Our community of Liberian immigrants from Gbandi land in the United States has grown over the past few years. Still, the increasing diversity of our opinions and philosophies has sometimes hampered our ability to come together. The goal of rebranding and establishing the Gbandi diaspora in the Americas is to recommit ourselves to the development of the Gbandi land. AGLA’s formation is predicated on the necessity of giving back to our land in kind and monetary contributions to restore the once-thriving district—the Kolahun District, now dubbed the Gbandi land.
Many of us grew up in the hinterland and coastal communities but were raised in nuclear families where cohesion was the foundation of survival. Most of our parents instilled in us the value of labor and brotherly/sisterly affection. They instructed us in conflict resolution and diligently ensured that each of us received an education with the utility value of assisting humanity and society. Those who did not receive material support were advised of equivalent value. Even though most of our parents were not Western-educated, they used their meager resources to shape our minds for future responsibilities. We will venerate their sacrifices by returning what God has bestowed upon us toward developing the land they so cherished during their earthly journeys.
Despite AGLA being a relatively young organization, we are astounded by the enthusiasm and affection that has emerged since its inception. We appreciate the efforts of forming this organization and are pleased to see our people working together once more to advance the development agenda of the Gbandi land. We’re all enthusiastic about what the future holds for AGLA, and we’re grateful to those who are rising to the challenge of seeing our collective vision become a full-fledged reality.
We anticipate your participation in AGLA; therefore, I implore you to do something for AGLA; don’t just sit there!
Yours brotherly,
Henason T. Kollie
Interim Leader