Kristofer
Scott
Kristofer Scott profile's picture
Liberia

We remember Kristofer Scott

Kristofer Scott was born in the city of Sanniquellie, Nimba County, northeast Liberia, on 6 August 1959. He attended St Mary's High School in Sanniquellie and went on to study geography and demography at the University of Liberia in Monrovia. He joined The Standard newspaper in March 1988 as a graphic artist and typesetter. In December 1990 he received a note from a friend saying that the ICRC was looking for a map designer. Scottie, as he was known, applied and was soon working as a daily hire with a team of water and habitat field officers. His initial duties were identifying wells and recommending communities in need of wells. Six months later he signed a full-time contract with the ICRC delegation in Monrovia. 


To say Scottie was versatile would be an understatement. During his 20-year career with the ICRC, he wore many hats: map designer, workshop assistant, driver, generator mechanic, purchaser, import/export officer, welcome officer, chancellor, IT technician and, finally, IT assistant. His colleagues joked that the “S” in his name stood for “Shift” because he was always being moved to other positions. But Scottie wasn’t just multi-talented: he was loyal, kind, generous and blessed with a deep sense of humanity. A father of seven children, he also supported an extended family in Monrovia, Maryland and Sanniquellie. 


In May 1996, amid heavy fighting in Monrovia, Scottie was delivering medical supplies in the city when he was stopped and held by an armed group. He was eventually released after intense negotiations. In view of the deteriorating security situation, the ICRC scaled back its activities, withdrawing all expatriate delegation staff. Scottie continued to work as a driver, but with the ICRC further reducing operations, he joined Médecins Sans Frontières as a driver and logistics assistant in September 1998. He kept in close contact with his former colleagues, however, and as soon as the ICRC started rehiring, he rejoined in May 2000. He then embarked on more than ten years of continuous service, filling a multitude of positions, wherever he was needed most. As IT technician, Scottie oversaw the installation of the delegation’s fibre optic network. He eventually assumed overall responsibility for the IT team in Liberia, while also providing IT support to other delegations in the region.


On 25 January 2011, Scottie died in a road accident as he was travelling to the ICRC subdelegation in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, southeast Liberia. Paying tribute, the delegation wrote: “Calm in nature, Scottie touched many lives during his time on earth. He had been blessed with great and powerful gifts and he has used them wisely and consistently and has saved, enriched and protected countless lives on his journey. Without any doubt, all of us have felt his warm touch of kindness and humanity many times.”

The ICRC in
Liberia, 2011

In 2011, eight years after the end of the conflict in Liberia, poverty remained widespread despite government efforts to strengthen the country’s economy and institutions, rebuild infrastructure, restore public services and foster social cohesion. Many Liberians struggled for access to basic utilities and health care. Unemployment was high, especially among young Liberians, including former combatants. During the first half of the year, tens of thousands of refugees streamed into eastern Liberia, driven out by the armed conflict in neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire. Despite the establishment of refugee camps by the Liberian authorities and the UN refugee agency, many refugees preferred to stay with host families along the border. In these remote, impoverished areas, the influx strained resident communities’ already limited resources, particularly in terms of food, water and sanitation. Working closely with the Liberia Red Cross Society, the ICRC provided refugees and host families with first aid, family links services, food, and improved water and sanitation infrastructure. By mid-year, as the situation in Côte d’Ivoire normalized, refugees began to return home, alleviating pressure on Liberian communities. However, some refugees, particularly in Grand Gedeh County, remained reluctant to do so, fearing discrimination or having had their property or livelihoods destroyed. Scottie was on his way to Zwedru, Grand Gedeh, when tragedy struck.

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