Beauty from Charcoal

Today, Theresa works at Amani Liberia. When asked how her life has changed since she started working at Amani, her face lights up. She says, “I’ve had many firsts at Amani: I have learned a skill that I never knew before. I am earning money that I never had before. I am sharing in a group setting in ways which I have never done before.” Theresa shared that her pay in December carried her through Christmas. With a smile on her face she said, “I was able to take the children to town to buy Christmas gifts, and I was even able to buy a bag of rice for the Christmas celebrations!”

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Theresa’s dream is to one day go to university. She said, “I want to learn something for my children tomorrow.” She is one of few women in her country fortunate enough to have finished high school. Only one in every ten women in Liberia receives a high school diploma.

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Like every woman in Liberia, Theresa faced pressure to give in to the vices of society, where many women make the painful choice to prostitute themselves due to the harsh economic situation. When Theresa was just 14 she was pressured by her stepfather to go out and earn her own food money. He said that she was now mature and should leave the home. Had she yielded, she knows what would have become of her life: “No education, children born out of wedlock, and a damaged future, leaving me with no hope.” Theresa overcame all odds and stubbornly refused to go the way of most of her peers. When thinking back on that time, all Theresa can say is, “God, thank you!” It was so difficult and yet she never yielded to the pressure.

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The difficult experiences Theresa had growing up have given her a special appreciation for the book of Proverbs. The many verses about mothers and the importance of training children are close to her heart. She talks to her own daughter often about going the right way. The youth of Liberia often say, “These are our days; we have to do what pleases us.” Theresa believes if you train the child in Truth when she is young, she will not go the way of the youth.

When Theresa was asked what she would tell other women on International Women’s Day she said, “If you find life is difficult don’t give up. Stay focused on your work, even if it is something small like selling charcoal. Put yourself into it, and God will bless it.”

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