Kimmie Weeks Arrives in Monrovia: US$500,000 earmarked for new programs
Monrovia, Liberia- July 14, 2008- Internationally acclaimed Liberian child rights activist Kimmie Weeks arrived in Monrovia today to head a major humanitarian mission. Over the next six months Weeks and his organization, Youth Action International (YAI), will launch new anti-poverty and youth empowerment projects across Liberia.
Along with the construction of a multi-purpose school and teacher training programs, the funds will also support the creation of a center for women’s empowerment, a youth resource center, and an early childhood education initiative. Weeks will also focus on creating special programs to assist former child soldiers.
Joining Weeks in this initiative are Youth Action International partners Litworld and Humanity Unites Youth(HUB). Litworld is an American based organization which is pioneering new ideas in the teaching of reading and writing. Working in a collaborative model alongside teachers, librarians, administrators, support staff and students, Litworld creates powerful structures and motivations for enhanced education. Youth Action International in partnership with LitWorld, will work to implement a series of new teacher training techniques to help teachers become more effective. A second major visiting partner includes representatives from HUB. Also an American based organization, HUB creates sustainment projects around the world to help the poorest people break out of poverty. HUB is a new and rapidly growing organization that brings together millions of people online in support of creating a uniting place for people and organizations to come together and move the world from survival, to self-sustainability, to self-empowerment. The collaboration between YAI and HUB will provide food, water, education and micro-credit loans to young people across Liberia. Speaking on arrival at Roberts International Airport, Kimmie Weeks said that he was looking forward to the next six months working in Liberia. He noted: “Youth Action International has a lot of ground to cover and our staff here will be working diligently to make sure that we can reach out and impact hundreds if not thousands of Liberia’s most economically marginalized people.