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Liberia

When Liberia first became a political entity in 1822, the freed American slaves who founded the government wanted the country’s name to represent liberty. It is fitting, then, that the Republic of Liberia holds the unique distinction of being both Africa’s oldest republic and the first African country to democratically elect a female president. However, it also endured one of Africa’s bloodiest civil wars, roughly from 1989 to 2003. The violence devastated Liberia’s economy, created deep wounds from crimes against humanity, and left many children without families or homes. Today, Liberia has a comparatively young population. Thus, the youth will play a crucial role in Liberia’s reconstruction and healing process into the future. Hope International reaches out to some of the most vulnerable members of Liberia’s youth by supporting a local medical clinic and orphanage. Hope has been able to:

• Buy new mattresses for thirty children at Divine Orphanage
  
  
• Sponsor five children to meet their medical, educational, and nutritional needs for a year
  
  
• Provide a summer enrichment program for 200 children
  
  
• Send a staff member on two humanitarian aid trips to Liberia to distribute medications, food, water, school supplies, clothing and toys for over 300 children
  
  
• Purchase a refrigerator and air conditioner for a medical clinic in Liberia so immunizations could be preserved
  
  
• Dig a well for an orphanage so children can have clean drinking water