In the small West African nation of Liberia, nearly 3.5 million people have endured the brutal and terrifying reality of a 14-year civil war. Years of poverty, oppression and fierce power struggles led to a coup d’état in 1980 and a full-blown civil war in 1989. Liberia's protracted war led to the deaths of more than 200,000 people and left the country in ruins by the time it ended in 2003.

Today, Liberians are desperately trying to move forward, but rampant poverty, a lack of stable infrastructure such as electricity and running water, and food insecurity make it difficult for most Liberians to emerge from a war zone even seven years after the civil war.

Still, signs of hope are sprouting in Liberia's ramshackle capital of Monrovia — through the emergence of roadside gardens. These paltry patches often are planted on government-owned right-of-way or in abandoned private lots. Families plant simple staples — the equivalent of potatoes and spinach (called cassava and potato greens) — and produce enough for their large, extended families to eat. Some Liberians have been able to sell a portion of their produce for extra money.