Liberia Partnership
"My Daughters' Place," a new program of the Oregon-Idaho-Liberia Partnership
By Beverly Walker, chair

To the United Methodists in Oregon and Idaho! 

Girls work at projects at "My Daughters' Place"

Friends, things are happening in our partner conference in Liberia!

"My Daughters' Place" is a new project of the Liberia Annual Conference. At this moment 65 girls from rural Liberia are receiving training in one of four subjects:  sewing & crocheting, tie & dye textiles, soap making, and pastry & baking. In addition they receive counseling, sex education, HIV/AIDS awareness, family planning and basic education during a period of nine months. These girls have not been able to attend school until now, and this will make a difference in their lives forever!

Frido N. Kinkolenge heads the Liberia Department of Children's Ministries that developed this program. Frido is a General Board of Global Ministries missionary who has developed a number a programs to help the children of war-torn Liberia.

After the girls graduate from "My Daughters' Place" with these new skills, we hope there will be a "micro-loan program" in place that will allow the girls to start a small scale business to give them an income that can make a difference in the rest of their lives.

Now there is a need to fund this micro-loan program. It will take an estimated $2000 to fund the program. The Oregon-Idaho Task Force and the Conference Outreach Team encourage every church to support these young women by helping build the micro-credit program.

If every church in the Conference donates at least $10, we can fund this program. If your church or any individual wants to participate, please send the money to the Conference Treasurer with the notation, "My Daughters' Place." Contributions submitted by July 10th will be given to Bishop John Innis when the United Methodist Volunteers-In-Mission Team arrives in Liberia on July 16th. This team will meet the girls in this program at the Camphor Mission in Liberia.

We would love to give a report to your local church when we get back. We have people on our team from every district in our Conference. Please contact Beverly Walker to schedule someone make a presentation to your church in late summer or fall.

In Christian Love and Peace,
       
Beverly J. Walker                                          David King

Task Force for Partnership with Liberia             OR-ID Conference Outreach Team