May 19, 2014

Farming Never Left My Blood

A golden field of swamp rice in Duport Road, Monrovia 
I was born on a family farm in Grand Gedeh County, southeastern Liberia. Our farm was situated within a timber plantation—Prime Timber Product (PTP)near Zwedru city. This is where my dad, Amadou Fofana, spent most of his days; cultivating a mixed farm consisting of up and lowland rice, veggies, corn, and cassava, and fishing in nearby narrow rivers---all done by hand. And as a baby, this is where I spent my first few days, following my arrival into this world. Though I didn’t live there along with my dad, whenever I had the chance to visit the farm along with my mom, I took it. Dad came home at the end of each month for at least a week or two. But mom visited him at least every weekend.