User:Manakpulor-shuwai

Nai Community in central Liberia

Located on a hilltop in central Liberian county known as Bong County, Nai Community lies under the lush green canopy of one of its vanishing forest islands. "Everyone is welcome to visit and enjoy our hospitality", says Joseph Kollie, Tar-kalon (Chief) of Nai Community. "We are a group of hardworking, determined and fun loving people. We celebrate our survival everyday especially, when the moon is full, everyone is entertained with beautiful typical African rhythm - singing, drumming and dancing during serene moonlit nights."

Nai Community is situated in central Liberia in Bong County between several villages including Gbange to the north and Gonima in the south. The people of Nai are of the Kpelle tribe. According to the tradition of the community, four families groups (quelle) originally founded the community. These founding compounds - Tehtian, Garmille, Kpo and Gweh-nikillen-bolou Quelles, shared the land, named its forests, identified its sacred places and assigned to each other the distinct responsibilities for ensuring effective administration of the community. Today, the population of the community is estimated at about 750 spread out into seven settlements across an area of about 23 square kilometers..

Administratively, the community is democratic. There are three high level decision making bodies in the community each of which has its own head - the Community Council of Elders (CCE), the Community General Assembly (CGA) and the Nai Development Association (NCDA). The CCE is primarily the judiciary arm of the community's governance structure. Also, it oversees traditional and cultural matters. Membership of the CCE is mostly ageable men. They meet and discuss in either a restrictive session or in an open forum. In many of the meetings of the CCE, concerns and opinion from the women influence the final decision. The CGA is a regular general forum that promotes the welfare of the community through participatory discussion and action. Whenever there is a situation or someone anyone has a brain wave about doing anything for the good of the community, the issue is referred to the Chief or any of the Elders who in consultation with the Chief summons a CGA. Membership of the CGA is automatic once a current resident of the community regardless of age, creed, sex and origination. The NCDA ... When the CGA meets to discuss anything related to facilitating or the implementation of development projects it does so under the auspices of the NCDA. The NCDA is headed by a chairman and comprises of several committees. When the issue at stake is mainly communal (internal or external) or any non development project oriented, the forum discusses as the CGA and is headed by the Chief.

Nai is about 160 kilometers from Monroiva, 64 nm W 228 from the nearest international airport and pinned at latitude 6° 57' 0 N and logitude 9° 33' 0 W. Better than an alarm clock, we regularly wake up to the cock-crows of the roosters found in Nai.