Although Rebuild Africa is a young organization, we
have made incremental and significant strides in 2009,
which I would like to review with you. In Liberia, we
have a saying that “things are moving small, small,”
which nonetheless means progress!
Village
Reconstruction Project
During the past year we launched our
pilot
village reconstruction project in Fassavolu
(pop. 965), located in northwestern Liberia.
This town, like many in rural Liberia, was devastated by
roving bands of armed bandits during the Liberian civil
war, and today most residents lack the basic necessities
of sound housing, adequate food, safe drinking water,
rudimentary health care, and seeds and tools with which
to re-establish their farms and communities. The good
news is that the people of Fassavolu are resilient and
ready to tackle the challenge of rebuilding their homes
and reviving their farms and local economy. Rebuild
Africa is partnering with them to make these dreams a
reality.
The first phase of the Fassavolu Project, which
focuses on reconstruction of houses destroyed in
the civil war, is under way. We are currently training
ten masons, five carpenters and five brick producers
from Fassavolu, and all have agreed to undertake the
construction of at least 100 new houses over the next 12
months. We expect the first of these houses to be
completed within the next few weeks. With more
resources, RA also plans to roll out other parts of its
integrated redevelopment program, which will address the
need to revitalize and reform the local agricultural
economy, increase access to basic health care and
sanitation, and provide primary education to the
children of Fassavolu.
Leadership
Scholarship Program
For the several years, RA has
offered scholarships to students who show promise for
their academic and leadership abilities. In 2009 a total
of 28 students (15 college students and 13 high school
students) were beneficiaries of our
Leadership
Scholarship Program. This emphasis on
leadership is what RA believes sets our program apart
from many other local scholarship programs. The
objective for RA is not just to provide tuition support,
but also to foster the leadership skills of these young
people, who can then serve as catalysts for positive
change in their local communities and even on a national
level.
Consider Isaac Kerkula, for
example – a scholarship recipient for the past 3
years. Isaac’s education was interrupted for 2 years
because he couldn’t pay his school fees. Then he applied
for and received a scholarship from RA. Today he is the
only child from his family of 22 children who is
pursuing a college education. His parents and siblings
see him as their biblical “Joseph”, who will provide
leadership to the family when he graduates. One thing I
particularly appreciate about Isaac is his immediate
sense of gratitude for the way education has changed the
outlook of his life. Recently Isaac completed his junior
year at a local Bible college and sent the following
text message to my mobile phone:
“I have always learned to be grateful in
everything. I am more grateful that Rebuild Africa can
lavish such resources on me, to make me an educated
figure in the world (not only in Africa). You started
this great endeavor with me since 2007. God has been so
faithful that I did not stop going to school one day. My
tuition was being paid on the dot (always on time). I am
more than grateful and thankful for taking me from
nowhere to a place of recognition. Just to inform you
that I have obtained every eligibility as a senior of
the LBTS . Thanks a million. I hope to forge ahead as
God’s wills”.
But this is not all. Isaac is one of two volunteer
residential mentors at a local charity called
Transformation International, a ministry started
by one of his professors. The group’s aim is to take
young boys off the street and give them shelter in a
safe house where they are provided with food, clean
clothes and an opportunity to go back to school.
Currently, Isaac is helping to co-mentor a group of 15
boys, and he dreams of starting his own youth ministry
someday as a way of giving back to the community.
This is the kind of leadership training our scholarships
will foster.
Youth
Rising Summit
As part of RA‘s emphasis on leadership, we hosted
our first Youth Rising Summit in
August. With the support of the Liberian Ministry of
Youth & Sports, the US Embassy, John Snow
International, and Exclusive Superstore, the purpose of
the summit was to inspire Liberia’s next generation of
leaders to aim for higher personal and professional
goals. Panel discussions, breakout sessions, and
informal networking groups, brought 70 of Liberia’s very
promising university students together with students
from top American and British Universities including
Harvard, MIT, Cornell, Princeton, Oxford, NYU,
Georgetown and UC Berkeley. Feedback from Liberian
participants who attended the one-day event
included:
“This conference was highly
motivating”; “What I liked most [was] the friendship”;
“I liked the educational and motivational
nature of the conference”; and
“I was
indeed
encouraged” 
here at RA this past year. God has
used you to inspire and encourage us and our
local partners to follow their dreams of making Liberia
(and by extension all of Africa) a better place to live,
by empowering its citizens to define the development
agenda and take charge of their own future. Thank you
for believing in us (and them) and for giving us the
opportunity to serve the people of Liberia. (Click
