Neighborhood Watch

Desperation is everywhere in Buduburam. Stress levels run high in a place where disease is rampant, hunger is widespread, and hope for a better future is had by only a lucky few. That means that crime is everywhere, too. Children left unattended are vulnerable to child predators. Women are at risk for both rape and non-sexual violence. Theft is rampant. Crime poses a threat to the integrity of the entire community.

Care for the community starts from within. Enter the neighborhood watch. Buduburam’s Neighborhood Watch Team (NEWAT) was formed by a few brave, community-minded citizens who wanted to take the well-being of their community into their own hands. Over the years, NEWAT has grown into a sizable force of over 100 Liberian volunteer refugees. With little besides their courage to protect them, the neighborhood watch patrols the camp for potential trouble-makers. They also mediate domestic disputes, and are also often the first responders to the scene of a crime or fire.

Point Hope supports the efforts of Buduburam’s neighborhood watch force, and we would like your help to expand the scope of that support. We would like to provide the watchmen with flashlights, so that they can patrol more easily at night, walkie-talkies, so that they can communicate with one another and respond more quickly to threats, and jumpsuits, so that those in need can easily identify them and ask for the help that they need. Click the banner below to pledge your support today!