Photo: Irin Name: John Tamba
Age: 42
Location: Paynesville
Does your spouse/partner live with you? Yes.
What is your primary job? I just got a new job as a district schools supervisor from elementary school teacher
What is your monthly salary? Currently I am earning $275 from $100
What is your household's total income - including your partner's salary, and any additional same sources? It has increased to $325 from $185
How many people are living in your household - what is their relationship to you? Six - my partner and four children, aged 3, 8, 16 and 21.
How many are dependent on you/your partner's income - what is their relationship to you? The whole family.
How much do you spend each month on food? At least $150 from $100
What is your main staple - how much does it cost each month? Rice. $65 for a bag from $60
How much do you spend on rent? $25 for a very basic house.from $20
How much on transport? $30 from $25
How much do you spend on educating your children each month? School is free, but we spend $35 on text books, uniforms and other materials. from $25
After you have paid all your bills each month, how much is left? $20 for emergencies.
Have you or any member of the household been forced to skip meals or reduce portion sizes in the last three months? Yes. The situation is still the same. Prices are up. So we sometime skip a meal
Have you been forced to borrow money (or food) in the last three months to cover basic household needs? Not really. My current salary can try to meet up with my expenses. I do not borrow money like in the past, though I am hoping that things will get better in the future. But I thank God for what I am making now. It is better than six months ago.
"If the government put in place a plan for its citizens, then I will be better off in a year's time"
MONROVIA, June 2013 - John Tamba has a new job as a district schools supervisor in Todee, a Monrovia suburb.
"I like my new job as a district schools supervisor. At least my salary has increased to US$275 [per month]. I am glad at least I have something to do in Liberia. Many don't have a job to do. At least I can make ends meet to feed my family.
"My new job takes me around from one school to another. This is a government job. The new job doesn't allow me to spend much time with my kids, but I feel better to be out working for money instead of being with the kids with no money.
"My wife is now doing business out of town. She goes upcountry and buys dry meat from hunters, then brings it to Monrovia for sale. She can bring in $50 [per month]. The business is tough on her -there are lots of people who are doing the same thing. But it is better to be doing something than nothing.
All of my kids attend nearby government schools, which are free, but I pay their transport and other fees.
"The government's main challenge now is to provide jobs for its citizens. There are no jobs here. As a result, employers underpay us. But we have to remain here because we have family. Right now my kids are not living a decent life like other kids. I cannot even afford to buy any of them a bicycle. Sometime they asked me to get them one. If I buy it for them, it means we will be out of food for that entire period."
"But I admire my kids. They understand our problems. We love them because they understand the situation that we are encountering. We tell them that things will be better.
"With this new job, I am still left with $20.00 after paying all my bills. We put that money in a safe place, and we consider it to be restricted funds. It is only for emergencies. Whenever our kids fall sick we use it to take them to hospital."
"Recently, we heard that multimillion-dollar companies are coming in the country to drill Liberia's oil. We are hoping that they will employ us so that we, too, can live a happy life."
"If the government put in place a plan for its citizens, then I will be better off in a year's time. But when corruption and nepotism continue to be the order of the day, then we will continue to slip back."
This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.
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