Practice What You Preach!!

Wednesday, 12 November 2008


“Practice what you preach” has now become a hackneyed expression in contemporary Liberia, yea the world. But the actual connotation of this phrase came to life on Friday, November 6, 2008 when the four youthful co-hosts of the “Let’s Talk About Sex” Radio show (Janice Pratt, Mahmud Johnson, Kula Fofana, and Bookman Muapoe) turned out at the Monrovia YMCA/ Merlin youth drop-in center to get tested for HIV/AIDS.

Within less than fifteen minutes, each person's result was out. Are you curious about their results? IT IS PRIVATE!!! But, honestly, it is painless.

The phobia of getting tested for HIV amongst Liberian youths is one that is alarming. Many misconceptions exist about the authenticity of the HIV test amongst young people, with some arguing that if a strand of another infection or disease exists in one’s body, it would warrant a positive test. This is wrong, and countless medical and health practitioners have said so.It is important for one to know his/her HIV status, because early diagnosis creates the opportunity for an HIV positive person to start early treatment, and change his/her risky behaviors that could expose him/her more to the HIV virus.

For more information on Voluntary Counseling and Testing referrals in Liberia, please call our LTAS hotline: 06 668 370 or email us at ltas@psiliberia.org.

We welcome your comments and suggestions on the show. To post a comment, you need to have a gmail account. We have created an open gmail account for all of our bloggers. When you click the “post comment” link below, and the window pops up, enter: ‘ltasblogger’ the username field, and ‘monrovia’ in the password field. However, to sign up for a personal gmail account, click here.

Whole-hearted, Free Service to the Poorest of the Poor!!!

On Friday, October 17, 2008, the LTAS Hosts visited the Missionaries of Charity home located on Tubman Boulevard. The show hosts (Mahmud, Janice, Bookman, Kula), led by their Coordinator Mrs. Lydia Nimley, also made a donation of two cartons of soap and a gallon of Dettol to the home.
Sister Rinette, the Administrator at the home welcomed the gesture, and thanked the Let’s Talk About Sex crew for their thoughtfulness. She chatted with the Hosts and the Coordinator for about an hour, discussing the issue of HIV/AIDS among Liberian youths, and some of the negative behaviors. She asserted that the breakdown of the family value systems in the country is one of the major contributors to the high rate of HIV prevalence as well as teenage pregnancy.Afterwards, the hosts and the coordinator were led on a guided tour of the children ward. Most of the children in the ward are orphaned by AIDS, and a few others suffer emaciation. But despite their infirmities, the children are so sanguine, that ne cannot help but love them. As they danced, sang, and played with the LTAS Hosts, one could clearly reason that being HIV positive is not a death sentence!

The Missionaries of Charity is a non-for-profit charity organization run by catholic nuns. It was founded by the venerable nun Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The Organization operates in over 150 countries around the world, with 100 houses in Africa. In Liberia, it operates a home for HIV/AIDS patients, as well as those suffering from all sorts of sicknesses. Every Saturday, the home feeds up to 950 inmates at the Monrovia Central Prison. It also feeds 350 elderly people every Tuesday, and feed hundreds of children and on a daily basis. Although nuns globally vow to chastity, poverty, and obedience; the Missionaries of Charity has added the clause “whole hearted, free service to the poorest of the poor.”

We welcome your comments and suggestions on the show. To post a comment, you need to have a gmail account. We have created an open gmail account for all of our bloggers. When you click the “post comment” link below, and the window pops up, enter: ‘ltasblogger’ the username field, and ‘monrovia’ in the password field. However, to sign up for a personal gmail account, click here.

Ma Ellen Hits 70 With the Youths!!!

October 27, 2008

What could be a more perfect way of kicking 7o years old than spending it youthfully? October 27, 2008 marked the 70th birth anniversary of Africa’s first female president, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf which also coincided with the National Youth Day celebration.
Youths from all walks of life poured into the C. Cecil Dennis Auditorium on the ground floor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to celebrate Ma Ellen’s special day. The activities included a debate competition between several High School students on the topic “Who’s Responsible for Corruption: Society or Family?” It was a thrilling debate amongst the young people, as various views were given on who’s to blame for the cancerous act. Thereafter, there was launched the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Academic Excellence Competition, with the pilot match between the St. Teresa’s Convent and William V. S. Tubman High School, which ended at a score of 80- 30 in favor of W. V. S. Tubman High School.

But the “Let’s Talk About Sex” co-hosts also used the occasion to talk to their peers about the show, and how young people can help in curbing the high rates of HIV/AIDS and teenage pregnancy.

Thinking that they were about to share a the news of a show that was a novelty to young people, the hosts were shocked when the hall became enraptured in the hip-hop-styled euphony of the Salt and Pepa “Let’s Talk About Sex” song that has become the show’s theme song. “Ahn Hann… let’s talk about sex, babe!” the students sang, bobbing their heads and giggling. No one knew that within so short a time, the show has such huge following!

We welcome your comments and suggestions on the show. To post a comment, you need to have a gmail account. We have created an open gmail account for all of our bloggers. When you click the “post comment” link below, and the window pops up, enter: ‘ltasblogger’ the username field, and ‘monrovia’ in the password field. However, to sign up for a personal gmail account, click here.

LTAS Hosts hang out with “STARS” competing for a single “STAR”

Tuesday, 4 November 2008

By: Bookman Muapoe – LTAS HostIs there another young STAR in Liberia?
Yes, there is! Just a couple of days preceding November 1, 2008, radio announcers were sounding like broken records over information about the first general audition in Monrovia for UNMIL’s “Star Is Born” singing competition. Therefore, we were not taken aback by watching the huge influx of youngsters pouring in at the Salvation Army Vocational School in Sinkor to be auditioned for this year’s spectacular singing competition that promises US$2,000.00 and other goodies for the teenager that emerges as winner!

It was a moment of thunderous heart beats and anxiety! In spite of this, LTAS hosts managed to ease the tension by introducing a mini quiz competition among those who’d gone to be auditioned. The quiz was an undisputed fun-making exercise, with 25 LTAS T-Shirts and LTAS stickers being given as prizes to the brilliant youngsters who answered various questions on HIV/AIDS.

Even though it was previously announced that about 500 teenagers were expected to be auditioned for the first phase of series of auditions in Monrovia only, the number of people we saw could be estimated at about 250. Still huge, right?! They had to create three audition halls to catalyze the process. With a steady pace, the judges spend at most two minutes on each of the anxious musical hopefuls. Some of the guys we saw went in with smiling faces, but came out with frowning ones! I guess you know what this means, don’t you? I bet you do! We managed to talk to some of the “sudden” frowning faces; some of them told us that the judges only said they would be told whether or not they made it via the mobile phone, while others got the sad news straight to their faces – “Sorry, you don’t qualify........”

But all hope was definitely not lost. With 50 percent of the population of Liberia projected (by the recently released National Population and Housing Census report) as being youths, there exists a pressing need for the young people to be adequately informed about HIV/AIDS as well as early pregnancy, because it is an open secret that youths around the world are the hardest hit by the adverse effects of HIV/AIDS. Hence, at the Star is Born auditions, the “Let’s Talk About Sex” hosts – Janice Pratt, Mahmud Johnson, Kula Fofana, and Bookman Muapoe – became HIV-experts-of-sorts who were using their miniature knowledge on the facts of HIV to educate their peers. The hosts drew huge crowds of young people who discussed with them at length on issues such as condom use, abstinence, and being faithful.

At the end of the day, two young men had resolved to abstain from sex until marriage, and about a dozen other youngsters promised to get tested for HIV! Even though some of the young people did not make it to the next round, but they all went home with adequate information that they can use to make smart choices concerning sex, in the face of HIV/AIDS and early pregnancy, and lead successful lives and careers, free from HIV/AIDS!

A Star is Born is an annual initiative of the United Nations Mission in Liberia that brings teenagers under 20 who compete musically, in an American-Idol-style, for the grand prize. This season is the third one. The first season produced Bill Yarsiah, the second produced Moses Swaray. Who’s it gonna be this year?

This year’s contest seems more competitive than the last one. The reason is just simple – MORE MONEY & “DOORS”! Come to think of it, US$2,000.00 can do a whole lot for a teenager – iPod, camera, mobile phone, tuition, good meals and more! The price looks good, and many youngsters aim for it! But that’s not enough; more effort is required to reach for it. And good health and smart choices are top hallmarks of successful musicians. “Let’s Talk About Sex” is aimed at ensuring just that. Let’s watch and see another young star rise to stardom in Liberia!
We welcome your comments and suggestions on the show.

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Hosts Meet Sister Barbara Brilliant

Tuesday, 21 October 2008

LTAS Hosts meet with Sis. Barbara Brilliant, Dean of the Mother Patern College of Health SciencesOn October 14, 2008, the LTAS four co-hosts; Janice, Mahmud, Kula, and Bookman, paid a courtesy visit to Sis. Barbara Brilliant, Dean of the Mother Patern College of Health Sciences, and head of the Catholic Archdiocesan HIV/AIDS desk. The hosts held a very fruitful discussion with Sis. Barbara, as they weighed various dimensions and points of view in terms of discussing sex. Sister Barbara wholeheartedly welcomed the idea of facilitating open and honest discussions about sex, but was quick to point out the stance of the Catholic Church on the issue of condom use. The Catholic Church believes that the ‘ABC’ method for HIV prevention stands for Abstinence, Being faithful, and Controlling emotions. Though not very pragmatic for contemporary Liberia, this method, she intoned, is the best in curbing the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS.The hosts also talked to the youths in the HIV section, and took a tour of the HIV desk at the Mother Patern College of Health Sciences. The Mother Patern College of Health Sciences is one of Liberia’s premier medical colleges. It is operated by the Catholic Church in Liberia.

We welcome your comments and suggestions on the show. To post a comment, you need to have a gmail account. We have created an open gmail account for all of our bloggers. When you click the “post comment” link below, and the window pops up, enter: ‘ltasblogger’ the username field, and ‘monrovia’ in the password field. However, to sign up for a personal gmail account, click here.

Talking About Sex on the Red Carpet: LTAS Hosts at the Ms. Malaika Event

Friday, 10 October 2008

It was fashion and flair on a Saturday night. It was drama, and dancing, and tears. It was the Ms. Malaika beauty pageant at the Unity Conference Center outside Monrovia.

Thousands of Liberians – old and young—trooped at the Unity Conference Center on Saturday, October 5, 2008 to get a first-hand account of the grand finale of the spectacular and well-publicized Ms. Malaika Beauty Pageant Beauty of African Origin. Showcasing ten attractive and eloquent Liberian young damsels, the Ms. Malaika sought to project beauty and pageantry in the real African sense; plump shape, deeply round curves, et al, and also sought to dispel the “westernized” sense of beauty that usually portray pencil-thin girls of six to seven inches in height, with long sharp noses, hollow cheeks, curling eyelashes.

Also on the red carpet were the “Let’s Talk About Sex” Radio Show Hosts who, with just in two months of the show’s airing, have virtually become celebrities of sorts. The publicity campaign of the show trekked to the Conference Center, with the huge “Let’s Talk About Sex” banner posted along the aisle. The banner which showcases the four LTAS youth hosts; Mahmud Johnson, Janice Pratt, Bookman Muapoe, and Kula Fofana as well as information on the show’s airing date and time (Saturdays at 2:30 PM and Thursdays at 11:30 AM on UNMIL Radio), was an attention- grabber for most of the attendees at the occasion, as most young people horded around the banner to meet and congratulate the hosts who were distributing the show’s promotional materials such as bumper stickers and key chains (key holders). Others just wanted to be fed additional information on the show. Prominent amongst those met by the hosts were Ms. Liberia 2006/2007 Patrice Juah, Award-winning Nollywood actor Desmond Elliot, sensational Liberian reggae star Rabbie Nass, R&B wonder boy Picador et al, symbolizing the large audience that the show commands.

The “Let’s Talk About Sex” radio program is the first component of PSI/ Liberia’s SmartChoice® initiative. The show which airs on UNMIL Radio every Saturday at 2:30 PM and repeats at 11:30 AM on Thursdays is hosted by four young people, Kula, Bookman, Janice, and Mahmud. Though daunting in contemporary Liberia, the issue of facilitating an open and honest discussion about sex with young people is very pivotal, as the nation transitions from an immediate post conflict state to mainstream development and rebuilding. The “Let’s Talk About Sex” radio show which is done in simple English to apply to all young people regardless of his/her level of education is designed to educate and inform young people, in a hip and pragmatic mode, on the dangers of early sex. It is embedded with lots of information and interesting segments and corners that entertain its audience from all social classes, no doubt.

At the climax of the pageant, it was pure bliss; Izetta Jones (Delegate # 12) walked away with the Miss Malaika 2008/2009 crown with Joy V. Reynolds and Dionne Davies trailing behind her as first and second runners up respectively. The other contestants went home sanguinely, appreciative of their newly found fame. But most importantly, young people went home with a sigh that their wistful longings have come to an end; talking about sex is no longer a taboo!

The Let’s Talk About Sex crew can be reached at cell # +231 6 668 370, or via email at ltas@psiliberia.org.

Mahmud Johnson is one of the Let's Talk About Sex radio show co-hosts.

We welcome your comments and suggestions on the show. To post a comment, you need to have a gmail account. We have created an open gmail account for all of our bloggers. When you click the “post comment” link below, and the window pops up, enter: ‘ltasblogger’ the username field, and ‘monrovia’ in the password field. However, to sign up for a personal gmail account, click here.