Alecious Togbah ’25 | Tweh Farm Community, Liberia
Major: Business with concentrations in Management and Agribusiness
Certificate: Entrepreneurial Mindset

Can you tell us what you developed with your grant?

My project was something very personal to me. I live in the Tweh Farm Community in Liberia. We are situated in a place where the river meets the ocean, so the tide pushes salt water into the community. Because of that, we don’t have fresh water. We’ve always had to travel long distances to get clean water or pay more money to get water. That’s something I’ve always wanted to change. Water is a necessity, not a luxury. Everybody should have access to water.

During my sophomore year at Concordia, I heard about Projects for Peace. I was so excited to do it, but the day I went to ask about it was the day of the deadline. So, I couldn’t do it that year. The next year, I heard about it again. That year was very, very competitive. We had other great projects, and I was so proud of the people doing them. I did not get accepted that year, but I was like, “You know what? I’m still going to push through because this is something I’m very passionate about. I’m not going to give up.”

So, the next year, I applied again and everything went well. I got the Projects for Peace grant, and I implemented it in my community. It’s something that’s still going on right now, and it’s very successful because of the pipeline I was able to bring into the community. A lot of people who didn’t have access now have connections to their houses. We also have a communal station for people who can’t afford to bring it to their houses. They can use the one at the communal station, and it’s much cheaper than the other options there before.

What initially inspired you to pursue this project?

I had to go through the struggle for water access myself. I live with my grandparents — I love them so much. There were many days I would come home from school and there would be no water in the house. I would have to just put my backpack down, grab something to eat, and go for water.

It’s something I really struggled with because the time I could be studying, I was taking to get water. My grades were good, because I put in the extra work, but it’s something that I’ve always wanted to change for my little sisters and the children in the community. I want them to be able to focus on their education instead of taking that time to fetch water. It’s something that I’ve been really passionate about — to be able to bring change to the community for the better.

Can you talk a little bit about some challenges you overcame in the process?

Corruption is a very big thing. I had to be strong and remove the fact that I’m a young girl. I had to put myself in a woman’s position to do things and make sure I’m not intimidated by the offices I was going to. I had to tell them that they needed me for the project because I had the money. I dealt with a lot of inflation with the prices too. I had to build a budget before going but, when I got there, things got pretty expensive. I had to cut down costs and rearrange the budget to make sure the $10,000 grant was enough to complete the whole project. I didn’t want to come back and say that I couldn’t finish the project because there wasn’t enough money. So, I had to rearrange a lot and make sure I was not intimidated.

Can you tell us about a woman who inspires you?

My grandmother is my biggest inspiration. She didn’t have the opportunity to go to school. At that time, education for women was not a thing. But she’s a very successful person. She puts her mind to the things that she wants to do. She would start a business and make sure that she accomplished her goals. She’s so inspiring. She made sure she took care of me. She sent me to schools that children of politicians were going to even though she didn’t have the income for that. She sacrificed a lot for me. When I think about that, I want to give back more. I want to do things for people who are less fortunate.

I would say another inspiration is the former president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She was the first female president in the whole of Africa. Women are not really seen as politicians or they weren’t seen as politicians back then. She broke so many barriers and stereotypes. I’m not into politics like that, but I do look up to her because she gave women the chance to see themselves as being president and able to achieve those things. She really put a lot toward female education in Liberia during her term.

What do you love about being a woman?

That’s a really good question. I love the fact that we’re very compassionate. We can enter spaces and see things that need to be changed and approach it with a very empathetic tone. I love the fact that we have different perspectives when it comes to things, and we can approach them differently. I just love being a woman. I love making change, I love approaching things in a different aspect, and I love embracing people. I love the fact that we’re different.

How does it feel to be a female leader in your different communities?

Doing my Project for Peace back home, I felt people overlooked me the first few days when I got there. I had to tell them the amount of the project before I gained the respect that I wanted. If a man went into the office and said, “I have a project,” he would have been taken seriously. I had to tell them that it’s a $10,000 project for them to say I could see the director. As women, I feel like we have to do more. I know I’m going to get the job done, and you’re going to see why I was given the position. I think we’re progressing slowly, but it’s all a matter of time. It’s a matter of a change of perspective from people in society. We need to be more open-minded to the fact that we’re not in the 1970s anymore. This is 2025 and we should make progress. You should not be discriminated against because of your gender, nor your race, nor your sexuality.

Anybody can make a change once you’re open to the idea of making it.

How have you seen your efforts impact your community?

It has impacted the fact that children can go to school now. People get their water early in the morning and then they go to school. I’ve heard my sister say, “I want to travel and go to school and be smart like you, and I want to do this like you.” Of course, I’m always going to tell her to be herself because we’re not all going to have the same path. I think as a young girl going back home and making such an impact, other children see that and they’ll want to do something greater. Other people will feel inspired to be better and do better and give back to their communities that got them where they are today.

Just by doing that, it was an inspiration for many people who thought they couldn’t do it and who thought, “Well, I’m too young to do it.” You’re never too young to make a change and you’re never too old to make a change. Anybody can make a change once you’re open to the idea of making it. I guess the mindset of people changed a lot when I did the project.

What do you like about being a Cobber?

Throughout my time here, I’ve felt really supported. The semester of my junior year, my grandpa was very sick. He’s passed now. He was someone who had been there for all my life. I had the opportunity to go home and spend those days with him. Those are the memories that I will hold on to forever and ever because those are the last memories I have of him. It was partially because of Concordia that I was able to go home.

I think just having the on campus, having tutoring and mentorship on campus, women professors who I can look up to, people I can talk about my issues with, having counseling on campus — all these resources I use a lot, so I’m just grateful that Concordia saw that those resources were necessary. Students are able to benefit from it.

Do you have advice for other international students?

I would say take your education very seriously. Being here is a privilege. Make sure to exhaust all the resources that are available on campus because they are for you. Apply for Projects for Peace and apply to different grants. Make sure you go back home and do something for your community that in the next 10-15 years you will look back on and say, “When I had the opportunity, I did this, and it’s for the good of my community.”

And I would also say, don’t forget about your country. You’re what you are today because of the community you came from. So, never forget where you came from. Always be proud to hold your flag up high.

What are your hopes and dreams and plans for after graduation?

I want to do my master’s in something related to international development or international business or management. I have already applied to different schools, and I’m waiting to hear my results back. Long term, I wouldn’t mind working for a nonprofit organization that’s fighting to make change in the world. I’d want to do things related to the sustainable development goals and making sure that we have a world that’s safe and we have resources to help limit crimes, diseases, and water issues. If I can be any part of that change and help women come forward and say their truth or to encourage young girls to believe in themselves and go to school and want to be educated — if I can be any part of that, I’ll be very much grateful and that is a legacy I wish to leave the day I die.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Roll Cobbs!

^{Published March 2025}