Meeting the President

There are now 18 graduate interns living together in Monrovia, and last weekend we were honored by an invitation to dinner at President Johnson Sirleaf's house. We dressed in our finest and nervously got in the van to go to her house. It was an incredible night.

We were joined by the Scott Fellows, who work closely with Liberia's Ministers for a year's time or more. Conner, an outgoing Scott Fellow, made a speech about what a tremendous year it had been, and what a great opportunity the Fellowship was for young people all over the world.

Shireen, one of the Harvard Interns, also made a speech directed to the President, about what an honor it was for the interns to spend the summer in Monrovia. She told the President that we had learned a great deal -- learning from one another in policy debates during dinner and from our Liberian colleagues in the Ministries. She also related what an inspiration the President, herself, had been for each and every one of us. President Johnson Sirleaf had attended the Kennedy School, and her leadership was one of the reasons that all of us came to Liberia.

Flowers were presented to the President, and then she, herself, spoke. She thanked us for being here, and described the bad state of affairs her government had "inherited" from years of civil war and destructive leadership. She posited that Liberia was an interesting and exciting road to development. She said that just as Liberia emulated the progress of certain African countries (e.g., Rwanda, Mozambique), other African countries were using Liberia's progress thus far as a model.

Finally, she noted that -- if Liberia emerged as a post-conflict country whose governance strengthened, whose security was enhanced, and whose economy boomed -- we could say that we had made our own contribution to this success. Her graciousness and strength moved everyone in the room.

Minister Antoinette Sayeh, the Finance Minister, also made a surprise appearance. She is also a heroine to many of us, and there are four interns (all women!) working in her Ministry, so it was a treat to be in her company.

We had a delicious dinner, great dessert, and time to speak with the President personally. She was very interested in our work within the Ministries, and encouraged us to get to know our Liberian colleagues as closely as possible. She was down-to-earth, laid back, sometimes serious, sometimes joking, and very generous with her words and time.

What a privilege!