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FACING THE FUTURE
Saran Kaba Jones, has made it her life’s mission to have clean
water accessible to millions of Liberians and hopes to leave behind
a legacy that will inspire Africans to make a difference in their
respective countries.
Many times we hear of one’s success with only highlights of their positive career progression that lead them to where they are today. We explore the rise of a young African entrepreneur who rose from the devastation of a civil war in her home country, and went on to prosper with her water legacy, inspiring many potential young minds along the way. Just this year, she has already been listed by the Guardian UK as one of Africa’s 25 Top Women Achievers and the 2013 World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. She represents a committed leader who is leading by example, and paving the way for the future generation, and we are honoured to share her story with our readers.
Credit- Jacobs Photographic
Saran Kaba Jones – She is the Liberia-born compassionate founder of FACE Africa. She left Liberia at the age of 8 during the civil war and, as the daughter of a diplomat, moved with her family to Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, France, and Cyprus before finally settling in the US where she received her tertiary education.
Having witnessed firsthand the suffering of the Liberian people during the civil war, she returned to the country to help the rebuilding process. In January 2009, she established FACE Africa, a foundation focused on improving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). FACE Africa was created to mitigate the water and sanitation deficiency her country was facing as an aftermath of the civil war that had destroyed the major water systems and sanitation facilities in the country.
Saran used her experience in economic development to partner with different organizations, both non-profit and corporate to deliver projects in Liberia. FACE Africa ensures that their work has a lasting impact on the communities they serve by building sustainable practices into their model. Each water pump and toilet facility is accompanied by hand washing stations and intensive health education. They also train members of the community to manage and maintain the pump facilities to prevent damage to the infrastructure and wastage of water. The impact of the projects on school children and communities alike has been immeasurable and Saran is quoted “there’s nothing more pleasant or fulfilling than seeing the smiles on the faces of women and children who no longer have to travel miles every day to fetch contaminated water and can now drink water without worrying about getting sick from it. Seeing the look of pride on the faces of the community residents who were involved in the entire process of implementation warms my heart. Hearing from parents about how their children no longer complain of stomach problems is also a highlight of my work.”
No doubt her success so far in these water projects are serving as a motivation to her and other youths to contribute to the development of their communities in the nearest future.
Credit – Konnect Africa
Liberia is not only a country in Africa led by the first elected female President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, but one that has been impacted by a 14 year civil war, which ravaged Liberia’s infrastructure. One of the results of the war is the contamination of water, which has affected many lives.
As the country recovers from the debilitating war, a young and
dynamic lady, Saran Kaba Jones, has made it her life’s mission to
have clean water accessible to millions of Liberians and hopes to
leave behind a legacy that will inspire Africans to make a
difference in their respective countries.
Saran was born in Liberia to a Liberian father and an Ivorian mother. She left the country in 1989 with her parents and 3 brothers right before the first civil war started and that was the path that led her to start FACE Africa. The long civil war had left Liberia’s infrastructure in ruins – roads, buildings, health clinics, schools, farms and factories were almost totally destroyed and there was no electricity, no running water or sewage system, and an inadequate education system.
From a very young age, Saran was exposed to a world of diplomacy, travel and community service (her father was a public servant and career diplomat) and had a passion for helping others. After living in Cote d’Ivoire for two years with her mother’s family, her father was appointed as an Ambassador to the Middle East by the interim government of Liberia. Her family moved to Egypt where they lived for four years, followed by two years in France and another two in Cyprus. In 1999, she moved to the United States to attend university.
In October 2008, during her first visit to Liberia in nearly 20 years, she was faced with the harsh realities of a post-conflict Liberia and the enormous challenges facing the country. Visits to various communities, orphanages, markets, clinics, etc exposed her to a cycle of extreme poverty. The water and sanitation issue was the one that struck her the most and she decided to dedicate her time and resources towards raising awareness about the water crisis.
When asked about FACE Africa, Saran shares, “FACE Africa has been and continues to be an incredible journey and learning experience. The tremendous amount of encouragement and support I receive on a daily basis from friends and strangers alike is a reminder that this is indeed what I was called to do.” She goes on to say “The path has been rough, the challenges sometimes unforgiving but the work, fulfilling. I’ve spent the last three years running FACE Africa solo- from designing our website to taking and posting photos, managing social media accounts, grant writing, project management and ideation, to launching new sites in Liberia. I am looking forward to the day where I can focus less on the day to day items and spend more time on development and coming up ways to scale and expand our programs to have even more impact.“
While FACE Africa is still very small and grassroots, the organization has enjoyed a great deal of recognition and media mentions from the likes of Forbes, the Boston Globe and the Huffington Post among others. In 2011, Saran was recognized by the following:
• Forbes.com: 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa
• Huffington Post: Greatest Person of the Day
• The Voss Foundation: 2011 Women Helping Women Honoree
• Daily Muse: 12 Women to Watch in 2012
• Applause Magazine: Person of the Year
Social media has been the most effective tool at raising awareness and connecting people with the organization and its message. Saran also travels to present at programs and conferences about her journey and the work that FACE Africa is doing in Liberia. Additionally, the organization raises awareness via their monthly newsletters, which provide updates on new developments, achievements, ongoing projects and future projects as well as through their Annual Gala held on World Water Day.
Ultimately, Saran believes that water poverty is solvable and her goal is to see that every single person in Liberia has access to clean and safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities so that they can lead better healthier lives.
Those looking to get involved and support the organization’s work can do so by visiting http://www.faceafrica.org/.
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