Have you ever had an experience that completely changed your perspective? My name is Elizabeth Bozard, and I am 16 years old. I live in Blythewood, South Carolina, where I attend Blythewood High School. This past summer, from June 30th to July 9th, 2022, I visited a Christian orphanage and school in Bellemu, Liberia, on the west coast of Africa. The experience changed my life and has inspired me to want to help the children I met there. I’m hoping once you read my story that you’ll want to help, too.
Over Thanksgiving dinner last year, my grandfather, a missionary, invited me to accompany him on a mission trip to Africa. Together we traveled to Liberia to City of Refuge, a Christian ministry that includes an orphanage that houses 35 children, a school (Hidden Eye College) that serves 270 students from elementary through high school and is the only Christian school in a community of 70,000 people, a church, a youth camp, and a self-sustaining farm. While there, the adults in our group delivered water filters to nearby villages and helped construct some church buildings. I mostly spent my time with the children in the orphanage and school.
What I Saw There:
I met the most joyful kids who appreciated every little thing they got. City of Refuge did not seem like an orphanage but a family. Every person had responsibilities for the welfare of other household members and did them faithfully. The kids' bond with each other and their caretakers is unique, too. It's very evident that Jackson Quenisear
(who founded the orphanage in 2012) really wants the best for every single one of the kids. The Hidden Eye School was also very impressive, serving nearly 300 children. Not only does the school give the children a good education, but also lunch. This is crucial for kids in the community because there is not always enough food at home. However, it was clear that more funding was needed due to delayed teacher pay, a shortage of money to buy food for lunches, and scholarships for children to attend the school.
Several factors contribute to the challenges that City of Refuge seeks to heal. War hurt the economy in Liberia and killed some of the children's family members. Generational poverty also affects these kids. As a result, there is little access to clean drinking water, food, clothing, and other needs. Little access to clean drinking water and food leads to poor health, disease, and malnutrition for the children. The school is also in need of funding. They are months behind in teacher pay and could use additional money to grant more scholarships for children who can’t afford school. Funding for school lunches and technology is also needed.
What Inspired Me:
I was continually inspired by how hardworking the kids were. Children would get up around 5 in the morning to refill water buckets (there is no running water, and power is only through generators). They’d clean the facility and start breakfast. Every person had responsibilities, and they worked like a family. I was also inspired by how joyful everybody was despite the amount of food in their stomachs, the clothes on their backs, or overall living conditions. Everybody was so genuinely happy. They were highly appreciative of everything they received. Most nights, there would be some form of entertainment (either singing or dancing).
What Broke My Heart:
The kids at City of Refuge were healthy, but some of the kids in the village had poor sanitation and were never made aware of certain things such as washing your hands or covering your mouth when you cough. Some of the kids from the village that attend the school had reddish hair and eyes, a sign of malnutrition. Another thing was that the kids all had big dreams of growing up to become lawyers, doctors, and marine biologists. I aspire to help them achieve their goals and give them more opportunities to pursue their dream. Most of all, the kids made me thankful on a different level, and I have a new appreciation for things I have taken for granted in my own life.
A Success Story:
I met a man named Moses, who lived at City of Refuge when he was a boy. One day when he was a child, he came in from playing soccer and accidentally drank a cleaning chemical. It burned his esophagus, and he had to go to the hospital. He had a good chance of dying, and his best bet at surviving was to get surgery in America. However, getting him to America was a struggle because the Liberians are strict when letting citizens out of the country. Jackson found a way to get him there and a family to stay with, and the surgery went well. Now Moses is healthy and finishing seminary school, aspiring to be a minister. This story shows the lengths Jackson would go to for just one of his children, and how much money for healthcare is needed.
Why I Want To Help:
These kids have so much potential and are skilled in unique ways. Investing in their education would have a lifelong impact and improve not only their lives but the lives of their peers in the community. They could grow up to be doctors and help with medical needs, engineers and work with improving infrastructure, or even teachers who could educate the next generation of innovators. Some education-related needs are money for teacher pay, technology/learning resources, and scholarship funds for children who have trouble affording school. Additionally, City of Refuge is having difficulty providing food for the children.
If you are moved to help, here is what your donations will provide:
Three nutritious meals a day for the children
Clean water
Medical care
School supplies
Clothing
Scholarships to the school
Teacher salaries
Donations will be handled through L.I.F.E. (Local Initiatives for Education), a charity that specializes in assisting African organizations. All donations are tax-deductible.
Please donate today. Thank you!
(page managed by my grandmother, Cynthia Bozard)
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