"Backpack For A Smile" Campaign for Liberia

We are Alanna, (13) and Gizelle (9)! Together, we are fundraising for our annual support to our friends (the Kids) at Sis Iye Orphanage in Barnesville, Liberia.

We are happy to announce our Backpack for a Smile Campaign to secure 250 plus backpacks, which we hope to take to Liberia in December 2022. One hundred (100) backpacks will be for our friends at the Orphanage. The other 150-plus backpacks will be provided to school-age kids in the surrounding communities. For us, it is essential to "Pay it Forward" by giving back to kids most in need.

In 2018, we moved to Liberia with our mom Faith Akovi, a humanitarian who has been a support partner to Sis Iye Orphanage. Before Liberia, we lived in Ghana and frequently visited the Buduburam Refugee Camp, where our mom and many family members were once refugees. While in Liberia, we visited Sis Iye Orphanage along with our mom. Last year, before leaving Liberia, we used our allowances for a fun day at the Orphanage with our friends. We spent quality time playing together, preparing food, and creating meaningful relationships. (See the above picture of our visit).

These experiences made us realize how fortunate we are and that we are not too young to give back. Our mom teaches us that we must do more because we are blessed. She often says, "To Whom Much is Given, Much is Expected." Therefore, this year, we have decided to make more impact by reaching out to others to help support our Backpack for a Smile Campaign. You can donate at least a backpack or funds towards our 250-plus goal to make this dream a reality.

To select and buy from our list of chosen backpacks for our friends, please visit our registry: https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/2MX716VM39T7M/guest-view

Donations of funds can be made through this "gofundme" page. To learn about other ways to help, please contact us through our mom (Faith Akovi).

Your donation of backpacks and/or funds will help put a smile on the faces of our friends and kids in the surrounding communities. We are counting on you to help support this campaign! We would appreciate your donations no later than December 1, 2022.

Thanks for your kind donations in support of our Backpack for a Smile Campaign.

Alanna and Gizelle