and concerns about the degradation of the
environment in Liberia, Mr. Koffa showed “a typical
view” of piles of garbage in New Kru Town, dirty and
unsanitary market stalls in Duala and dilapidated
buildings and muddy streets in other parts of
Monrovia.
Mr. Koffa impressed his audience about the
tragedy in their former neighborhoods and challenged
them to do more for their people in these critical
times. Some audience members were saddened by the
environmental crisis and left with a mental picture of
what their former neighborhoods looked like since they
left home.
The poet and former teacher, K. Moses Nagbe was
dynamic in his presentation about education in
general, and the mis-education of Krao children after
the civil war.
Mr. Nagbe, who added an intellectual flavor to
the discussions attributed the mis-education of Krao
children and all of Liberia’s children to teachers
who are not getting paid, the content of what’s
being taught, scarcity of teachers and values.
What can Krao people in the Diaspora do to help
their people? He asked. “We should take an inventory
of ourselves, we need to focus and commit ourselves to
something positive so that we can be able to have an
ethno-cultural leverage in Liberia.”
Emmanuel Toe and Emmanuel Wettee, both of whom
are running to be president of the Union of Liberian
Associations in the Americas (ULAA), introduced
themselves, were recognized at the convention and
spoke briefly about their candidacies to a listening
audience.
Mabel Jaryennneh Green, Acting president of the
host Georgia chapter thanked the delegation for their
visit to her State, and spoke of the ailing president
Terry Dunbar whom she praised for his dedication to
the association’s goals, and wished he could be with
us. However, with the assistance of some caring
members and to the surprise of all, Mr. Dunbar was
able to join the evening of entertainment.
Ms. Green presented awards to Krao and non-Krao
people - individuals who contributed to the welfare of
others and made a difference in society.
A queen contest was held between Juah
Bestman of Georgia and Nancy Toby of Rhode Island. Juah Bestman
won the contest and was
crowned Queen of the National Krao Association in the
Americas (NKAA).
The outgoing National Chairlady Benedicta
Satiah commented that she “will be remiss if she did
not mention Georgia’s delicious peaches,” and was
gracious to the Georgia chapter and its leadership for
“making us proud.”
Ms. Satiah also paid tribute to the deceased
former National Chairman, Peterson Dapaye Jebboe who
left us almost 3 years ago.
Jlator Nah Gewleh of the Minnesota chapter was
elected National Chairman of the National Krao
Association in the Americas (NKAA), defeating Monroe
Young of the Rhode Island chapter, who put up a
spirited fight.
The convention was successful and ended at a
local park on a very bright and high note on Sunday,
the 3rd.
The 2007 national convention will be held in
the State of Rhode Island.
|
