About Liberia

Liberia is slightly larger than Tennessee, located on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of two countries in sub-Sahara Africa without roots in the 'European Scramble of Africa'. Founded and colonized in 1821 by freed slaves from America and from 'slave ships', its population in 2008 was approximately 3.47 Million people.

Two brutal civil wars saw over 200,000 people dead and its infrastructure decimated, leaving it without a conventional power grid or running water. The country's wartime economy exploited its diamond resource, exporting over $300 million in blood diamonds annually.

With an unemployment rate of 85%, and a per capita income of less than $1.50 US per day, Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Life expectancy is only at 56.58 years, the infant mortality rate in 2010 was 76.43 per 1000 live births (18^th in the world) and there are an estimated 35,000 people living with AIDS. The percentage of people living without access to potable running water and adequate sanitation facilities is amongst the highest in the world.

A peace agreement in 2003 ended the bloody civil wars and ushered the first elected female head of state in all of Africa. Today,President ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF along with 18,000 UN peace keepers struggle to calm civil unrest and bring prosperity to a young, war torn people.

For more country information go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberia

LifeCorps Centre-Liberia

After the peace agreement in 2003, Liberia was in a post-war recovery phase, and is now laying a foundation for long-term development.

Its population growth rate is amongst the highest in the world at 2.5% p/annum. Over 50% of the population is under the age of 20 and 30% under the age of 10, indicating a high dependence rate.

Much of Liberia's youth has little basic education due to years of civil war.

Our vision is to develop a centre for education and relief for the people of Liberia. LifeCorps Centre-Liberia will house:

• An orphanage
• Elementary school
• High school
• Vocational School
• School of Christian Business Practice
• Medical/Dental Clinic
• Retail store
• Relief Warehouse

Through basic education and skills training, this centre will help Liberia's impoverished young people find and create jobs providing them with means and hope to build peaceful and self sustaining communities throughout Liberia.

Click here to view an
artist's concept of the
Education Centre