Liberian Youth Foundation, an organization designed to identify sustainable solutions to issues confronting the young people of Liberia, focusing on building the capacity of Liberian children and the youthful population of Liberia, has impacted about 5,000 Liberians since its establishment in 2013.
As a civil society non-for-profit organization, LYF provides education, advocacy, peace building, entrepreneurship, among others projects, for Liberian youth. According to the group, in addition to the about 5,000 Liberians they have impacted since their establishment in 2013, the foundation also provides technical vocational training programs for the public in the areas of entrepreneurship, catering, fashion design, air freshener, cake design, among others .
Speaking as guest speaker at the eighth anniversary of the Liberian Youth Foundation, Micheal Ardaiolo, Acting Public Affairs Officer, US Embassy, Monrovia, told the young people attending the ceremony that education is the key to the future, and that they should take charge of their future. He said Liberia needs doctors, engineers, teachers, business owners, journalists, among other career people, to help Liberia have a conducive developing atmosphere like other countries in the region.
According to Ardaiolo, Liberia needs all sorts of professional people who are passionate about their profession. He told the crowd that volunteerism is important because it helps the volunteer understands new ideas about the things they are volunteering. The US embassy acting PRO reaffirmed the US government’s commitment to addressing the issue of youth capacity building through its many youth programs.
Ardaiolo used the celebration to encourage the young people of Liberia to be self-reliant, which he hoped they are really thinking about.
For his part, James Mulbah, Chief Executive Officer, Green Cities-Liberia, who served as the motivational speaker at the anniversary, encouraged the young people who attended the ceremony to remain focused because, according to him, is important to their future. Mulbah called on the youth of Liberia not to feel sorry for the status of their lives because feeling sorry for oneself is a form of defeat by itself.
Previously, Abdurahman Fofana, Founder and Executive Director of Liberian Youth Foundation pledged his organization’s unflinching support to addressing the issue of youth capacity building and poverty reduction among the youthful population of Liberia. The program was well attended by local and international invitees, but ended in a panelist discussion among the guests, with questions from the crowd.