Harper, MARYLAND COUNTY – Refugee life is no doubt quite challenging, and that’s why under international protocols, host nations are under humanitarian obligation to properly care for those seeking sanctuary within their borders, as a result of war, famine and other manmade or natural disasters or any unforeseen circumstances that may compel the migration of other nationals into foreign lands to be rendered refugees.
In Liberia, the Liberian government’s institution responsible to provide such care for refugees and people of concern is the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), which has gone beyond just providing care for refugees but has created the enabling environment that after refugee life, those once under its care can become useful to society by bettering their lives and making meaningful contributions toward the development of wherever they may reside thereafter.
One success story of the LRRRC in this regard, is Daoda Kone, a former Ivorian refugee once under the care of the Commission at the Little Welbo Refugee Camp located in Harper City, Maryland County.
Kone, who sought and got local integration status to be assimilated into the Liberian society, is now the largest supplier of fresh eggs to inhabitants of four counties in the country’s south-eastern region.
Through his Daou Poultry Farm located in Little Welbo, Harper City, Kone uses either tricycle or motorcycle due to deplorable road conditions in that part of the country to supply fresh eggs to inhabitants in Maryland, River Gee, Sinoe, and Grand Kru Counties.
On a recent inspection trip of projects of the LRRRC in south-eastern Liberia, the Commission’s Executive Director, Rev. Festus R.B. Logan, termed Kone’s achievements in poultry works in the area as a success story for the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission.
Kone’s exploits come amid reports that the refugee regime in Liberia is being considered one of the best globally, with Executive Director Logan maintaining that the former Ivorian refugee’s achievements form part of the LRRRC’s success story.
“As you can see, the young man has thousands of chickens producing eggs and he has in his employ Liberians and 15 others on contract – this shows that with the support and protection we provide, the refugees themselves have the ability to transform their lives into being better people,” Executive Director Logan emphasized.
Executive Director Logan pointed out that Kone’s undertakings tremendously fits within the Gol’s Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD), adding, “somebody who is now giving back to the society, transforming and making life – this is somebody who was a refugee; he came, sought international protection, somebody who came in the state of destitution is now being able to transform his life and transform the lives of others economically, this is a classic example of the PAPD.”
The fifth of a family of seven children, Kone disclosed that animal farming seemingly runs through the DNA of the family, with his father being a livestock producer back home in La Cote d’ Ivoire, and two of his brothers jointly working with him helping to propel the Dauo Poultry Farm in Liberia.
Forced to flee his home country Ivory Coast in 2011, when crisis over electoral disputes escalated into full-scale military conflict at the time between forces loyal to then President Laurent Gbagbo and supporters of Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognized winner of that country’s presidential election in 2010, Kone sought sanctuary in Liberia.
Three years after, with the help of the LRRRC, he gained local integration status and currently resides in Maryland County, where he’s engaged into a flourishing poultry business of trading fresh eggs, live-chickens, and chicken manure used as organic fertilizer, especially for soil low in nitrogen.
Last year in Gbarngba, Bong County, at the Government of Liberia (GoL) organized trade fair, Kone was declared the second best poultry farmer in the country.
He’s optimistic that this year’s version of the GoL’s trade fair slated to be held in December in Kakata City, Margibi County, he would emerge first-place winner.
Asked why he believes he would win the best poultry farmer title in Liberia at the impending trade fair in December, Kone, who sells a crate of eggs containing 30 balls of fresh eggs at LRD750.00 stated that because he has increased production and is of the belief that his competitors have not reached the height he’s reached in production and sales of fresh eggs in 2022, adding that by the grace of God Almighty, he would win the first-place award this year.
“Yes, by God’s grace – “In everything we believe; what we can do and it’s also what God wants for it to be,” he said.
He revealed that from 120 crates of eggs per day, accumulating into 5,500 crates of eggs monthly in last year, his production rate in 2022 is currently at approximately 9,000 or more crates of eggs per month.
Kone, 31 years old, has nine persons, six Liberians and three Ivoirians in his employed, while on a monthly basis, he contracts the services of 15 other individuals, who are all Liberians to keep his poultry business thriving.
He envisages that five years from now, the Daou Poultry Farm would have commenced the supply of poultry products including fresh eggs, live-chickens and chicken manures to other parts of Liberia.
Kone’s major challenge at the moment is transportation; a vehicle, at least a pickup truck to transport chicken feed and medicine for the egg-laying chickens and their male counterparts, from Ivory Coast over the border into Liberia, for use by the Daou Poultry Farm.
Kone thanked the LRRRC and the UNHCR particularly for providing him protection from harassment and intimidation, recalling that as the first former refugee to own and operate the first poultry business in that area, it was challenging at first, as he and his workers had to deal with being harassed and intimidated on numerous occasions.
For his part, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Country Representative to Liberia, Mr. Anthony Abogi, assured Kone of the UNHCR’s continuous support and protection, indicating that “UNHCR will still support you simply because it is part of our mandate – and once we’ve started supporting you that support will continue.”
The UNHCR Country Rep added: “We will be with you and we want to see where you will be in the next five years in your dream of being the number one poultry supplier in Liberia.”
He stated that Kone’s resilience is a clear example of what one particular refugee can do, adding that the 31-year-old is already exceling.
“This young businessman is already exceling – you are on your way up and I like that attitude that success is not a destination. Success is a path; in short, the sky is the limit for you,” the UNHCR Country Rep told Kone.
He noted that even though Kone’s status has changed from a refugee to a locally integrated person, “but still you are one of our shining lights and we want to use your story to be able to multiply this very particular case.”
He disclosed that there are plans for the UNHCR to support the replication of what Kone is doing in other areas in the country like Grand Gedeh and Nimba where refugees are being hosted.
“This is something that needs to be multiplied everywhere in Liberia. It may not necessarily be poultry, there may be fishery, pig farming – it should not just be poultry, but if he as Daou Poultry Farm wants to expand, we will give him our support,” he said.
