Bill Massaquoi - and the birth of Rebuild Africa
Bill Massaquoi, Founder and President of Rebuild Africa, was born in
Lofa, the northernmost county of Liberia. The 4th of 24 children from
a large African polygamous home, Bill and his siblings lacked many of
the basic necessities of life. This situation forced his father to send
many of his children to live with extended relatives. While his family
moved a lot during his early childhood, when he was 9, Bill's father
returned with the family to his home town in Lofa.
At the age of 12, Bill had to leave his family to get an education. In the years that followed, Bill experienced the reality of living in extreme poverty and without vital parental supervision and support. Bill spent more than 3 hours walking to and from school each day. For food he had to compete fiercely with other kids living under similar conditions for wild fruits. The pressure of this lifestyle drove many of his friends into the streets, where they became thieves and gang members. Bill still wonders how he avoided a similar fate. "I count myself blessed” he says. Today Bill has great empathy for the thousands of children who end up on the streets each day through no fault of their own.
These experiences taught him the enduring values of courage and hope, despite adverse situations. “I always dreamt of a better future, so when many of my friends...
