Published: October 20, 2025
GBARNGA, Bong County — In what officials describe as a “humanitarian crisis,” the Ministry of Gender’s Safe Home in Bong County, meant to shelter and rehabilitate survivors of rape and other gender-based violence, has been plunged into severe hardship, with no food, electricity, or security.
Joe Smith, the county’s Gender Officer, sounded the alarm over the weekend, telling The Liberian Investigator that the facility is surviving only through occasional donations from philanthropists and local organizations.
“Our safe home does not have support in terms of food, electricity, and security,” Smith said. “It was Menleleh Incorporated that provided us with some food supplies recently. But that has since finished. The girls are hungry,” Smith lamented.
Smith revealed that the Safe Home—whose location remains undisclosed for security reasons—is currently housing several survivors, mostly young girls between the ages of 10 and 15, who were victims of sexual abuse. Many, he said, are forced to sleep hungry, a situation that worsens their trauma and undermines their recovery.
“The situation is alarming,” Smith added. “These survivors are already traumatized, and the lack of food and power is worsening their condition. The government and humanitarian partners need to step in immediately.”
A Haven Turned Desperate Refuge
The Bong County Safe Home, established under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, was designed to provide temporary shelter, psychosocial counseling, and protection to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. But years of under-funding and administrative neglect have left it on the brink of collapse.
Without electricity, Smith warned, the facility is dangerously exposed at night—raising security fears for both staff and survivors. “It’s risky. We have no lights, no security guards, and these are young girls who already fear being attacked again,” he said.
‘Silent Crisis’ Threatens National GBV Efforts
Local human rights advocates have condemned the situation, describing it as a “silent crisis” that threatens to derail Liberia’s fragile progress in the fight against gender-based violence. “The state can’t claim to be protecting women when survivors are starving in government-run shelters,” said one activist in Gbarnga, who requested anonymity for security reasons. “This is a moral and national failure.”
Officials Promise Action—but Survivors Wait
Responding to the outcry, Bong County Council Chairperson Aaron Sackie-Fenlah said the local government plans to make a budgetary allotment for the Safe Home during the next county council sitting but for now, there is nothing his office can do to help alleviate the prevailing life-threatening circumstances.
“We’ve heard the concerns and will act,” Sackie-Fenlah said. “The Safe Home plays a vital role in protecting our daughters and sisters. It deserves urgent support.”
Systemic Challenges Persist
Liberia’s fight against sexual and gender-based violence has long been marred by resource shortages, weak law enforcement, and social stigma. According to the Ministry of Gender’s 2024 annual report, more than 2,000 cases of rape and other SGBV offenses were recorded nationwide, with minors making up the majority of victims.
While the establishment of specialized courts and Safe Homes in several counties marked a step forward, activists say that without consistent funding and oversight, those initiatives risk becoming “symbolic gestures rather than safe sanctuaries.”
A Plea for Survival
For Smith, the matter is urgent and deeply human. “This is not just about comfort—it’s about dignity and survival,” he said. “These girls have already suffered enough. They shouldn’t have to suffer again because of neglect.”
He is appealing to the central government, development partners, and citizens of goodwill to provide immediate relief—food, power, and security—to restore hope for the survivors.
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