Changing Africa, part six

Just so you don't think these results are unique to Uganda, I wanted to share some pictures and stories from a recent trip to Liberia. We have a program for vulnerable children in three districts in Liberia. The concept is to place vulnerable children in homes with stable caregivers. We also try to improve the circumstances of the family. One way is through vocational training. This group of caregivers is learning to make soap for sale.

This group of youth and caregivers are learning to repair generators. Yeah, girls can repair generators too! We work with a local organization that offers pastry classes, carpentry, and so much more...

Through our program the lady in the stripes learned how to read and write. She proudly stood in the middle of a field she is working in and spelled her name for me. It is moments like that which remind me why I do this work. Her education can never be taken from her!

This fella and a few other caregivers got the bright idea of starting a farm. They burned bush, then dug out stumps by hand. They plowed large plots of land with no machines. They now have at least four acres of farm land where they are growing corn (a staple in the Liberian diet), watermelon, ocra, etc. The last report I read announced that Liberia has a nearly 80% unemployment rate (and we are fretting about 8%). These people walk for two hours to the farm each day, work hard in the fields and then walk the two hours home. The crops are used to feed needy families and to earn an income for those working the field.

This post wraps up my Changing Africa series. It is my prayer that you can see, there is hope...but the answer is in investing in people. Then the people change their communities. I don't think the answer will come in spending billions more in aid, or ultimately from a Western society. Africa will rise on the backs of African's. As a person committed to helping those who are suffering, I want to give them the tools to overcome, not just a hand out to appease my conscience.