I Arrived Later... So What? I Am Also Here: The Audacity of Gratitude

By W Kpangbala Sengbe, BBA, MSW, EdS, LICSW (p)

The inability to foster ahead when everything that should make you throw in the towels and settle for mediocrity is the biggest weapon of failure in the lives of individuals that would have otherwise made impacts in their generations and the world at large. In a time and place where just breathing should have been enough for the purpose of survivability, the author weaved through the challenges that were thrown at him to become a success story—a success that did not only benefit him but extended to his parents (one of whom predeceased him), his siblings and their families, a community of “nobodies,” and an entire segment of the population of this generation that believes in meritocracy.

In this tell-all memoir, W Kpangbala Sengbe beautifully writes events of his life, ranging from ancestral history that meanders multiple regions in the West African rainforest to his embryonic stage in the journey of life in a lowly placed family in societal structural arrangements. Not only is this masterpiece written to the glory of the God of his creation; it also tells the natural story of a man who is hungry to tell the world about the process of making it, though being dealt a very “challenging hand” to mitigate between abject poverty, academic illiteracy, and societal misplacement of a false narrative on his ancestors.

The theme of the memoir is to encourage everyone—regardless of stature and race, gender and nationality, creed and skin color, wealth and societal position, and age—that with the guidance of God and a determined mind, the world is ready and available to conquer.

The proverbial “pulling yourself by the bootstraps” can be of significance when an individual has had a pair of boots to wear. However, when an induvial does not have a pair of boots, how can he pull himself up by the proverbial bootstraps?

Reading I Arrived Later, So What? I Am Also Here will help encourage the young man, the young woman, the middle-aged person, the educated bureaucrat, and the poverty-stricken person in the jungle of Africa or in the inner cities of the United States to understand that sheer determination does not make the success of a person. Blending determination with the goodwill of the God of a person’s creation can take an unknown person to reach the panicle of his/her height in life.

Let’s read and digest this masterpiece together. In this memoir is the story that will give you a gleamer of hope as you read on…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 8, 2024
• ISBN: 9798886858594

Book preview

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I Arrived Later... So What? I Am Also Here

The Audacity of Gratitude

W Kpangbala Sengbe, Sr., BBA, MSW, EdS, LICSW(p)

ISBN 979-8-88685-858-7 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88685-859-4 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by

W Kpangbala Sengbe, Sr., BBA, MSW, EdS, LICSW(p)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

To the people who matter most…my dear mother, Jenneh Tarmu Mento Kekula Sengbe and my beautiful children-MaJenneh Williamena, Bendu Wilma, Krystyl Weendor, and Kpangbala, II.

The path has not been easy, but who told me that it was going to be easy in the first place? I fought a fight to escape poverty and early death with the support of some of the most wonderful people on earth, and I have walked circumspectly and remained focused on the prize of life, throughout this journey.

—W Kpangbala Sengbe, Sr., BBA, MSW, EdS, LICSW(p)

Acknowledgement

Foreword by Prof. Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer

Foreword by Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan

Foreword by Atty. Samuel Kofi Woods II

Testimonial

Chapter 1

Introduction

Chapter 2

The Beginning

Chapter 3

Escaping from Poverty: BWI, Monrovia

Chapter 4

In the Nest but Out (University of Liberia)

Chapter 5

Identifying Myself—My Personal Family

Chapter 6

Opening the Windows: The American Life

Chapter 7

Adulthood and Family Life: Going Back to the Motherland

Chapter 8

The Challenge: Upheavals, Depressions, Forgiveness, and Rebirth

Chapter 9

A New Life in a New Environment

Chapter 10

Children, Siblings, Nephews, and Nieces

Chapter 11

The Walk, the Work, the Wait

Chapter 12

Conclusion

Family

Peasants

Pictures

Bibliography

About the Author

To the people who matter most…my dear mother, Jenneh Tarmu Mento Kekula Sengbe and my beautiful children-MaJenneh Williamena, Bendu Wilma, Krystyl Weendor, and Kpangbala, II.

The path has not been easy, but who told me that it was going to be easy in the first place? I fought a fight to escape poverty and early death with the support of some of the most wonderful people on earth, and I have walked circumspectly and remained focused on the prize of life, throughout this journey.

—W Kpangbala Sengbe, Sr., BBA, MSW, EdS, LICSW(p)

Acknowledgement

This journey is the work of many people who made it possible for me to be at this point in my life. Individuals who represent the best of God's creation, and the noblest thing to do is to acknowledge them in this public manner. However, because of the numerous contributions and my desire not to be seen as an ingrate, I will deliberately state here that my memory is not akin to remember everyone.

Notwithstanding, the most significant of the individuals who changed my life for the better forever remains the God of my creation—Jehovah God, who did not only assign me to a quality family but also ensured that He positioned me in the path of wonderful and great people. The best of whom is my dear mother, Jenneh Tarmu Mento Kekula Sengbe, who sold fish in the general market in Northwestern Liberia (Voinjama) and engaged in all manner of manual works, like making sugar cane farms, planting potato greens gardens, and selling cold water to educate me and my siblings. I remain forever grateful to you, my first love and the woman of my life. You are indeed a virtuous woman, and you have left your marks in the library of success. Yes, indeed, I am MaJenneh's son, and you (MaJenneh) are my world.

I also acknowledge the first educated member of the Sengbe clan of Kambolahun, my late father (the Oldman), William Kpangbala Sengbe, who remained my greatest cheerleader up to being called by his Maker in 1996. You were a man who I have also strived to be like, and I remain grateful that you allowed yourself to be a great father to me and my siblings. Even in your demise, I continue to admire you, and I am always searching my memory to use those words of wisdom that you planted in my young psychology. Thank you so much, "Nuko."

Foreword by Prof. Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer

RIP Prof. Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer, Former Interim President of the Republic of Liberia

The foreword intended to be done by the learned professor could not materialize because of the demise of the professor before the completion of the manuscript. He had agreed to do me the honor to add his acclaimed wisdom to the memoir.

I appreciate the agreement of Prof. Dr. Sawyer to do me that singular honor, but the God of our creation had different plans. Dr. Sawyer answered the calls of the Creator in early 2022 and went to be with the Lord.

May his soul rest in perpetual peace.

Foreword by Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan

I Arrived Later, So What? I am Also Here—The Audacity of Gratitude is a good read for individuals who have encountered teething challenges on their life's journey. As I read through the pages as narrated by the author, I marveled at the way he was able to smoothly weave the events of his life as gifted to him by the God of his creation. Kpangbala's ability to narrate a story that spans sixty years and make it appear as current and present is indeed admirable, and I appreciate that he is able to share with us his memories from this remarkable journey and the invaluable lessons he has learned along the way.

I was privileged to be a part of this journey as an onlooker from afar when Kpangbala's brother, Anthony Kawala Sengbe, and I attended the Booker Washington Institute in the mid-1980s and the University of Liberia in the 1990s. Kpangbala had graduated from these two distinguished institutions prior to our arrival at either of them.

As he moved to the United States in the mid-1990s, I did not know that we could physically cross paths beyond our individual long-distance participations in activities that would affect our common hegemony and patrimony, the Republic of Liberia, and humanity in general.

When the protracted civil crisis in our country ended in 2003, professionals like Kpangbala began to return home to contribute to the rebuilding of the battered motherland. Kpangbala returned to Liberia in 2007 to contribute his professional expertise to the rehabilitation of ex-combatants. When his professional services contract for the rehabilitation of ex-combatants expired, and after he resigned from the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare, I considered it an excellent opportunity to transition him to the Ministry of Finance as my chief of staff; after the position was elevated from that of a special assistant to the minister. I was elated that he accepted to join our team of young, patriotic, and dedicated public sector professionals that I had assembled to manage the fiscal affairs of the republic.

Reading the pages of this memoir brought me closer to Kpangbala's thoughts and experiences as he navigated interesting and intriguing episodes of his life's journey. Kpangbala was a worthy public sector actor at the Ministry of Finance and other agencies where he exhibited his professional skills, and I am excited that he would catalog important events of this journey in this lucid and enticing memoir that will capture the interest of readers for years to come.

Kpangbala is authentic, and I can vouch that this account of his journey is also authentic because knowing from the roles he played at the Liberian Ministry of Finance and the impact he had on individuals who came into his orbit, including myself, he would not have ventured on this writing exposé for the naked sake of ego gratification.

He proved to me through his work habit and in this writing that individuals are mentored by several individuals who biologically and professionally impact them. Kpangbala has lots of individuals who consider him an inspiration and exemplar, both professionally and personally.

I have called him CoS (chief of staff) from the time he accepted to play the role at the Liberian Ministry of Finance in 2010 to this date. He remains one of the well-rounded and consummate professionals that Liberia has had, and we have to cherish him for the capacities and capabilities that he has attained over the years.

As an academic, Kpangbala is also in the continuous business of teaching and learning wherever he finds himself—work, universities, community settings, family gatherings, and everywhere.

I also call him my friend and big brother, but most importantly, I acknowledge Kpangbala as a true believer in the Liberian dream—a dream that is premised on the actualization of greatness of the country of our nativity—during our lifetime.

Reading I Arrived Later, So What? I Am Also Here—The Audacity of Gratitude will be an eye-opener to everyone, and I am certain that this account of Kpangbala's life journey will inspire many to be strong, even when they have countless reasons to be weak, and to have hope even when they have countless reasons to be hopeless. This life journey is about hope and always keeping your eyes on the prize, an adventure that is worth every resource—your time, money, and knowledge.

Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs/Doyen of the Cabinet | Republic of Liberia | Friend

Foreword by Atty. Samuel Kofi Woods II

I was born and spent my early years in the township of West Point, arguably the worst slum in the Republic of Liberia, with tremendous material challenges. That is one reason why Kpangbala's memoir strikes a nerve with me. I lived in West Point, then in the Borough of New Kru Town, and Logan Town in zinc sharks, hustling almost regularly for food and other necessities. But this was not a story unique to me. I was surrounded by similarly situated young people who, like me, found ourselves on the lowest rung of the social ladder. Though a smart young man growing up, I needed a work scholarship to attend St. Patrick's Catholic High School, cleaning bathrooms and classrooms after my friends used them, due to the inability of my parents to fund my education.

That is where Kpangbala's story and mine intersect and also where Kpangbala's memoir breaks grounds and, I hope, shows the way for many young people who find themselves facing the same situations we faced. Kpangbala's memoir tells the story of challenges and perseverance. It also tells the story of communal Liberian life, which must also be elevated in this increasingly individualistic society. Sadly, we have not made significant progress in changing the realities for too many young people from the ones that we faced.

In reading Kpangbala's story, you will see two key things. One of them is sheer determination to follow the dream no matter how daunting the obstacle course was. The second was the communal African family. Ma Moinjama provided the initial money for Kpangbala to travel to Kakata, Margibi County, in pursuit of his educational dreams when his parents could not. I too have had many such interventions in my life, from people who gave me meals when I didn't have it to the late Archbishop Michael Kpakala Francis of the Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia, who offered me a work scholarship. I had aunts, uncles, and just neighbors who provided me food, transportation to go to school, etc. I call it Liberian, even African, safety net or social security.

I have known Kpangbala for decades, and I can attest to his patriotism and love for country. As exemplified by him in 2006, when I was appointed minister of labor of the Republic of Liberia. The ministry was practically nonexistent. Kpangbala flew to the Republic of Liberia from the United States, leaving his family and comfort, and worked pro bono (free of charge), helping me to set up the financial systems, the organizational flow, and to put into place the structures and practices that built a modern Ministry of Labor. For him, it was about service to country, not self-enrichment. This and many other values and principles are strewn throughout the pages of I Arrived Later… So What? I Am Also Here.

I hope that if nothing else, these key guiding principles will be sufficiently illuminated and that all will seek to adopt them.

Follow your dream, especially if it is in pursuit of knowledge.

Persevere, for with determination and perseverance, you can overcome obstacles.

Let's be our brothers' and sisters' keepers. Help lift the hand of someone who may be struggling in the pursuit of her/his dreams.

We are all better off when we work to build a better society for all to prosper. It should be about service, not wealth-building at the expense of the people.

Kpangbala's story embodies all these lessons, and I urge you to read and to learn from it.

Samuel Kofi Woods II

Testimonial

Alphonso Nyenuh, human rights advocate and friend

Massangee Kpangbala Sengbe's life is that of courage, strength, and determination. And it is my hope that his story moves the younger generation to take their destiny into their own hands and to determine the contents of their own life story as Kpangbala has done. There will always be obstacle courses; there will be rivers to cross and mountains to surmount. But none of those can stand in the way of the human will as Kpangbala's life story demonstrates. Kpangbala never stopped moving, never stopped venturing, taking risks at times. But that is what life is: the prize falls only to those who dare.

That a boy from such lowly beginnings would rise to the level that he has accomplished is a testimonial to Kpangbala's character and determination. Kpangbala's move from Voinjama, Lofa County, to Kakata, Margibi County, several hundred miles away from home and parents is testament to his spirit to dare in pursuit of a dream and a mission. As he himself put it, his dream was, and I know that it still is, to reach the heights of education. This insatiable quest for knowledge also took him to the University of Liberia, Liberia's highest institution of learning at the time, and eventually to a terminal degree in the United States. I, too, as a country boy, travelled a similar journey as Kpangbala, except that my journey led from eastern Liberia while his led from the western frontier.

This journey away from home was full of uncertainties and often led many to the slums and biting poverty of the big city. But it was a journey destined for any ambitious young person who was born in rural Liberia or simply fell on the low strata of the socioeconomic ladder. With no higher education opportunities, no jobs, and no other opportunities for upward mobility. Leaving the countryside for the big city was imperative for any young man with Kpangbala's drive and determination to escape the limitations of the countryside. Kpangbala's pursuit of his educational accomplishments in the United States is no less remarkable. I know that because I am an immigrant myself.

For those of us who immigrated to the United States of America at advanced ages and with the challenges of extended families to cater to, going back to school posed serious challenges. That he also surmounted those obstacles to attain an advance degree speaks of his sheer will to let no problems stop him from dreaming big, daring, and conquering. Kpangbala is also a man of deep humility and gratitude. Having known him for years, I have come to admire those as trademarks of his character. He demonstrates these characteristics in the way he tells his life story in this memoir. He takes time to make the point that he did not travel his life journey or reach the heights he has attained on his own just by pulling himself up by his bootstraps, as some often say.

There was Ma Moinjama; there was the Uncle Papay Bonah Kekula; there was Auntie Sonnie, etc. There were a host of other relatives, and there were friends who, as Kpangbala discussed, peddled the proverbial canoe that took him across the rivers to his dream. And Kpangbala acknowledges the roles each of them played, big or small, in getting him to where he is today. Kpangbala has also never stopped dreaming of and making sacrifices where needed to leave a better Liberia and a better world than he met it. For all these, I'm proud to call Massangee Bissama Tarluvai Kpangbala Sengbe my friend and brother.

Luck did not bring me this far, God did!

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou aniontest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

—Psalm 23 King James Version

Chapter 1

Introduction

The time has come for me to say it, and I have no reason to remain silent anymore for the hands of time have been kind to me over the years. The path has not been easy, but who told me that it was going to be easy in the first place? I fought a fight to escape poverty and early death with the support of some of the most wonderful people on earth, so I walked circumspectly and remained focused on the prize of life throughout this journey. Good things, I am told, come to those who work, toll, and endure while others sleep and wallop in self-pity.

My story is a tale of determination, work, and sheer blessings from my optimism, labor, and the God that I serve. This journey has been filled with several upheavals and, when revisited, makes me know that I was not the architect of the walk in the first place. I have come thus far, and I know that it has not been perfect for with men, we all have our frailties, but I have been anchored on the complete mercy and goodness of the God of my creation.

With sheer work, I could not have succeeded, but the continuous prayers of my loved ones and the bountiful blessings that have followed me from the God of my creation and faith, I am here celebrating His goodness through this life.

Massangee Bissama Tarluvai Kpangbala Sengbe is not