Rosana Schaack
Human Rights Award, 2012
Focus Areas
“I’m not a big talker. I’d rather do. My purpose in life is to leave something behind, to encourage others to find their inner strength to make others’ lives better.”
Rosana Schaack rehabilitates Liberia’ s forgotten girl soldiers. When war broke out in the 1990s, she was separated from her family and fled to Ivory Coast, where she began documenting the stories of young women who were forced into combat and turned into ‘war wives’ or slaves. After the war ended, Rosana opened a nonprofit – Touching Humanity In Need of Kindness (THINK) – to offer former girl soldiers counseling, shelter and vocational training.
As Liberia continues to heal and rebuild, Rosana is pursuing systemic change and rallies for increased protections for women. She’ s expanded her mandate and now offers support to survivors of gender-based violence. Rosana helps women seek justice and has become an advocate for women’s rights in Liberia and around the world.