Though I grew up in the United States, I always had a burning passion to showcase the positive aspects of my dear country, Liberia. My family immigrated to the United States in 2005, and to this day, they have not returned, so I never had the opportunity to have first-hand experiences of growing up in the country.
Because of that sudden departure and the lack of exposure to Liberian culture in my newfound home, I became curious and began doing random Google searches about Liberia. It was a quest to increase my knowledge about a country I had been separated from, and Google was no help: all that ever came up were disturbing pictures of Liberia, including the devastating civil war, the Ebola epidemic, ingrained poverty, and more.
I knew that these images were extremely harmful to a country that was already in desperate need of investments, partnerships, and tourism to help rebuild post-war Liberia, and they inspired me to launch one of Liberia’s most prominent online platforms to showcase only positive images of Liberia.
Drained by the ill perceptions of my home country, I wasn’t going to sit back and let Google and the Western media continue to take away from Liberia’s rich cultures, traditions, landscapes, and peoples by solely focusing on the country’s devastating past. In 2016, I made an unprecedented step and created Liberia Positives, popularly known as LibPositives.
The platform focuses on the beautiful and positive sides of Liberia, with a mission of rebranding the image of the country by sharing beautiful photos and positive news as well as telling the success stories of Liberians in the country and throughout the Diaspora. Through social media marketing, I’m also promoting rising Liberian businesses, events, and other positive platforms.
At LibPostives, I facilitate weekly discussions on a broad range of topics such as Liberia’s economy, government, current events, sexual and gender-based violence issues, and tourism. These discussions are meant to encourage Liberians at home or in the Diaspora to think about critical issues affecting Liberia and brainstorm ways to improve those conditions.
I hope that these discussions will not only attract and promote tourism in Liberia but that they will encourage Liberians in the Diaspora to eventually relocate to Liberia. Every Liberian is integral to the rebuilding of Liberia; thus, I make every effort to ensure that LibPositives appeals to our more than 24,000 Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter followers.
My passion and dedication to ensuring that Liberia receives a positive rebranding is resonating with people as I continue to receive positive feedback and tremendous support from Liberians across the globe.
Liberians in the Diaspora who have not yet visited Liberia are thrilled that there is a platform that helps them learn more about their culture and history as well as connects them to other Liberians around the world. Even foreigners use LibPositives for tourism tips or to enrich their knowledge about Liberia.
Before creating LibPositives, I never imagined it would make a significant impact in such a short period. However, I’m excited and motivated with the outcome and plan to continue this positive rebranding of my dear Liberia.
You can follow the incredible work of LibPositives on social media and become part of one of Liberia’s most prominent online communities on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
Featured photo courtesy of Anna Sherman-Karto