20 Nov When Commitment Meets: Our Encounter with Leymah Gbowee

Some visits stay with you. Our recent meeting in Monrovia with the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa was one of those moments that quietly reminds us why we do what we do.

We were welcomed by David S. Konneh, Programme Manager of the Foundation, and had the opportunity to spend time with Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and one of the most courageous voices in Liberia’s recent history.

What touched us most was learning that Leymah was already familiar with the mental health work being carried out at St. Benedict Menni Health Center. Knowing that someone who has devoted her life to peace, justice and women’s rights recognises our commitment was deeply meaningful for the whole team.

We spoke openly about mental health, trauma, and the realities faced by women who have experienced exclusion, violence and loss. We shared a simple but powerful conversation about recovery, dignity and the importance of listening and walking alongside those we serve.

A Woman Who Changed History

Leymah Gbowee is internationally recognised for leading a women’s movement that played a decisive role in ending the Second Liberian Civil War. By bringing together Christian and Muslim women, she showed that non-violence can be a powerful force for change—and that peace requires courage.

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, her work continues through the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, where she supports women and young people to build leadership, resilience and real opportunities for the future.

As she often reminds us:

“The road to freedom is long, the cost of freedom is high and the fight for freedom is not for the weak and the pessimist.”

We continue our journey alongside women who inspire, who care and who believe—just as we do—that no one is defined by their past, and that recovery is always possible.