By Nukanah Kollie, contributing writer
COW FARM, BONG COUNTY – A 12-year-old girl, a resident of Cow Farm in Zota District, finds herself in desperate need of support after enduring years of hardship.
This follows the brutal killing of her mother, Doris Nyah, in June 2017. Doris was gruesomely killed by her husband, Moses Porkpah, in a violent incident that shook the community. Porkpah shot Doris with a single-barrel gun over a dispute about extra marital affairs with another unidentified guy in the area. The young girl has been left without a mother, and her life has been upended by this tragic loss. After Moses Porkpah fled the scene, he was eventually apprehended and sentenced to life imprisonment in September 2022.
Since the untimely death of Doris Nyah, the young girl has been under the care of her guardian and relatives in the remote community situated deep inside Zota District, Bong County-Liberia. In an interview with this paper recently in Cow Farm, Togbah said she has struggled to meet the girl’s basic needs in the wake of the current economic hardship.
Tohun told reporter that the late Doris Nyah’s daughter is out of school and faces significant challenges, including a lack of food, clothing, and medical care. For the past few years, the girl has lived under harsh conditions, working on a farm with relatives just to survive. The family’s financial constraints have left her in a vulnerable state following the death of her mother in 2017.
According to reports, on top of these difficulties, she also suffers from ongoing health issues and the risk of becoming lost in the bush, raising serious concerns about her safety. “This child has lost everything,” Togbah expressed, highlighting how the young girl has never been to school and is in need of even the basics of life.
Tohun Togbah also took the opportunity to appeal to goodwill Liberians at home and abroad to help the 12-year-old child with her basic needs or have her relocated to a better environment. She believes that with the right support, the famous hunter and wife-killer Moses Porkpah’s child will happily commence school at age 12. “If we can get some help, she can go to school, she can start learning, and she can have a chance at a life that doesn’t feel like constant struggle,” Togbah said, pleading for assistance.
However, domestic violence resulting in the deaths of women has been a significant concern in Bong County, Liberia. According to the Liberia National Police Bong County Detachment Crimes Services Division, between January 2015 and October 2022, over 56 cases of domestic homicides were recorded in the county, with three occurring in October 2022 alone. Factors such as anger, jealousy, depression, and substance abuse have been identified as primary contributors to these tragic incidents. Togbah remarked that these tragedies, like the murder of Doris Nyah, are not isolated and that the cycle of violence must end.
One particularly shocking case involved the death of 63-year-old Nowai Yarkpawolo in Goll Farm, located along the Melekie-Gbarnga highway. She was allegedly strangled by her 58-year-old husband, Kokolu Kpaquoi, during a dispute over 500 Liberian dollars from his cane juice earnings, which she reportedly mismanaged. The disagreement escalated into a physical altercation, during which Kokolu allegedly overpowered Nowai, leading to her tragic death.
These incidents highlight the urgent need for effective interventions to address domestic violence in Bong County. Strengthening law enforcement responses, providing support services for survivors, and promoting community awareness are crucial steps toward reducing such tragedies. “We need people to come together for her,” said Togbah, urging action for the young girl. “No one should have to go through what this young girl is going through.”
