WHITE COAT OF COURAGE: THE MAMA KEBBEH NORMA BARR PROJECT

️ In Loving Tribute to Mama Kebbeh Norma Barr

Written by her daughter, Garmai G. Edoho

This fundraiser is not just about raising money.

It’s about raising a legacy.

My mother, Mama Kebbeh Norma Barr, lived a life of service, strength, and spirit — not just in Liberia, but here in the United States, where she spent the last 33 years by my side and that of my dear husband, Francis Edoho, whom she affectionately called her son from the very day she met him.

As a child, I helped her in delivery rooms — standing beside her as she brought life into the world with her bare hands, her prayers, and her unmatched calm. Little did I know then that I would grow up to become a nurse, following in her footsteps. She was my inspiration. Her strength built me.

During Liberia’s war, she was carried from one clinic to the next — not fleeing, but saving lives. Those stories became my anchor. I drew strength and victory from her courage.

And in all her 33 years in America, Mama never once laid in a hospital bed. Not a single night. She was that strong. That proud. That disciplined. That good. She often said,

“When the Lord calls me, let it be quick. I don’t want my children sitting at a bedside suffering.”

And God honored her prayer.

I spoke with her the night before. She cooked for me. She called me by my name — Gbawaydia. She said everything would be okay.

She passed away peacefully, after seeing all her children and grandchildren. She waited, made her rounds, gave her blessings, and then took her quiet exit — not in pain, not in fear, but in peace.

Even now, as I speak, I do not feel like my mother is gone.

I feel her presence. I hear her voice saying, “OK Ben Garmai…” — that’s how she would call me, combining my father’s name with mine. I see her watching over me. And I carry her with me.

My son Anthony always said,

“Grandma was PURE. She had a big heart.”

And he was right. She gave without asking. She forgave without grudge. She loved like an open book — freely, sincerely, purely.

She raised generations, delivered hundreds of babies, healed the sick, and left no one untouched by her kindness. She didn’t just belong to us — she belonged to her people. Her love reached far and wide.

And now, in her name, we carry that love forward.

This GoFundMe will support:

• Nursing scholarships for young women in Liberia

• Community health outreach projects

• Legacy education initiatives inspired by Mama Kebbeh’s life of service

This is bigger than a funeral.

We are lifting a legacy.

Thank you for standing with us — to remember, to honor, and to build forward in her name.

— Garmai G. Edoho

Daughter of Mama Kebbeh Norma Barr

Organizer of the White Coat of Courage Project

WHITE COAT OF COURAGE: THE MAMA KEBBEH NORMA BARR PROJECT

With hearts full of both sorrow and gratitude, we invite you to help us honor the extraordinary life of Kebbeh Norma Barr — a woman of faith, resilience, and boundless compassion.

Known lovingly as “Omar,” “Grandma,” “Ma Kebbeh,” and “Mama International,” she was a healing force in both Liberia and the United States. At age 36, after enduring a hardship of a difficult marriage and a divorce, and walking away with her eight children, Mama Kebbeh N. Barr enrolled in nursing school and rose to become Head Nurse at JFK Hospital in Monrovia. She went on to treat thousands through civil war, and she even opened a small neighborhood clinic from her own home in Wood Camp, Paynesville, delivering babies and caring for the sick.

During Liberia’s darkest hours, she served as a soldier in a white coat — not holding a weapon, but saving lives with her healing hands, scripture-filled voice, and heart full of hope.

At age 54, she moved to the United States to live under the care of her daughter and continued her mission of love and service until her peaceful passing on May 5, 2025.

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WHY THIS MATTERS

We are launching the White Coat of Courage project to keep Mama Kebbeh’s mission alive. This campaign is not only a tribute — it’s a living continuation of her life’s work.

Your donation will help:

• Fund nursing scholarships for Liberian girls

• Launch mobile health outreach services in under-resourced communities, starting in Paynesville Wood Camp

• Support motherless and homeless children with care, education, and healing

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HOW YOU CAN HELP

Please consider donating to this campaign in any amount. No gift is too small to make an impact.

We are not just preparing for a funeral — we are lifting a legacy.