A House with Two Rooms - The Advocates for Human Rights

there with nothing to eat or drink. I want them to go to school anywhere –
they have nothing to do here. They can’t get a job. 260
Some refugees attempt to get vocational training at one of the on-camp schools or in the neighboring
Ghanaian schools, but complain that fees are high and, even upon completion of a degree, there is
little work. 261 A young woman statement giver who was in a beauty training program told the TRC
that she “often walks to Accra or Kasoa to earn money by styling hair. On the trips she sleeps on the
streets, often in the rain.” 262 This statement giver said that, despite the money she makes, she often
has no money to buy food or water and relies on the help of friends. 263 Another young woman told
the TRC a similar story:
I came from the fire to the frying pan at this camp. Life in the camp is very
hard. I go to town to braid hair for money to buy food. My brothers and
sisters sell small goods for money. One of my sisters began prostituting at
the age of 13. I went to school in the camp and paid for it myself. I would go
to town Friday after class and work braiding hair all weekend. I would sleep
on the streets for the weekend and go back to camp Sunday night. 264
Life as a Woman in Buduburam
As these last two statements demonstrate, life for women in Buduburam is particularly precarious.
Liberian refugee women face tremendous economic hardship because of altered familial structures
and a lack of economic opportunities and aid. Family separation and flight has left many women
alone to raise children. One woman in Buduburam described how she and her family split up to
survive in 1997. 265 Her husband left by himself, because he did not want to put his family at risk while
people were looking for him. 266 She gave birth to their last child in October 1997 and has not seen
her husband since then. 267 She later discovered from friends that he is now re-married and living in
the United States. 268 Another refugee in the camp described her situation, “as a single mom, it is very
difficult to afford to send the children to school and some days we don’t eat.” 269
In many cases, women statement givers described taking responsibility for the children of others.
These situations increased during the war. They included women who found and protected the
children of neighbors or relatives during an attack or after fleeing violence, and other women who
took care of the children their partners or husbands had with other women after the mothers were
killed or lost in the conflict.
Refugee life is especially difficult without a husband. Since the September
18, 1998 fighting in Monrovia, I have not seen my husband. I generate a
meager income from pastry making and selling cold drinking water. I am
333
Chapter Thirteen