Monuaye, now 21, has found success that seemed but a dream for a child fleeing violence half a world away.
Monuaye was born in the Liberian countryside and was “treated like a princess” by her father, a man she described as a “good guy” who helped the needy and was well-connected in the community.
Her happiness was cut short, however, when the war raged into her town. Monuaye, though just four then, remembers hearing about executions taking place nearby.
“If you weren’t their people, they were killing you,” she said of the warring factions.
The day the violence hit home, Monuaye and her family were rushed into hiding in a nearby rainforest. Little Monuaye, told by her grandmother to “run and never look back,” fled as well.
“I just kept running,” she remembers. “I was by myself and wasn’t thinking at all. I was in shock.”
Monuaye eventually fainted and was found by farmers who took the exhausted child to a refugee camp where she was reunited with her family.
But that peace, too, was short-lived.
The war caught up and the family fled a hail of gunfire that descended upon the city.
“My mother grabbed me and told me to run, but I was not fast enough and she hit me,” Monuaye said.
Her mother abandoned her amid the fleeing masses. Moments later, Monuaye saw a woman and her baby shot down.
Monuaye later reunited with relatives at another refugee camp. The war—which raged from 1989 to 1996—eventually ceased, allowing the family to stay inMonroviafor a time before moving to theIvory Coast. In 1997, they immigrated to theUnited Statesand moved into an aunt’sChicagohome.
Rather than peace, Monuaye found only conflict with her family. She sought help, and was referred to Mercy Home by another agency that assists needy teens. While at Mercy Home, Monuaye excelled in high school, graduated, and now attends Milliken University, on full scholarship from Mercy Home.
She said she is grateful for the doors of opportunity Mercy Home has opened.
“I had five people write college letters of recommendation for me,” she said. “It shows how much people know me and cared for me, and I’m really thankful for that.”
Please note: Because we care deeply about protecting the privacy of our boys and girls, we have changed the name used in this story, as well as certain identifying details.
