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I was born in Liberia, West Africa. My father (Counsellor Nete Sie Brownell) died over 23 years ago and my mother (Kemah
Massaquoi) still lives in liberia. I currently live in Northampton, England with my partner, Juliet Amanda Inwood. I
have a beautiful daughter name Johnette presently in Liberia with my mother. My friends and close associates call me DON RANGER-1.
I studied Physics at Bachelors and Masters level and have worked as a Physicist all my years since graduation.
I started off as a Student Assistant at the University of Liberia and then rising to Teaching Assistant and finally to a position
of Instructor of Physics upon my graduation from the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) Graduate
program in Condensed Matter Physics in 2000.
I have also studied Regional Planning and have worked for the Episcopal Diocese of Liberia Planning Commission
as its Secretary General running the daily administrative affairs and projects. I worked with the Liberian Council of Churches
Technical Agriculture Committee on developments and have had lots of experiences in project planning, monitoring and evaluation.
On the international scene, I have been awarded a Junior Associateship at the ICTP. I benefitted from several
international conferences, workshops and collaborated with many professors of Physics. I have also had the opportunity
to work as a Research Assistant at the Nova Gorica Polytechnic in Slovenia where we researched on the electrical and optical
properties of thin film organic semiconductors.
I was born on Macdonald Street in Monrovia, liberia when the street was all rocky and unpaved. I started playing
soccer early there and I remember when the project to develop the street began, the kids of the neighbourhood did all we could
to sabortage the project by damaging government equipments overnight and attacking the watch men at night with rubber guns. I
was very naughty boy in the community, but interestingly very smart at school. I topped my class at the C.D.B. King Elementary
School and remained 3rd in my class at the Cathedral Catholic High School. My fathermade me attend the Monrovia Demonstration
Elementary School afternoon session just to keep me busy all day and out of trouble. I was in two classes in the both schools.
I moved to Gayetown, Old Road after my father died and later to Paynesville, Crown-Hill. I also lived opposite Kizito
Catholic Church in paynesville till 1983 and then to Saye-Town, Sinkor till the outburst of the Liberian War in 1989.
During the war in Liberia, I went to Sierra Leone as a refugee and lived in the following villages, towns and cities
respectively: Jomborbah, Gohn, Malima, Fairo, Zimmi, Kenema, and Freetown. Upon Cessation of hostilities in Monrovia, I
returned and lived on the Old Road.
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My father did his best to bring me up as a strong Christian but I never took to the idea seriously
till 1993. My nephew, Alfred Lahai Brownell and I decided to attend Confirmation Classes at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. I
was president of that Class and remember raising huge funds to build a rectory for the Parish. I later joined the Chanceries
Choir in the Church and became its second president until 2000. I worked with the Youth Department of my Parish and also served
as Planning Coordinator of the Diocesan Youth Council. Currently, I attend the St. Mary's Anglican Church in Northampton.
I have seen too much in my short lifetime including Wars, Hunger, Executions, Epidemic,
Tortures, Starvation, Poverty and a good life. To be more honest, I have actually met "DEATH" in person. Just think of
any calamity, I have seen them all, lived with them and survived !! Thus, I have just started writing a book about my life
depicting all the struggles and good times I have had. It has been really a tough and hard life in general but I was determined
and survived it all. I have stayed clear of drugs despite living in the ghetto or slum for most of my teen age. We call our living
quarters in Saye-Town "SORBIBOR" because it was a place where no babies lived. Everybody was considered as "a man for himself
and God for all"!!! I did somegambling and smoking for fun but I was almost addicted to alcohol. The war in Liberia was
terrible and barbaric, but it did bring a lot of positive changes in my life. I am today grateful to God for blessing me to
see this day and I pray for the souls of all the faithful departed.
I am most grateful in all I do to my friend Mr. Molley Yar Traub. He is my mentor. We met as students
at the University of Liberia and he took me like a son and shared his vast experiences with me and help me transform my lifestyle
to a decent young man. Molley is a Surveyor at the Bureau of Mines, ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy. He took me throughout
Liberia surveying land, gold and diamond claims. We did everything imaginable together as a team. I salute you, Molley and
say Thank you for your fatherly role in my life.
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| Relaxing in Miramare Park, Italy |
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