The ARIL System Institute for Development-TASID

🇱🇷 Happy Independence Day, Liberia! ❤️🤍💙

Today we celebrate the courage of those who gave our nation its freedom.

But as we honor our past, we must also ask ourselves:

What kind of Liberia are we building for tomorrow?

At TASID, we believe that a stronger Liberia will not be built by roads alone, buildings alone, or policies alone.

It will be built by people.

People who are:

🛡️ Accountable enough to own their actions.
🧭 Responsible enough to be trusted.
💡 Initiative-driven enough to solve problems instead of waiting for others.
👑 Leadership-minded enough to serve before they lead.

These are the values of ARIL.

Our dream is that one day Liberia will be known not only as Africa's oldest republic, but also as a nation where Accountability, Responsibility, Initiative, and Leadership are lived out every day—in our homes, our schools, our workplaces, and our communities.

That journey begins with the children we raise today.

🇱🇷 Happy 179th Independence Day, Liberia.

May we continue building a nation whose greatest resource is not what lies beneath its soil, but the character of its people.

Building Character. Inspiring Leadership.

— The ARIL System Institute for Development (TASID)

Let’s talk.

What is ONE thing you wish someone had intentionally taught you while you were growing up?

Not Mathematics. Not English.

I mean life.

Maybe how to admit when you’re wrong without feeling ashamed.

How to manage money.

How to say no.

How to handle disappointment.

How to recognize an unhealthy relationship.

How to apologize and actually repair what you damaged.

How to make good decisions when nobody is watching.

How to speak up for yourself.

How to take responsibility without immediately explaining why something wasn’t your fault.

What did adulthood have to teach you the hard way that you wish someone had intentionally developed in you as a child?

Drop your answer in the comments.

I have a feeling our answers may teach us something important about what today’s children need from us.

TASID | Building Character. Inspiring Leadership.

LET’S HAVE SOME FUN TODAY!

What is that ONE thing your mom, dad, grandma, teacher or any adult growing up used to say so much that you can STILL hear their voice saying it?

I’ll go first:
My mom once said "EPANGELIA VERA-YAH KIAMU!!!!, Don't let me get next to you!.” 😁🤣

Your turn!
Complete the sentence:
“My ______ once said______…”
Funniest one wins absolutely nothing but bragging rights and the knowledge that apparently, none of us had an original childhood.
Drop yours in the comment section!👇🏿

A little while ago, I watched a documentary about emperor penguins on YouTube and I couldn't stop thinking about "ARIL" they are.

The more I watched, the more I was amazed.

When the female lays a single egg, she carefully passes it to the father before making a long journey to find food.

For weeks, the father protects that egg through freezing temperatures, refusing to abandon his responsibility.

When the mother returns, she comes back with food for the chick, while the father who had gone so long without food goes to get something to eat and when he returns together they continue caring for their young.

Neither parent can do it alone.

Neither simply disappears because the responsibility is difficult.

They each carry their part.

As I watched, one thought stayed with me:
If nature teaches the importance of showing up for the next generation, how much more should we?

Children flourish when the adults in their lives are accountable to one another.

When responsibility is shared.

When initiative replaces excuses.

When leadership means serving before being served.

That is what ARIL is really about.
Not perfection.

Not control.

But becoming the kind of people others can depend on.

Sometimes, the greatest lessons don't come from a classroom.
Sometimes...
they come from watching a penguin keep its promise.
💙
Building Character. Inspiring Leadership.

On Saturday, I had the privilege of presenting awards to some incredible young women during a menstrual hygiene competition organized by Unique Women Incorporated.

I was honored to be there in my capacity as the Founder and CEO of TASID – The ARIL System Institute for Development.

The young women spoke passionately on important topics like:

"Men can support too"- encouraging men to support women during their menstrual period.

And "Life without sanitary pads" which saw contestants talking about the struggle many girls and women in Liberia face over the lack of sanitary products amongst others.

It was a beautiful reminder that respect, empathy and support for women during their menstrual period are all parts of building healthier communities.

But something happened before the event that stayed with me.

The organizer, my dear friend, called me the morning of her program to ask if I was still coming
I had told her I would be there and if by any chance an emergency had made that impossible I would have communicated with her immediately. But she called all the same,

Not because she doubted me...

But because a few people she had counted on had cancelled last minute to time or simply didn't show up.

And she was so disappointed.

It made me think about something we don't often talk about.

How sometimes, our lack of accountability doesn't only affect us.

It affects someone else's carefully planned event.

Someone else's peace of mind.

Someone else's vision.

Someone else's hard work.

When we say we'll do something...

People begin planning around our word.

That is why accountability matters.

Responsibility matters.

Initiative matters.

Leadership matters.

These are not just words we teach children.

They are qualities that shape the kind of adults they become.

One person's reliability can bring calm to a situation.

One person's unreliability can create unnecessary stress.

As I continue building TASID, I am becoming more convinced that character is not something we suddenly develop as adults or we should wait until adulthood to start developing.

We should begin with children and build over time—in the promises we keep, the responsibilities we own, the initiative we take, and the way we show up for others.

Because every time we keep our word, we tell someone and show a child:

"You can count on me."

And in a world where so many people have been disappointed...

That is a powerful thing.

Building Character. Inspiring Leadership.

Yesterday, I had one of the hardest conversations of my life.

Not on Facebook.

Not in a meeting.

But in a quiet conversation where I found myself reflecting on why TASID means so much to me.

As I've listened to the stories around me over the years, I've seen children abandoned by parents who refused to take responsibility.

I've seen mothers left to carry pregnancies alone because someone refused to be accountable.

I've seen children grow up believing that lying, blaming, avoiding responsibility or hurting others is simply "how life is."

I've seen lives changed forever because adults made selfish decisions.

And it made me ask a question:
What if we started much earlier?

We start school early right?

4-5 years old?

What if we intentionally taught children that character is not something you magically develop at 30?

What if accountability was practised as a child?

What if responsibility became a habit?

What if initiative was encouraged instead of being left to chance?

What if leadership first meant learning to lead yourself?

That is why TASID exists.

Not because I believe character development will solve every problem.
But because I believe every child deserves to grow into an adult who understands that their choices affect not only their lives but other people's lives.

Children become teenagers.

Teenagers become adults.

Adults become parents.

Adults become teachers.

Adults become employers.

Adults become leaders.

Adults shape families.

Adults shape communities.

Adults shape nations.

And if we want a different future...
We have to start developing different people.

That is why our guiding philosophy will always be:
ARIL is not about getting children to do chores. It is about developing how children respond to life.
Every decision.
Every relationship.
Every responsibility.
Every opportunity to lead.

This is much bigger than just praying and hoping.
This is about actively investing in developing the kind of adults we need and hope our children will become.
This is about intentionality.
This is about
Building Character. Inspiring Leadership.

Dear Parents, which one lives in your house?

Dear Teachers, how many can you find in your classrooms?

And please be truthful. We are not judging anybody today. 😁

A. THE LAWYER ⚖️
Has an explanation for EVERYTHING.
Forgot an assignment? There’s a reason.
Made a poor choice? There’s context.
Hurt someone? “But they started it.”
Accountability is always fighting for its life.

B. THE GHOST 👻
The moment responsibility appears… they disappear.
A difficult conversation? Gone.
Something needs to be done? Missing.
Consequences arrive? Suddenly nobody can find them.

C. THE CEO 🤵🏿‍♀️
Full of instructions for everybody else.
Knows what siblings should do.
Corrects everyone.
Has strong opinions about fairness and leadership…

But managing themselves?
Board meeting postponed to be announced later.

D. THE TOMORROW SPECIALIST ⏰
Homework? Later.
Apology? Later.
Important decision? Later.
Fixing a mistake? Later.
Starting something useful? Tomorrow.

Their favorite leadership strategy is postponement.

E. THE “IT WASN’T ME” EXPERT 🙅🏾‍♀️
Something happened.

Nobody knows how.
Nobody saw anything.
Nobody touched it.

But somehow… your child has a 45-minute explanation of why they are not responsible. 😩

F. THE WAIT-TO-BE-TOLD SPECIALIST 🛋️
Can see the problem.
Understands the problem.
May even discuss the problem.

But act without being told?

Absolutely not. Management has not issued instructions. We wait.

G. THE GROWING ARIL CHILD 🌱
Not perfect.

But learning to say:

“I did it.”
“I forgot.”
“That was my responsibility.”
“I need to fix it.”
“I noticed what needed to be done.”
“I can help.”
“I made a poor decision, and I can choose differently next time.” And actually mean it.

That is the growth we want. 💜

Parents, which one lives in your house? 😂👇🏾

And if you have multiple children, you may need several letters. Please protect family peace and use wisdom before naming names oh. 😂

I am a mother of 8 children - 3 of them are 1 and under, 2 are under 10 and 3 above 14.

Sometime last month, I had to admit something very uncomfortable to myself as a mother.

For a long time, I think I was managing my children more than I was teaching them to manage themselves.

I had to constantly remember what needed to be done.

I had to constantly remind them.

I had follow up. Even then, it was not certain it will be done.

I repeated myself.

Again. And again.

I got frustrated.

Then, when things still weren’t done, most times I just did them myself.

And somewhere in that cycle, I began asking myself:

If I am always the one remembering, reminding, checking and pushing… when do they learn to carry responsibility for themselves?

That question changed something for me.

Because my goal is not simply to raise children who do what they are told.

I want to raise children who can increasingly:

- remember without being chased,
- take ownership without making excuses,
- notice without always being told, and
- act without constant supervision.

That is one of the reasons I created the ARIL System.

And now, I am testing that belief where it matters most to me:

in my own home.

We are still very early in this journey. We are learning. We are adjusting. We are definitely not perfect.

But I am becoming more intentional about one thing:

I do not want to spend my whole life managing children who are supposed to be learning how to manage themselves.

Parents, I’m curious:

Do you ever feel like you are carrying your child’s responsibilities on your own head?

“But you KNOW you’re supposed to do this… so why do I have to keep telling you?”

Parents, how many times have you said this?

They know they should clean their room.
They know homework must be done.
They know their responsibilities.

So why are we still repeating ourselves every day?

One thing I’m learning is this:

Knowing what to do is not the same as developing the ownership and discipline to do it.

Sometimes, without realizing it, we parents become our children’s external memory:

We remember.
We remind.
We follow up.
We repeat.

And then we wonder why they don’t act without us.
Their world revolves around us doing and saying everything for them.

This question sits at the heart of why I created TASID—to intentionally help children grow in Accountability, Responsibility, Initiative and Leadership.

Because if we want children who can manage themselves tomorrow, we must help them practice ownership today.

Parents, what is ONE thing your child knows they should do—but you still have to remind them about almost every day? Let's hear it

On June 27, I had the privilege of presenting some certificates to some deserving teachers at the Alice Ziah Christian School graduation ceremony.

It was a beautiful moment—celebrating achievement, progress, hard work and the promise of what lies ahead.

But as I looked at the students, the teachers and the school community gathered there, I found myself thinking about something much deeper.

I know the classroom.

I know what it means to stand before children every day and be expected to teach—not only Mathematics, English, Science or Social Studies—but somehow also manage behavior, correct attitudes, settle conflicts, repeat instructions, chase assignments, address dishonesty, teach respect, encourage responsibility, motivate the disengaged child and still complete the lesson plan.

I know what it feels like to have a classroom full of children with different personalities, different home realities, different emotional needs and different levels of readiness—and still be expected to make it all work.

Teachers are truly carrying a lot.

And sometimes, what looks like a “teaching problem” is not really an academic problem at all.

Sometimes the teacher is struggling because a child has not yet learned to take responsibility for their own work.

Sometimes instructions must be repeated over and over again.

Sometimes a student waits to be pushed before doing what they already know needs to be done.

Sometimes blame comes before ownership.

Sometimes the teacher spends so much time managing behavior that actual teaching time suffers.

And this is one of the reasons TASID exists.

TASID was not created to replace teachers. It cannot.

It was not created to tell teachers how to do their jobs.

And it certainly was not created to place another heavy program on the shoulders of already overwhelmed educators.

TASID was created to work alongside them.

To intentionally help children develop the character and life skills that support learning:

Accountability — learning to own choices, actions and outcomes.

Responsibility — learning to manage duties and expectations with increasing independence.

Initiative — learning to think, notice and act without always waiting to be pushed.

Leadership — learning to lead self, influence positively and contribute meaningfully.

Just imagine the difference in a classroom where more children are learning to say:

“I forgot my assignment. That was my responsibility.”

“I understand what I need to do next.”

“I noticed something needed to be done, so I acted.”

“I made a mistake, and I need to correct it.”

“I can contribute positively here.”

That does not remove every challenge from the classroom.

But it can begin to change the kind of burden a teacher carries.

My years in education taught me that teachers need more than applause.

They need support.

They need parents working with them.

They need systems that reinforce character beyond one classroom lecture.

And they need children who are gradually being equipped not only to pass exams, but to take greater ownership of how they learn, behave, contribute and grow.

That is part of the vision behind TASID — The ARIL System Institute of Development.

To stand alongside parents.
To stand alongside schools.
To stand alongside teachers.

Because preparing children for life, leadership and lasting impact should never rest on the shoulders of one overwhelmed teacher alone.

To every teacher doing far more than the world sees: I see you. And TASID was built with your reality in mind.

TASID
Building Character. Inspiring Leadership.
Preparing children for life, leadership and lasting impact.