Monrovia, Liberia – A powerful call for unity echoed across Vahun District on Friday, December 26, 2025, as renowned youth advocate and former President of the Vahun District University Students Association, Figo Mansaray delivered a passionate keynote address during the 2025 Vahun District Youth Homecoming Program, drawing hundreds of young people from across the district.
Speaking as the guest speaker, Mansaray commanded the attention of the packed venue with a message centered on reconciliation, togetherness, and collective responsibility, describing the gathering as “more than an annual program” but a defining moment for the future of Vahun.
Opening his address with the theme “United We Rise; A Call for Togetherness,” Mansaray emphasized that progress slows when young people are divided but accelerates when they stand together, urging the audience to see unity as the heartbeat of development.
He reminded the youth that despite differences in education, employment, or social standing, they share one common identity as the rising force of Vahun District and Liberia at large, stressing that both formal education and raw talent are equally valuable.
“It does not matter who is ahead or behind. What matters is that we walk forward together,” Mansaray said, drawing applause from students, artisans, traders, and unemployed youth alike. He warned that individual talent without unity limits progress, declaring that while one person may be gifted alone, collective effort makes the youth “unstoppable.”
Mansaray openly addressed internal conflicts among young people, cautioning against allowing small misunderstandings to grow into permanent divisions that hinder development in the district. Quoting African proverbs, he likened unresolved disagreements to untreated wounds that worsen over time, calling on the youth to let go of past grudges and allow forgiveness to become their new identity.
“Students need non-students, and non-students need students. No one is completely alone. Each of us carries something the other needs,” he said. He stressed that reconciliation is not weakness but strength, noting that without it, the youth become scattered, but with it, they can become a powerful force for transformation in Vahun.
In one of the night’s most emotional moments, Mansaray asked participants to look around and recognize that their future was standing next to them not ahead or behind urging mutual respect and appreciation. He highlighted the interdependence between students and non-students, insisting that no one is completely alone and that every individual carries something the community needs.
The Heritage Newspaper Editor-In-Chief warned that pride, gossip, jealousy, and envy have destroyed many promising youth groups, while maturity, unity, and reconciliation have sustained the strongest ones. He encouraged participants to physically demonstrate reconciliation by shaking hands
with one another for the sake of the district’s future.
“Our district cannot rise when we are divided, and the nation cannot prosper if young
people refuse reconciliation,” he warned.
Painting a hopeful picture of what unity could achieve, Mansaray spoke of building businesses, overcoming challenges, inspiring future generations, and making history as one united family. He challenged the youth to stop talking about one another and instead talk to each other, to work together rather than against each other, and to forgive not only for others but for their own peace.
Describing the gathering as a turning point, he urged participants to declare an end to separation, grudges, and fighting, replacing them with brotherhood and a shared commitment to rise together. Mansaray emphasized that change, peace, and unity must be practiced daily, not just spoken about, reminding the audience that every society needs thinkers, builders, dreamers, and doers.
In a rare moment of humility, he publicly asked for forgiveness from anyone he may have wronged and encouraged participants to shake hands with one another, symbolizing reconciliation for the sake of the district. He warned that a divided youth population weakens not only the district but the nation, while reconciliation among young people creates miracles and fuels sustainable development.
“As we leave here tonight, let us carry this message in our hearts, minds, actions, and
spirits: United we rise, divided we fall—but together, we become irresistible,” he said.
Calling on the youth not to wait for leaders or opportunities, Mansaray urged them to unite themselves, prepare for opportunities, and create their own path forward together. As the program concluded, his final message lingered in the hall: unity is power, reconciliation is the pathway, and togetherness is destiny a clarion call many attendees described as one of the most impactful youth messages Vahun District has witnessed in years.
