West Point, Monrovia

So for the past couple of days we kept hearing about a particularly frustrating area of the city when it comes to rule of law, and especially victim witness protection, known as West Point. According to the online sources -- nothing incredibly authoritative, but through blogs and other websites, West Point is a peninsula that juts out towards the port, and comprises one of the world's most tragic slums. It is a human rights as well as an ecological disaster -- with over 75,000 people, mostly children, living in a tiny space of land, most of which is accessible only through the labyrinth between jutted zinc walls, garbage, and piles of human excrement. Structures here are built on piles of loosely packed garbage, and with no plumbing and few designated latrines, diseases such as tuberculosis, typhoid, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and associated diarrhea run rampant. To add to the urgency of this human rights disaster, the entire peninsula is eroding into the ocean, meaning that each year the area is flooded, adding to the health nightmare.

Today, we drove through West Point to try to get an idea of the peculiar challenges this area faces. (As a personal aside, I was relieved that we did not visit West Point earlier in our trip, as I do not think I would have been able to handle what we saw. But be it desensitization, increased toughness from what we've seen and heard over the week, or a combination of the two, it was a relief to be able to observe the area without having an emotional breakdown, as I'm pretty sure would have been the case on Monday or Tuesday). The first thing I noticed as we drove in was the audible increase, almost like humming, of people talking and shouting to each other. The concentration of bodies was astounding. The second thing I noticed was the smell. No online article or second hand account could have prepared me for the smell -- a combination of rotting meat and excrement. Finally, I noticed the children. Mostly younger children, between the ages of 2 and 5, sitting, standing, crying, waiving, smiling. Like any other children, but in this place that is still difficult to describe. We hope to get some pictures up soon.

**mary**Regarding gender based violence, there is a very high incidence of child prostitution in West Point. As we drove by a sign ("Stop Child Exploitation"), all I could see was countless children just walking around. Many are there without parents, they leave the rural parts of the country and come to the city hoping to find work or go to school. And, some do go to school while they are young. But, many are susceptible to violence because they are without parents. Some children and youth just live together. So, as Liberia moves forward, I (Mary), believe and hope they will have to tackle child protection in West Point. My eyes met with a few children and at first we both reacted nervously. I did not know what to do for some reason. And, of course, I just smiled once I remembered they are just children. They live very difficult lives, lives I cannot imagine, but again, they are just children. And, as I smiled, they just smiled back. Some smiled big, some just a shy, little small. In another world, I would have loved to get out of the car and play with them. The major slum of Monrovia - West Point is a scary place to drive through - imagine living in it, as a child nonetheless! The process of protecting children and women is slow right now but I hope it will reach West Point. I do not think I will ever forget West Point, or the faces I saw there.

***leila**Aside from it being nearly impossible to find individuals, and therefore witnesses in this place (our driver Hassan explained that if he wanted to pick up someone in West Point, they usually had to arrange to meet at a certain spot at a certain time), the close quarters make protection nearly impossible. Shanties are unmarked. Inaccessible by car. As one prosecutor explained, witnesses or victims who give their full legal names to the police usually go by common nicknames at home, making the search for someone by name also nearly impossible. Apparently, just being from West Point can be a burden in a rape trial. Jurors often assume that victims from West Point are sex workers (as this is the primary source of income for children in the area), and somehow therefore cannot be victims.

As if the situation in Monrovia weren't complicated enough, West Point adds just one more insane twist. In addition, as climate change continues, it is likely that the peninsula will eventually be completely covered in water. The government of Liberia has indicated plans to relocate the residents of West Point, but no one seems to be sure when, or how, this will be implemented. We can only hope that it won't be too late.