Liberia Mission, Inc.

Liberia Mission, Inc. is a project of Mission Honduras International. Located in West Africa, Liberia Mission is a community of love, learning, work and prayer. Here, poor and orphaned children - survivors of Liberia’s long and brutal civil war - are learning to become future leaders in their families, communities, and country. Liberia Mission includes homes for boys and girls, St. Anthony of Padua school, and St. Michael Catholic church. There are currently over 340 children served at Liberia Mission.

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Our Mission

Liberia Mission, Inc. (LMI) is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty for children and families through material and spiritual support and a Catholic education.

Liberia Mission, Inc. alleviates poverty and promotes societal transformation by providing a loving home as well as quality education and life skills training for orphans and foster children so that they may become competent, inspired, and compassionate citizens and future leaders of Liberia.

  • Loving Home: A home for children which is safe, structured, nurturing, promotes health and nutrition, fosters Christian Catholic moral formation
  • Education: A Catholic school for the Elementary and Junior High Divisions which emphasizes student development, professional educational practices, and community participation
  • Life Skills: Children learn care for self (hygiene, learning to express and address personal needs) and property (care for personal belongings and space), care for home (tending the farm, cleaning, cooking, etc.), socialization (through activities that foster healthy interactions with peers, both within and outside), appreciation for cultivation of a variety of skills, both vocational and extracurricular (art, sport, music, sewing, cooking, agriculture, animal husbandry, etc.)
Read the 2010-2011 Highlights here

Today’s Orphans, Tomorrow’s Leaders

Our vision is a world at peace, made possible by breaking the cycle of poverty.

The cycle of poverty, while in different forms, exists not only in Africa but also in wealthy nations like the United States. We envision a Liberia at peace and a United States that is using our resources wisely. We see this made possible by respecting diverse beliefs and educating people in Africa and America.

Odd as it may sound, in many respects we think the people of the United States need the people of Africa as much as - or even more than - the people of Africa need a hand up from the United States.

How is Liberia Mission different from other organizations?

We have a lot in common with other humanitarian efforts around the world. We are focused on Liberia and children who have lost both parents. While orphanages are not unique, what is unique is the fact we are working to develop leaders of families and communities from these children. We actively seek orphans from each of the tribes in Liberia. The Liberia Mission organization will be ultimately led by these children. The formula is unique but simple. When the children graduate from the University, they apply from existing members for a voting share. In 20 to 25 years, the program should be run by the children - the leaders of tomorrow!

How do we measure success?

Creating peace takes time but can be measured. We have three primary measures for breaking the cycle of poverty.

1. The number of children that we provide care for.
2. The number of children that we support that graduate from high school and from college.
3. The number of people in the United States that we educate about how to help the poor around the world.

Our 20 year goal is to help 1,000 kids become leaders of families and communities!

History of Mission Honduras International in Liberia

Several years ago David Dionisi, with the permission of Mission Honduras, rented a house in Monrovia and immediately received 21 children, all victims of the civil war. He bought 10 acres of land outside Monrovia and soon was taking care of eight girls and 13 boys between the ages of 5 and 15. One of the boys was a soldier, who, at the age of 8, killed two people. This is not a unique case in Liberia as the fighting factions during the civil war would frequently recruit boys as young as 5 for use on the front line. These boys were easily manipulated using mind- altering drugs to brainwash them into committing horrific and brutal acts of killing. Due to this, there is a great need now for compassion and love toward the children of this country as they try to come to terms with the events that eyes so young should not have witnessed.

From this humble, compassionate and visionary beginning, Liberia Mission has continued to grow. Between 2005 and 2007, Hondurans Hector Lanza and Norman Nuñez successfully led the program, securing land and building the boarding facility and St. Anthony Padua school.

A container with 23,000 pounds of needed items from the United States arrived in October of 2007. By that time, the orphanage had 69 kids and 132 students were attending the school. Then, as now, we continued to expand both the number of orphans and students in our care. A new principal and house dad joined the team to support Helena (the house mom) and Mr. Samuel Ford Tabolo (the grandpa, or old dad). We also bought 500 acres of land near a rubber processing factory, so we can grow rubber and palm oil trees. We also secured additional land and buildings for girls.

Continuing to grow!

In fall of 2008, the school welcomed 230 students - including for the first time 7th and 8th graders. In 2009, we welcomed 340 students and opened a 9th grade. In 2010, under the leadership of a new administrative team and a new principal, our school and mission continue to grow by reaching more people with new opportunities for education, health care, vocational training and faith formation, as well as an increased emphasis on developing local leaders and capacity for a sustainable mission well into the future. Now we need your help to continue this incredible growth. Now, more children than ever are receiving the benefits of an excellent Catholic education and a brighter future.

Read more about how Liberia Mission is growing by visiting Liberia Mission News!

The Future of Liberia Mission

Liberia Mission, Inc. is now under the direction of Mission Honduras International. With over 300 children in our care and a goal of serving more children, community members, and staff in the coming year, Mission Honduras in Liberia is helping enormously the rebirth of a greatly troubled country. But we can and must help more.

We need more volunteers and more funding to help us help more of the traumatized and needy children of Liberia, so that they may become the leaders of tomorrow!

Articles


These articles will help you understand Liberia Mission and the opportunity that exists to help the people of Liberia.