Liberia The Beautiful
Every. Single. Time I tell someone about my travels to Monrovia, Liberia, they ask, “Why would you go there?” This is the story of an unlikely dream trip and the woman who led me there. The Queen of Camp Johnson Rd, Archel Bernard.
Waking up in Monrovia on the first day felt like a dream. It was warm, but I could feel an occasional cool breeze from the ocean. As I looked around the room, filled with dresses, purses and a WALL full of shoes, I was reminded that I was staying in the closet/guest room of my friend Archel, a Liberian fashion designer and social entrepreneur. She moved to Liberia 10 years ago after we graduated from Georgia Tech. Her family is from Liberia, and she has made it her mission to improve the lives of her home country through her fashion company, The Bombchel Factory. Over the 10+ years of our friendship, I have always been fascinated by her life in Africa, and I couldn’t believe that I had finally made it to see her operation in person.
liberian breakfast
Fish Gravy
Cassava and Plantain
Rice Bread
Fresh Pineapple
Fresh Coconut
After breakfast, Archel entered my room and told me that we were doing her ever popular tie dye class, where we would be able to create a hand dyed fabric that could be turned into a garment of our choice. In the class was me and two other travel friends, Kia and Brittany, also visiting from the states. I had seen videos of this class on Archel’s Instagram page, but I can’t even explain how MAGICAL it was to see the dye process in person. Muhammad, the KING of tie dye, walked us through every step, basically so that we didn’t ruin our prints lol. The fabric went from looking like dark, black ink to the most BEAUTIFUL colors in minutes! Check out the custom tie dye process, below:
Next, Archel told us to follow her to her store, where we arrived to the shop floor FILLED with dozens of beautiful different African fabrics. She told us to pick out our favorite fabric - her tailor was coming shortly, and he would make us anything we wanted. What?!? Who has a fabric vendor and tailor on deck like that?
I now had a clear view of the life that Archel had been living all of this time. She had created a fashion paradise for herself - a dream come true for lovers of style, with an endless supply of dresses, shoes, purses, fresh coconuts, rum punch and a killer ocean view. But, in between the window of her compound and the ocean was a canvas of tin roofs - the roofs of small houses, holding countless people in extremely crowded conditions. There was a much different Liberia, and it was right next door.
The more I learned about Liberia, I learned of the struggles of this country. Liberia was a country at war as recently as the 1980s, and signs of the war are still visible today. It’s interesting to think that Liberia was founded by former American slaves who returned to their native continent - Liberia and America could not be more different in so many ways. There is no access to clean running water. The sources of power are not always guaranteed - the power only went out once during my stay, but I remember it being one of the most quiet times during my stay. Without power, it is hard to do much of anything these days. Disease and sickness aren’t well treated, with very few medical resources, compared to the size of the population. Government corruption leaves many Liberians uncertain of their futures - the day after I left, Liberians were planning to protest, referencing wages due for labor. But the beautiful people. The culture. The most PRESTINE beaches. The FOOD. Some of Liberia’s riches, America just doesn’t have, and cannot buy.
Liberia is a special place, but a country that needs help in many ways, and I think it is entrepreneurs like Archel, giving opportunities to Liberian survivors of domestic violence and those effected by the Ebola epidemic, that are slowly but surely moving the needle toward progress for Liberia’s people.
I was in the mood to try out Liberian food, so Archel told me we were going to Auntie Vicky’s. I wasn’t sure if she meant her actual auntie’s house - it actually is a restaurant where I had my FAVORITE meal of my entire trip. The best grilled fish I have had anywhere, acheke (attieke, ground casava) and really delicious cabbage, cucumber, peppers, etc. And of course, pepper sauce. Everyone at Auntie Vicky’s knew each other, so naturally, it has a very homey, comfortable vibe. By the end of the meal we were all drinking something called ‘root’ - it was some type of herbal liquor, and it was STRONG. I definitely grew a few chest hairs on that last shot.
For the rest of the trip, Archel took me all over the place. Or should I say Telle, Archel’s driver, took us all over the place. She swears that her relationship with Telle is the strongest one she has. Whenever she called, Telle was quickly there.
It’s the people like Telle the driver, Muhammad the tie dye magician, and Archel’s sweet father and friends that I will remember well into the future. The people of Liberia were the best part, and the more I travel, the more I recognize the beauty in people around the world. IF you haven’t noticed, there’s a magnificent world out there, and until you leave your country, your city, your neighborhood, your HOME, you will never see it. If you are at all curious, take it from me - take that step, go out, and see it yourself!
Remember the fabric I dyed, that I could turn into a garment? Well, in two days, that plain white fabric was hand dyed, dried, cut and sewn by The Bombchel Factory, and this GORGEOUS robe was the result. It is my prized possession, and I will keep it forever.
Have you ever been to Liberia? Have I convinced you to book your trip? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo.
E
PS: I was so excited to bring home some Liberian pepper sauce so I could be reminded of my favorite flavors from this trip. But, alas, TSA decided that it was a threat to our national security, and they took my sauce. The nerve! But Archel said she’s gonna hook it up - I never knew how important it was to have a pepper connect LOL.