Musa and Merriam - The Real Men of Liberia
Finding men prepared to dedicate themselves to gender equality is difficult anywhere in the world, but in Liberia, where they rank 154th out of 159 countries on the Gender Inequality Index, you’d expect the search to be considerably more difficult.
But for The Cova Project, it’s been easy. In fact, easy is an understatement. The first two Liberian men we ever met, happen to be two of the most badass feminists and women’s rights advocates out there. Meet Musa Sheriff and Merriam Monday.
Musa is the CEO of Educate West Point (EWP), The Cova Project’s Liberian partner organisation and Merriam is the marketing mind behind EWP. Together, they are a united force of manpower dedicated to providing access to education, financial support and safe menstrual hygiene solutions to those living in West Point, Liberia. What a potential Bumble profile, don’t break your finger swiping right!
Earlier in the year we spoke with them about where their passion comes from and why gender equality is so important to them.
Musa: “I was born in the 90’s… at which time the war was already in Liberia. My mother had to leave her entire livelihood behind to take my sibling and me to a refugee camp in Guinea. I’m 95% sure that if I had stayed in Liberia, I would be one of the former child soldiers.”
Musa: “I’m so happy that I have broken the mould, by becoming who I am. I grew up in a community that is very violent because of the substances that people take, the drugs, abuse and other issues. And I know how women have been victimised by men. We are not educated, we don’t know the role of women, we don’t know our own role as men.”
Musa: “Growing up and looking at how my Mother was affected by that kind of issue where men feel they are the absolute authority, I felt like I disagreed when I was growing up, I didn’t like my Dad because I felt like my Dad was too authoritative. And I felt like, as long as I didn’t agree with my Dad, it meant what he was doing wasn’t right and I shouldn’t do the same. So to break that mould, I need to be who I am today. My job is to work with women and to make sure their rights are protected and they have the same rights 100% as men. They must lead their own destiny and they must determine what they want for their own life.”
During our two trips to Liberia, we have been lucky enough to hear Merriam teach the young students of EWP original music written by him. Two songs centered around girls staying in school with lyrics like, “It’s cool to be a schoolgirl with an education” and “Bounce back, go to school, do something that you’d never, ever do!”. He talks about his inspiration for the latter,
Merriam: “Firstly, I love music. This song was produced from an inspiration that came up to me when I first saw that my sister was pregnant and because of that she was not allowed to go to school in our liberian setting. And firstly she was ashamed to go to school, so I told her that when you are done with the pregnancy, you can still bounce back to school. There’s a space there, there’s a change! So my sister gave me this inspiration.”
Merriam: “Our girls, they are the ones who are left out because most of them, they are less fortunate. So seeing girls go back to school, as a male, I feel motivated. I feel inspired. I see myself as a feminist and one who forecast the activity of female in everything.”
Turns out regardless of geography, men wanting to create change and elevate women exist. And more than just existing, they’re willing and ready to spring into action when given the tools and opportunity.
During this period of The Cova Project celebrating men and encouraging them to start the conversation, we look to Musa and Merriam as leaders. Badass feminists of West Point. Join the movement, sign up below!