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Contents

4. Liberia Post Conflict Trade Environment

5. Collins Chic Design

7. West Africa Premiere Surf Retreat

8. JFD Hospital

9. Cry of a Motherless

12. Cost Per Wear

15. Shoana Cachelle Solomon

21. Sport News

22. Movies / TV

24. Jaway Interview

26. Music

28. RnB Singer Bryan Doe

Liberia’s Post-Conflict Trade Environment


Amin Modad (born 23 Decem-ber 1975 in Monrovia, Liberia) is a Liberian international

trade specialist, artist, and entrepre-neur. After living years in exile in the US, Modad made the move home to Monrovia in 2006 and served as Sr. Policy Advisor to the Chairman of the National Investment Commission and three successive Ministers of Commerce on trade development and international cooperation. Amongst the many activities this enterprising young Liberian has been involved in, he is a successful entrepreneur with invest-ments in hospitality, real estate, and transportation.

Modad participated in many post conflict development initiatives including the PRS

process. Between 2007-2013 he served as Sr. Advisor on Trade De-velopment and International Cooper-

ation to three successive Ministers of Commerce (Olubanke King-Akerele, Francis Johnson-Morris, and Miata Beysolow). During this period, he represented Liberia at World Trade Organization and headed Liberia’s Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) program as Focal Point and Coor-dinator. Modad contributed towards Liberia’s reintegration into the global trading system and considered one of Liberia’s foremost private sector and trade development specialist. He has influenced the development of Libe-ria’s Investment, Trade, and Industrial policies as well as the Diagnostic Trade Integration Study that guides development partners and the gov-ernment as it relates to trade develop-ment.

A compulsive contribution to Liberia’s development

literature with special emphasis on Liberia’s trade environment. The author provides a narrative on Liberia’s case from a failed state to the adoption of an export-led growth development paradigm that should support its post-con-flict national development agenda. He delves into initiatives by the Government of Liberia in col-laboration with key development partners and the private sector to resuscitate the economy and develop a competitive business friendly environment. Mindful of the policy achievements and the enormous trade and investment opportunities Liberia offer, the author also highlights the gaps and challenges affecting the trade environment and made simulative recommendations that all stake-holders might act upon to foster an inclusive and sustainable poverty reduction strategy.


Modad led the process of Libe-ria’s Accession to the WTO beginning with the initial

application for membership in 2007 to the submission of the Memorandum on Liberia’s Foreign Trade Regime, and the First Working Party meeting in 2012 during which he served as a member of the ministerial steering committee responsible for guiding the accession process.

As an entrepreneur, Modad owns the Bella Casa Hotel, Verandah Shoppes, and a

transportation company amongst others and served as a member of the board of directors of the First Interna-tional Bank from 2008 to 2013. The

Collins-Chic Designs is a Liberian fashion brand founded by Marie and Angeline Collins.

Chic pronounced ( “ sheek “ ) is a French term com-monly used in the fashion industry to describe a type of style that is Sophisticated and stylish. Our Clothing is a mixture of fine African prints and Western Fabric fused Together elegantly.

Collins Chic is constantly evolving in terms of design , this is due to the use of different fabrics and trimmings. Our garments reflect our creativity, individuality and influences; which stems from geometric , punk and pop art trends. Fashion is like a spin wheel, instead of dupli-cating what is already on the market - At Collins-Chic, we like to place our signature stamp on classic styles. This allows our clients to stand out. Our brand designs is ready to wear.We create custom made garments by working directly with our customers to design never seen before couture pieces.We aim to be versatile by working with clients from different backgrounds ; with different personalities and styles. Yet still incorporating effortless chic and elegance,while retaining a classy, feminine style. Contact us via email for all enquiries and custom made wear at [email protected]

“Collins-Chic Designs is a Liberian fashion brand founded by Marie and Angeline Collins.

Photo by: Sean Brody

WEST AFRICA’S PREMIERE SUSTAINABLE SURF RE-TREAT

Kwepunha Retreat is a sustainable beachside retreat that caters to those with a sense of adventure and a desire to give back to local

communities. We invite international tourists, traveling surfers, volun-teers, expats, Liberian Nationals, and all like-minded individuals who have a concern for the greater good of the community of Robertsport, Liberia to come enjoy the natural beauty and amazing waves of this emerging destination. Kwepunha Retreat proudly offers an array of accommoda-tions, activities and services to ensure each guest has a unique and highly memorable experience while staying with us.

KWEPUNHA RETREAT EXISTS TO ENHANCE THE LIVES OF THE LOCALS OF ROBERSTPORT, GRAND CAPE MOUNT COUNTY, LI-BERIA BY PARTNERING WITH SURF RESOURCE LIBERIA AND DO-NATING 15% OF PROCEEDS TOWARDS PROGRAMS FOR HEALTH, EDUCATION, SANITATION, AND SMALL BUSINESS SKILLS.

Located directly in front of the world-class point break waves of Robert-sort, Liberia, Kwepunha Retreat is split amongst two beachfront properties and offers cosy and safe accommodations with a plethora of services and amenities available to our guests. Catering to surfers, travellers, and beach goers, we fill a large niche in the tourism industry by offering carefree va-cation packages at a reasonable price to visitors of Robertsport, an option that is not currently available for travellers to the area.


The Jackson F. Doe (JFD) re-gional referral hospital in Tappi-ta, Nimba County on Saturday

dedicated a Legislative Guest House and broke grounds for the construction of a state-of –the-art Magnetic Reso-nance Imaging (MRI) center.

The occasion sets the stage for the JFD regional referral Hospi-tal to become Liberia’s leading

medical entity marked by profession-alism and available medical technolo-gies to meet the excellence threshold.

Dr. Francis N. Kateh, who is the Medical Director of JFD Hospital and Deputy Health

Minister-designate, asserted that the Legislative Guest House, which worth US$105,000 and the MRI Center with estimated cost of US$245,000 are a government initiative intended to elevate the hospital to international standards.

Speaking to the Liberia News Agency (LINA) at the close of the dedication and ground

breaking ceremony, Kateh attributed the immense success and achieve-ment accrued over the years by the management of the hospital to Presi-dent Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s commit-ment in achieving national reconcilia-tion amongst all Liberians.

Kateh, who also led a team of journalists on a tour of the 206-bed hospital facility, alluded to

the general urge by doctors, nurses and the entire staff of the hospital in performing their duties with passion as part of underlying factors responsi-ble for the success of the entity.

The es-tab-

lishment of an MRI cen-ter and the dedication of a Legis-lative Guest House will serve an additional boost to the entity’s quest to meet international standards as the hospital is capable already to perform Computer Tech-nology scan (CT scan), obstetrics, gynecological procedures, pediatrics, amongst others,

The hospitals diagnostic depart-ment is also equipped to per-form X-rays, Ultra Sonograms,

Electrocardiographs, Endoscopy and

Electroencephalographs and other critical medical operations and proce-dures.

The Jackson F. Doe (JFD) regional referral hospital in Tappita, Nimba County was

commissioned in February 2011 by the Government of Liberia in partnership with the People’s Republic of China.

Source : Ministry of Information, Cul-tural Affairs and Tourism

JFD Hospital On Path To Full Blast


A fallen star I have becomeFor too soon you answered the callThe call to the great beyondAnd me in a cold world you left

The warmth of your arms I know notHow tender your love I cannot tellYou left when these arms could barely feelAnd my heart could know a touch not

Did you really have to goWere you in a rush to drop me byDid I mean so little to your heartThat you left me so cold and lone

I wish you were here nowI wish to hold you so tight and closeYour love to feel, your care I long forHere in a cold world, I’m lost and lone

Gone too soon, O anchor of hopeYou left with no noticeNo clue to begin life’s perilous journeyLeft to face the world aloneGone just too soon.


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www.thecapehotelliberia.com.



Real luxury is understanding quality and having the time to enjoy it “ - G.Bruce Boyer

Being a Lover of Style and Retail shopping, I’m always on the look out for New ways to justify

my spending habbits. Recently I dis-covered a great way in which you and I can look great! - By investing into classic, quality fashion pieces using the “ Cost Per Wear “ theory .This is nothing new, in fact it is a selling Tech-nique used by Fashion personnels to persuade consumers to purchase what is being sold.

The formula :

price ( divided) By the number of times worn or used = Cost Per Wear

Here is an example of how it can be applied when making a purchase.

A clutch Bag cost 200 USD. Lets just say I will be using the bag 20 times within a year.

This is how the formula works : 200 (divided) by 20 = 10 USD (using the Cost per wear theo-

ry) which suggests I will be spending 10 Dollars each time I wear the Bag. Not bad right?

In my opinion this is a great way to invest into your wardrobe without feeling guilty. To do this I would

recommend you purchase 5 wardrobe staple pieces every woman should have .

My five wardrobe staple piec-es are :

A Blazer fabulous Hand-bag Ballet Flats LBD - A little Black Dress lastly a

HOT! Pair of pumps ( heels)

Fun Fact : Did you know, women wear their trusted LBD at least 13 times a year!


Fashion is very important. It is life enhancing and like every-thing that gives pleasure, it is

worth doing well “

- Vivienne Westwood



With her ever-present passion and determination to make

a difference, Shoana Solomon gives a new meaning to the word visionary.She is the founder and executive director of Cachelle International, Marketing, Photography, and Design Company with a branch located in Wilmington DE and headquartered in Monrovia Liberia. Since its start in 1999, Cachelle International has always striven to provide small business owners and entrepreneurs with professional services that everyone can afford. Now as they move forward into their fourteenth year, Cachelle has established itself internationally, while, according to Shoana, carrying on with their mission to “assist business owners, entertainers, and artists build their image at an affordable cost.”


cost her life. At that moment, She realized probably the most important lesson in life…tomorrow is not prom-ised. In May, she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Broadcast Telecommunications and Mass Media from Temple University, and was priv-ileged to have been chosen to be the graduation speaker at Temple’s 112th Commencement exercises.

After graduation, her career began to flourish as she poured her energy into es-

tablishing and developing Cachelle International. CI became the umbrella company for her non-profit project, Cachelle Connection (an organization geared towards promoting and show-casing talent), and Cachelle’s School Of Promise (a school for orphans in Paynesville, Liberia).

Originally from Liberia, West Africa, Shoana moved to the United States in 1990 at the

outbreak of the civil war. Her family settled in Delaware County, outside the Philadelphia area. Faced with a new society and an entirely new tradi-tion, she had to adjust rather quickly. After adapting to a new culture, Shoa-na began her quest to earn her place in the communications industry.

Through Inroads Philadelphia, Shoana began her career as a production assistant at Lower

Bucks Cablevision in 1995 where she produced, technically directed, and hosted live programs. In 1996, she moved on to Temple Public Radio where she started out as a producer for their news department. Mov-ing quickly up the ranks due to her

eagerness to achieve, she became a reporter. Soon Shoana was offered a position as a production assistant. Within less then a year, she would take on the duties of the interim pro-duction coordinator of Temple Public Radio. As an undergraduate, Shoana taught three semesters of classes in radio production for the station and became the voice of the “Sundown to Sunup” feature on WRTI (90.1 FM). As if the radio business and main-taining her status in Temple’s honors program was not enough, she became a familiar face on Drexel’s channel as a news anchor for Update (a television news program) which airs in Philadel-phia.

In January of 1999, Shoana experi-enced a life changing and significant event; a three-car accident nearly

SHOANA CACHELLE SOLOMON


Shoana was also Director of Photography for For You Mag-azine, the first bridal magazine

for the engaging African-American Couples.These past years have been extremely successful for Shoana and Cachelle International. In December 2005, she was selected to photograph her most important client to date, Pres-ident Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, the first female pres-ident of any country in Africa. That photo-graph became the official photo of the president.

That historic photo is found in every government office and most private offices. At advent

of her second inauguration, Shoana was again selected as the official pho-tographer. That historic photograph taken during her historic inauguration is now captured on the first postage stamp of Liberia issued since the country’s civil war. Shoana has also photographed President George W.

Bush, Jesse Jackson Jr., and Condo-leezza Rice.

Shoana, 37, is currently living in Monrovia, Liberia with her family. Over the past 12 years,

Shoana has earned the title of inter-national photographer with her travels throughout the world photographing monumental events. She has worked in the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Britain, the United States, Norway,

Uganda, and Liberia. Her most recent claim to fame is, the only female photographer allowed front and center to photograph the 2011 Nobel Peace Award Ceremony in Oslo. Shoana has taught photography for the past 12 years both in the US and Liberia.

To add to her already crowed agenda, in the fall of 2012, she launched three new

initiatives: Young Adult Initiative; an

effort designed to train young wom-en in Confidence Building, Hair Care Management and Makeup, Customer Relations, and Business Manage-ment Skills. She also launched the Employment Training Initiative, an effort geared to train young males in Business Management, Computers, Photography, and Customer Relations.

The Teacher Training initiative is a vitally necessary program, designed to train young men

and women the fundamentals of early learning and elementary education skills.

In addition to all of these efforts, she runs Cachelle International Creative Arts Center offering programs to

stimulate mind and body, build con-fidence, improve self-esteem, and character building by offering a variety of programs including piano, dance, yoga, art, and vocal proformance.


SHOANA TOP 5 NATURAL HAIR TIPS?

1. Always keep hair moist, spritz with water daily.Do not use products that have ingredients which you can not identify .

2. Use Hair products with natural ingredients, such as olive oil and shea butter.

3. Do not use too many hair prod-ucts, it will create build up. Sleep with your hair wrapt.

4. Do not leave hair out, always find a protective hairstyle. Especially during the cold season.

ADVICE TO YOUNG EN-TREPRENEURS?

“ Follow your dreams. Set your goals and follow them through, there is no key to success - if

you make a decision to do something and you want to do it, take the steps towards doing it right away. Because if you waste time or take too long, you will either talk yourself out of it or it just won’t happen. Be a doer, not a talker “

MANAGING A BUSINESS IN LIBERIA - What are the Pros and Cons?

“ The Pros are, Liberia to me is where your dreams come true, you can do any type business you want

to do in Liberia. There isn’t a lot of red tape, you can make your dreams come true. And I did, I am a living testimony for that “

Shoana Interview

Shoana’s strength and determination comes directly from her spirituality and belief in God. She believes in always surrounding herself with individuals who

posses positive energies. Shoana Solomon is a visionary who lives by one motto; “A woman with vision has no limits.”


“ The cons are there is a challenge, Liberia had gone through 14 years of war, the education system was

completely broken down. A lot of the challenges I have is hiring qualified people. I had to give up on hiring someone who is qualified, I decided to just train. As long as the person has the heart and the will to do; they can speak, read and write, I will hire and train them. “

How did you become in-volved in entertainment ?

“ I have always loved enter-tainment, I went to school for Radio and TV broad-

casting years ago. I have always been involved in it, I think Radio and TV is a powerful medium. Its a platform that allows people to see, feel and hear whatever you have to say. So I just want to use it for a good. “

Who is your role model and why?

“ I use to say Oprah because she is just fascinating. But I don’t

know who that is now. There are so many different strong, powerful, amaz-ing women who I have met throughout my journey. If I could pull elements from each person, my Mother being one of them, Cassandra Clark, my Mother in law, Florence Chineriff. I don’t have a specific role model. “

What is your definition of success?

“ Success, I do not mea-sure it by the amount of money. But I mea-

sure Success by the amount of lives touched, changed and inspired“

If there was a movie made about your life, who would you want to play you and what

will you highlight?

“ I think I will want my daughter Monadee to play me, because she knows me the best and she

is very much like me. And I would like to probably highlight my work as a philanthropist. “

What are your greatest strengths?

“ My greatest strength is that, I am a doer. if I say I’m going to do

something, I do it. I don’t take no for an answer. I don’t let no inspire fear; if I want to do something I will go and knock on that door. They could say no and thats fine, but the Majority of the time, they say yes. “

What is your least favor-ite thing about human-ity?

“ The people who are unkind to others, dishonest, the people who hate, those who are rude or mean.

That is what I dislike about humanity. “

What is your ultimate goal?

“ My ultimate goal is to transform lives, through my life works

and journey. I want to change lives for the better. If I can help build a business or teach a skill, that is what I want to do. “

Describe Liberians in one word?

“ Hospitable. Liberians are the most hospitable people I know. “

What can we expect from you in the near future?

“ I live each day as if tomorrow is not promised. When God moves me to do something, then I do it “



Coca Cola steps into

Liberian football

Coca Cola is huge when it comes to leading outfits sponsoring football activities around the world. To the surprise of many, Coca Cola has joined the LFA in promoting the Libe-rian game.The Company has agreed to used a tournament dubbed Coca Cola Top 8 Championship to begin what promises to be a long standing partnership. The tournament, which will revive clubs for the pending Na-tional Cellcom Lesgue, will begin on Friday May 1, 2015.The media launch for the gigantic tournament took place Saturday May 26 at the LFA head-quarters in Monrovia.Pictorial

SPORTS


MOVIES/TV


Lisa Blake: Liberian interna-tional actress and model is proving to be the latest sensational star of the Liberian movie industry.

Orlando Bloom: Hollywood and British film star paid a humanitarian visit to Ebola stroken Liberia back in March, 2015

The Maintain Show: Just a quick glance of what happening behind the scenes of the Maintain Show in Maryland, USA.

Filmmaker Alexander Ush Wiaplah tied the knot.


Jaway is a Liberian musician residing in the United States . He is a profes-sional who understands the core of music ; Jaway is a songwriter and a sensational vocalist. The soulful singer often shares his love for music with the world via YouTube. His Live stage performances and song covers attract many viewers from around the world. Jaway is back with new music - after taking some time off, he is now working on a new album and Tour. We had a chance to get to know the man behind the music .

MUSIC

Jaway


Who is Jaway the Artist?

“I’m a Rock-Town pekin from up the hill, behind Cathedral High School

in Monrovia, Liberia. I love God, my family and my Liberian people. I’m very detail oriented, and love differ-ent genre of music. My three year old daughter who continues to teach me new things almost every day is my number one inspiration in my life. Being a parent has enabled me to see and approach music a little differently with regards to content and presenta-tion. I’m a non-stop running individual who loves writing, learning new things, and working with people who have various musical backgrounds and are not afraid to step out of the box. I try to seek out folks who are different from me with regards to culture and experi-ences, but appreciate and understand the importance and power of diversity”

How is your Music Relat-able ?

“My music is about ordinary people like myself and their day to day experienc-

es and struggles. It ranges from love, hurt, freedom, to peace and happi-ness”.

When did you discover your Love for Music?

“I first discovered my passion for music during the beginning of

the brutal civil war in Liberia. Besides daily prayers, music was a refuge that kept my family, especially me, hope-ful and occupied. It allowed me to have positive dreams even when my surroundings were dark and stunk with hurt”.

How long have you been a recording artist?

“ My journey as a recording artist began in the winter of 2005”.

What is your new song ‘When We Will Learn’ about?

“The song ‘When Will We Learn’ is asking all of us to learn from our past ,,so much so that we can

better our future”.

“ It’s about reflecting on our history and horning in on those things that have especially kept us down as

people. This allows us to figure ways to avoid them in the future. In other words, know where you’ve come from and you will master your future”.

Do you write all your songs?

“ Yes I do. I love writing “’

Who would you say, are your core audience / fans?

“ If you are basket of love, peace, happiness, freedom and is open minded and conscious about

what’s going on around you - then you are part of my core audience.”

What is next for Jaway Music?

“ I will be releasing several singles and eventually the full al-

bum. I’m looking to do some shows to promote the album - So I am available to come to your city. Most important-ly, I’m looking forward to meeting my

fans, sharing stories and connecting with them. That is always exciting and fun”

Besides music, what are some things many people do not know about you?

“’Here are a few things about myself that most people may not know; My favorite Liberian cui-

sines are jollof rice, steamed/baked chicken, smoked turkey, killer meat-balls and shrimp, potato Greens, Rice Bread, and dumboy with pepper soup. Hmm. I wish I had some dumboy with pepper soup now LOL”

“ I love talking trash especially when playing basketball. I’ve never been skiing although I lived in Kansas

City, Missouri for over seven years. I’m very outspoken contrary to what most might believe. I love a good laugh, comedy and cartoons; Bugs Bunny is my all-time favorite cartoon character. Although I’m very outgoing, I am a very private person. I crave stimulat-ing and intellectual conversations and I love to watch a good beat down; be it boxing, MMA or a Kung Fu movie. “

“ Yes, I know it’s not real but I love it “

What ties do you have with the motherland ( Liberia ) ?

“ My family including my extraordi-nary mother and amazing grand-mother, brothers, sisters, aunts,

uncles, close relatives and friends are all there. Liberia is my home! It is where I’m from “



Popular HipCo musician, Jon Bricks and the most talked about blogger Berenice Mulubah has officially launched their record label called Zama Records International, registered with the state of

North Carolina.The popular musician, who has dropped nothing but hit songs within a decade, made this disclosure in a statement which reads: ‘Today, we are witnessing history.

Zama Records International has been given birth to and it is here to change the face of entertainment in Liberia.’ While announcing the establishment of the label, Jon Bricks, who is currently on tour of China, revealed the decision of the company to sign him as its first artist. According to him, more

artistes with vision will be signed on the label. Jon Bricks referred to his partner as the brain behind the label, “I’m the talent, she’s the brain. She deals with all things management. She understands the

business and my flow. That give me room to focus on what I love most, creating music.”

The Hipco artist looks forward to dropping his new single “Diva” on May 15, with Zama Records International. According to the company manager, Berenice Mulubah, the company is scouting out

new talents to sign by the end of 2016.

Jon Bricks and Berenice Mulubah An-nounces New Record Label “Zama Records

International”


Bryan Doe was born and raised in Liberia, West Africa. Influenced

musically by his father, a preacher with a passion for music, Bryan began his music journey involved in church and choir.

A civil war broke out in Libe-ria which forced Bryan and his family to flee to Ghana for safety. After moving to Ghana ,at the age of 13, Bryan began rewriting the words of traditional gospel songs in Ghanaian dialects of which he did not under-stand. This sparked his in-terest in songwriting. At 16, Bryan, with a few friends


that shared his love for music, formed the gospel acapella group, Boys for Christ.

As a part of the group, he was able to develop his skill and gain experience singing. He

proceeded to write and perform nu-merous gospel songs to melodies he heard that inspired him, and eventu-ally began writing secular music after experiencing a connection with artists like Craig David, Bebe Winans, R. Kelly, and Akon.

He has since developed his own style, music deeply rooted in R&B and Soul. He prefers to write songs easily relat-able to everyday life.

In 2013 he gained a lot of respect, recognition and fans after he released his first project/mixtape, Nothing To Lose. The success of the singles off his Nothing To Lose mix-tape earned him a best R&B artist nomination at the Liberian Music Awards that year.

He just released a new single , Beau-tiful, and presently working on a new project that will be out this summer. He has amazed his audience and fellow musician with his vocal ability n writ-ing skills n pray he continues on this path with God’s help.This is only the beginning, stay tuned for new music.



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