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A BRIEF HISTORY
OF FRIENDS OF DANIEL Out of war and chaos, the Friends
of Daniel organized as a grassroots network to promote and encourage
the well–being and immigration
of a Liberian refugee family. We are affiliated with a Denver religious
organization: the Capitol Heights Presbyterian Church. |
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 When his call came for help, I turned to friends to raise the initial $600 to get his family out of harm’s way. At the same time, I approached the small Presbyterian church for help; we became an outreach ministry quickly. I wired Daniel the money and soon the family, carrying only backpacks, fled Liberia by bus, via Ivory Coast, to Ghana. On July 6, 2003, the Denver post published a column by Diane Carman, Loyal Friend Best Hope for War Refugees, describing Daniel’s situation and the purpose of Friends of Daniel. It produced a positive and heartwarming response. Newly signed-up Friends committed time and money to the welfare of Daniel—a perfect stranger to all. A Virginia professor donated a cell phone to Daniel, which is the mainstay of communication in the refugee camp. The Friends purchased a potable water tank system for the family. We began sending a monthly stipend to Daniel by Western Union. In December 2003, Daniel and his family were interviewed by the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission on Refugees) to obtain Refugee Status. It was approved, but without the desired Priority One positioning. At a Christmas service at Denver’s Washington Park United Methodist Church, we spoke and gave a slide show presentation on Daniel’s situation. The church gifted us with half of their Christmas offering. Other contributions from churches followed. It was at this time that Daniel began to send colorful and vibrant strips of Ashanti Kente cloth to me for resale as a fundraiser. They were a sellout. By May 2004, Jemima, age 41, was pregnant with her second child. Daniel received extra monies from the Friends of Daniel for his wife’s pre-natal care outside the refugee camp. Due to medical complications, this included three months of hospital care followed by a c-section birth. A baby basket was purchased by Friends of Daniel women and given to a combined group of Regis University and East High School students who were traveling to Ghana; they delivered the baby basket to Daniel. Nancy Kumba was born April 30, 2004. (Daniel called me to ask if the family could use my name—it was a beautiful honor for me.) In June, 2004, Saah N’Tow of Ripples of Hope International in Rhode Island (like Daniel, a man of Kissi ethnicity) hand-delivered a laptop computer to Daniel; Office Depot paid the shipping charges. Daniel found a way to circumvent the lack of electric power to charge the computer for his emailing and online research. One Friend shipped over English as a Foreign Language books to Daniel. The Friends of Daniel participated in a Poetry for Africa project to help Saah and his associates distribute poetry books for their Poetry Clubs project in the refugee camp. By now, Daniel and family had few options to fulfill their dream to come to America. Since 9/11, new regulations made it yet harder for Daniel to relocate with his family. All legal options except the H1-B work visa were by now exhausted, including further schooling, refugee resettlement, and humanitarian parole. Friends of Daniel began consulting with Denver area immigration law firms. In November 2004, during the Ghanaian elections, soldiers surrounded the Buduburam Refugee camp. The Liberian refugees were forced to stay inside the fences. Fear was rampant. At the same time, the pressure to repatriate, albeit voluntary, began in spite of the fact that disarmament was not complete in Liberia. Friends of Daniel funds dipped below $5000. Our spirits sagged as well. I announced our first fundraiser, the ALL AFRICA NIGHT, to be held in Denver on November 13, 2004. Given the short notice, Laura Vance, Lois Shoemaker, Careful Caterers and Adetunji Joda Dancers/Drummers planned a successful evening together of African food, Nigerian drumming and dancing, Kente cloth from Daniel’s Corner, a lively silent auction, with Joe Wismann-Horther, of Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, as our keynote speaker. A good time was had by all, but our expenses were higher than expected, so our net wasn’t what we had hoped for. The Friends of Daniel continues its plea to bring this deserving refugee family to America so that Daniel can utilize his skills and education in economics and finance in the American work force. It is our underwritten mission to keep this family intact, as Daniel would wish: the Liberian war atrocities separated this family for years. Although they are reunited at the refugee camp in Ghana, they continue to dream of opportunities in America. The Friends of Daniel has sixty
individual members as of January, 2005, from the coast of California,
the Rockies of Colorado, the shores of Virginia to the Alps of
Switzerland. We honor you. We are all a village, together giving
new life to a family. ADVOCATES AND ADVISORS |
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