 RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA's VET center foundation and structural walls are complete, and the roof has been installed. The local Liberian-owned construction company, submitted a bid for the work in early 2018, and a generous grant by the German Embassy covered the budget. In the meantime, however, a number of crises, including the Ebola epidemic, brought the country’s economy to a virtual standstill. An inflation rate topping 10% has led to sharp increases in the price of building materials, which means that the Liberian construction company can no longer complete the VET on budget. Additional funds are needed to finish the building. $5,000 will cover the final costs of materials and labor. It will be money well invested. The VET center will be owned by the community. We will be creating a vibrant space for a public library, a center for youth and adult literacy, a spacious weaving area, and workshop space for additional vocational training. Nothing like this exists in Kolahun — no public library or community education space. The women in the Women’s Weaving Cooperative have no indoor space to weave during the rainy season (from May to October), greatly hindering their ability to sustain their business. The VET center will be more than bricks and mortar. It is already helping grow new leaders. Your dollars will go directly to the final construction budget. Make an impact. Give today. Sincerely,  Saundra Williams, MPH, MIA
Co-founder and Executive Director
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 Dear Colleague, For the past 12 years, I have worked as a physician providing humanitarian aid in response to complex emergencies — war and post-conflict contexts, disease outbreaks, natural disasters — in settings as diverse as Liberia, the Sudan/Darfur/Eastern Chad region, Ethiopia, Libya and Afghanistan. I have come to admire and love the people I have encountered for their courage and resilience in the face of unimaginable challenges and suffering. These challenges test the capacity of every humanitarian worker to meet the needs of those they serve. And for millennia this work has challenged the healer, as it challenges me now, with the question, “How shall I respond to the suffering in the world?” The work you are learning about now is, in part, my response. Through my work, one thing has become abundantly clear: When the emergency is over, there is no greater gift that we can give than to assist communities in grass-roots development, empowering them to rebuild the healthcare, water & sanitation, education and economic development systems that will take them into the future. This is not “aid” in the traditional sense, which often fosters dependency and corruption. Community development is transformative, giving people the ability to become their own agents of change. Such communities are healthy, productive, equitable, secure and peaceful. The capacity and potential of every human being is maximized. Every life matters. That is the vision of RESTORE HOPE and our flagship program, RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA.  Who do we serve? We provide essential support to the most vulnerable — children and their caregivers — to help ensure access to healthcare and education. We also provide economic opportunities beyond school, providing a way out of extreme and enduring poverty. And we’re doing it village by village through community mobilization and by giving the people the tools and means. But we need your help. Because we do not rely on government funds, we depend on our donors to sustain this work. Whether you can give $10 or $100, or more, you become an important part of the team that is needed to carry on this work. In the next three weeks, we need to raise $50,000 to support our life-giving work in Liberia in the coming year. From now until the end of the year, gifts to RESTORE HOPE will go twice as far. Thanks to a generous donor match, your contribution will be doubled. That means that your gift of $50 can equal $100 – enough to send two kids to school for a year and provide after-school tutoring.
If you and 3 friends each pledge $25 a month - less than the cost of one date night - you'll cover the cost of well repair, providing clean water to an entire community and affecting the lives of hundreds. Lives will be saved because you'll prevent the next outbreak of dysentery or cholera. (Kolahun Town currently has 17 broken wells.)
The needs are so great… I can’t begin to tell you about all the ways your gifts save lives. You can learn much more on our website. I have seen firsthand how our donors’ contributions change lives. The work is challenging, but together we will meet our pledge: Healthcare & promotion to save lives. Education to provide knowledge. And opportunity that builds communities and a nation. Please join our team now and give what you can. We are grateful for your support. We wish you and your family the Blessings of the season. Sincerely,  Robert M Rufsvold, MD Co-founder, Senior Advisor, President of the Board, RESTORE HOPE  Dr. Bob Rufsvold and James Kpangbai, RHL Field Coordinator, hold clinic under the mango trees in Nyokolitahun, Kolahun District, Lofa County, Liberia.  |
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