MONROVIA, LIBERIA — Just a few steps and four simple words from Liberia’s former president left Youth and Sports Minister Cornelia Wonkerleh Kruah visibly moved with joy.
“You are doing well”
These were the words that Kruah recalls former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf saying to her at a high-profile fundraising event for Liberia’s Lone Star, where government officials and private-sector leaders came together to gather resources aimed at helping Liberia qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
For Kruah, this moment was much more than just a casual compliment. “Few steps forward and she said ‘You are doing well’,” Kruah shared in a Facebook post few hours after their encounter.
Her emotional response followed: “Ohhhhhh the joyyyyy!” The Youth and Sports Minister added two telling hashtags: #MyRoleModel #Mentor.
This brief interaction provided a powerful insight into the personal bond between a former president who changed the political landscape for women in Liberia and one of the younger women now serving in President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration.
From Ellen’s Political Era to Boakai’s Cabinet
Kruah’s respect for Sirleaf is not new. Her political path is closely linked to the former president’s influence. Kruah became active in the Unity Party’s youth political structures and later emerged as a strong advocate for women and youth in leadership roles.
Her connection with Sirleaf eventually transcended politics. In January 2018, Sirleaf awarded Kruah the Order of the Star of Africa, Officer, in recognition of her significant contributions to Liberia.
Kruah was also chosen as an Amujae Leader, a program initiated by Sirleaf to create a network of women leaders who can promote public leadership throughout Africa.
Kruah has openly shared how much Sirleaf inspires her leadership journey. So, when the former president said to her, “You are doing well,” those words carried significant weight coming from someone whose approval is deeply meaningful.
Sirleaf’s Own Record Makes the Compliment Matter
There’s another reason this moment is politically significant. Sirleaf isn’t just any former head of state giving encouragement to a current minister. She is one of Liberia’s most recognized political figures on the international stage.
After winning the presidency in 2005, Sirleaf made history as Africa’s first elected female head of state. She was reelected in 2011 and later awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize alongside Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman for their efforts in promoting women’s rights and nonviolent peacebuilding.
Her administration oversaw Liberia’s postwar reconstruction, achieving significant progress in debt relief. The World Bank acknowledges her government for helping Liberia eliminate its external debt and for advancing reforms in education and infrastructure.
While her administration’s record is politically debated, as is the case with nearly every Liberian government, Sirleaf’s international reputation is hard to overlook.
She left office in 2018 with a legacy that marked Liberia’s shift from postwar recovery to greater international economic and political integration, becoming a global icon of women’s leadership.
For a younger woman who sees Sirleaf as her mentor, receiving an unsolicited public endorsement from her former president can understandably feel like a significant milestone in her career.
Kruah’s Rapid Rise Under Boakai
Kruah’s journey since the change of government in January 2024 has been quite remarkable. President Boakai first appointed her as the Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs.
She held this position from the start of the Boakai administration until she was promoted to the Ministry of Youth and Sports in 2026.
In early 2026, Boakai nominated her to lead the Ministry of Youth and Sports, making her one of the youngest members of his cabinet.
She took on the responsibility of a ministry that focuses on youth development, empowerment, sports administration, and technical and vocational education and training.
Currently, the ministry recognizes Kruah as its minister and emphasizes programs related to youth employment, TVET, entrepreneurship, and sports development.
Her promotion signifies more than just a typical cabinet appointment; it brings a politician from a younger generation—rooted in the Unity Party’s political framework—into a key role in the Boakai administration’s youth agenda.
Now, She Has a Different Test
At the Lone Star fundraiser, Kruah wasn’t just there as a cabinet minister. She was actively involved in a national campaign aimed at raising the funds necessary for Liberia to return to Africa’s top football tournament.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has recognized the Lone Star’s AFCON campaign as a key priority, with the Boakai administration advocating for Liberia’s comeback on the continental stage.
The ministry announced the fundraising dinner scheduled for September 11 as part of this initiative. For Kruah, this is a politically advantageous role.
Football is one of the few issues that can bridge Liberia’s traditional political, ethnic, and regional divides. A successful campaign could provide the young minister with a significant accomplishment to highlight alongside her broader youth development goals.
Conversely, failure could subject her ministry to further criticism regarding Liberia’s ongoing issues with sports administration and football funding.
The Symbolism of Ellen’s Approval
Sirleaf’s brief endorsement is particularly noteworthy. Kruah has transitioned from being a young woman inspired by Sirleaf’s political journey to a senior government official in the administration of Joseph Boakai, who was Sirleaf’s vice president.
Boakai held the vice presidency during Sirleaf’s two terms from 2006 to 2018. Now, Kruah finds herself working under the former vice president of the woman she regards as her mentor. This creates an almost symbolic moment at the Lone Star fundraiser.
The political generation that brought forth Sirleaf continues to wield influence, while a younger generation, represented by Kruah, is increasingly stepping into the spaces where national decisions are made.
Sirleaf’s message was refreshingly straightforward—no lengthy policy discussions, no political counsel, and no public endorsement of the government. Simply put, she said, “You are doing well.”
For Kruah, this affirmation seemed to resonate deeply. Her enthusiastic reaction indicates that, in politics, acknowledgment from the person who inspired your path can sometimes hold more weight than a title.
Coming from Liberia’s first elected female president to one of the nation’s emerging female political leaders, those three words may carry significance that extends far beyond the Lone Star fundraiser.
For Cornelia Kruah, they felt less like mere compliments and more like a symbolic passing of the torch.
