Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

When I took office, Liberia began to recover from years of neglect. Our people have brought clean water into the heart of Monrovia to children who have never known water from a tap. Efforts are underway to expand water projects as much as possible throughout the country.

I just think that unless you have that cohesiveness in the family unit, the male character tends to become very dominant, repressive and insensitive. So much of this comes also from a lack of education.

As more men become more educated and women get educated, the value system has to be more enhanced and the respect for human dignity and human life is made better.

I underestimated the low level of capacity. I also underestimated the cultural roots of corruption.

I work hard, I work late, I have nothing on my conscience. When I go to bed, I sleep.

Women work harder. And women are more honest; they have less reasons to be corrupt.

The future belongs to us, because we have taken charge of it. We have the commitment, we have the resourcefulness, and we have the strength of our people to share the dream across Africa of clean water for all.

The people of Liberia know what it means to be deprived of clean water, but we also know what it means to see our children to begin to smile again with a restoration of hope and faith in the future.

All girls know that they can be anything now. That transformation is to me one of the most satisfying things.