Photos LuAnne Cadd Until 2003, Liberia was ravaged by a civil war that lasted 14 years. Since then, this fragile country has continued to struggle under the weight of immense poverty. But despite the difficulties of living in Liberia, amazing things are happening!
Sister Wilhelmena
t a b r e v o A pr work Liberia is not only recovering from an Ebola epidemic but has a history of struggle and conflict
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Sister Wilhelmena is a woman full of passion and joy. A nurse and social worker, she is also part of Sisters of the Holy Family – an MAF partner working in Cape Palmas. The Holy Family is there to help support families through their work in hospitals, schools and the wider community. The famous Chinese proverb, ‘You give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’, came to mind when Sister Wilhelmena wondered what she could do to ease the poverty surrounding her. In response, she started PIAP – the People’s Initiative Against Poverty!
PIAP The project, which began in 2012, seeks to empower and teach young people how to grow crops – enabling them to take vital steps towards being
' Y ou g ive a man a f is h an d y ou f e e d . h im f o r a day o Teac h a man t f is h an d y ou f e e d h im f o r a l if e t im e '
able to support themselves. On a Saturday, you’ll find Sister Wilhelmena surrounded by young people, digging in the lush green fields near Holy Family’s convent. Thanks to PIAP, educational scholarships have been funded using some of the money made by the project. A number of kids have now completed primary or secondary school, with three students now off to university! Incredible, eh?
How does MAF help? The PIAP project works in a region that’s extremely isolated. For it to run successfully, those responsible need to purchase supplies, do their banking and attend meetings in Monrovia, the capital. ‘To reach Monrovia by road takes two days,’ says Sister Wilhelmena. ‘If the roads are bad, sometimes it’s about a week. On the plane, it takes only 1½ hours. MAF’s presence in Liberia has brought great relief.’ It’s a massive privilege to be able to help Sister Wilhelmena and PIAP and we can’t wait to see how God will grow this successful project as it continues to flourish!
Main // MAF Pilot Emil Kundig, Sister Wilhelmena and Margrit Kundig Above // Young people in the fields outside the Holy Family convent Left // Sister Wilhelmena with a group of her young farmers
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