Since emerging from 14 years of war in 2003, Liberia has made rapid progress on democracy, media freedom and education.
But now the biggest threat to the country's recovery is unemployment.
As Al Jazeera's Dan Nolan reports from Monrovia, the problem is being compounded by the return of thousands of refugees.
The World Cup football tournament kicks off in one week, and host South Africa is busy putting on the finishing touches. But not everyone is looking forward to the tournament. Authorites in cities including Cape Town are being accused of clearing the poor from the streets - to create a good impression for visiting fans. Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa has more.