Things in Liberia are very hard, the democracy very fragile. The presidential election October 10th did not produce a winner of 50% plus one vote, so a runoff election is scheduled for November 14th. The country is holding its collective breath, as the polarization is tremendous, no middle ground. Little business is happening, rice is over $20/bag – up from $13 just a few months ago. People are praying constantly for a new chapter for their country, their world.

Deborah Lindholm

Everywhere March 8th

To Our Global Human Family – As we have for 25 years now, the Foundation for Women celebrates International Women’s Day today! We are so blessed and honored to be holding hands with women and families locally and globally for so many years, and forever!

Blessings and love from the entire global Foundation for Women Family

Deborah Lindholm

From Learning Upgrade:
 
“We are thrilled to announce Learning Upgrade’s partnership with Foundation for Women in Liberia. Over the past 3 months, we have orchestrated an 8-site, 200+ person deployment in Liberia where children and adults have been using the Learning Upgrade app to learn English, math, and job skills for self-reliance. The 8 sites range from elementary schools, church communities, to microfinance groups and community health clinics.
 
The results have been striking: nearly 1,000 hours of learning, over 5,000 lessons completed, and 70 certificates earned (each certificate is equivalent to 1 school year of learning)!!
 
To celebrate the success of the program, Foundation for Women staff in Liberia wrote and produced this song, which debuted today at Proliteracy’s 2022 Conference on Adult Education in San Antonio, TX.

The people of Liberia have suffered through civil war and disease which has prevented so many from receiving a quality education. Now, with an opportunity to rapidly learn anywhere and at any time, we are seeing a renewed sense of hope and a path towards the end goal: to provide every Liberian an opportunity to reach full proficiency in English, math, and job skills. 

We are so grateful to the Foundation for Women team for investing their time, talent, and resources into making this a success. This is just the beginning!”

All of us here at FFW are so excited for this new partnership and can't wait to see where we go from here.  Thank you to everyone at Learning Upgrade and welcome to the FFW family!

Monday, January 24, 2022 Monrovia, Liberia
 
As my dear friend Q Karmue constantly reminds me, every challenge is an opportunity.  Eight nights ago, armed gunmen broke into my treasured friend/staff person Calvin Zuomie’s home, terrifying him and Kebbeh and their 10-month old daughter.  Though the robbers managed to take everything of value, thank you God no one was hurt.
 
Many of you have responded with concern and offers of help.  Thank you so much!  Kebbeh’s aunt in Philadelphia has offered to gift them with a plot of land so they can build their own secure home – so fabulous!  We are hoping that many of you will choose one of the options below to make a huge change happen for Calvin and family here now – together we can make this miracle a reality!

January 17, 2022 Monrovia, Liberia
 
As the US and many around the world celebrate MLK Day and our collective prayers for peace for our one human family, I am trying to breathe here in Liberia…
 
At 3AM this morning, many armed men entered treasured colleague Calvin’s home and took everything, EVERYTHING – including client repayments Calvin had secured and safely as always stored in his car inside his garage.  As the men left, they fired their guns and terrorized his community.  HOR-RI-BLE as my dear sister Dr Angela would say, yes beyond horrible.
 
Thank you God, Calvin and wife Kebbah and 9-month old daughter were not hurt, the top of our collective gratitude list now.  AND how members of our one human family experience such here in Liberia and elsewhere, so many challenges for so many – this one terrifying… 
 
This experience is of course very personal for me.  My heart is beyond broken and at the same time full of gratitude for Calvin’s family’s safety.

Many of you know of Calvin for a decade now, my truly dearest brother.  This moment I am thanking God for their safety and thinking of all of those suffering by such an experience who do not have the support that I/FFW offer Calvin. 
 
So am wondering how we can turn this awful experience into something – perhaps the Calvin Family Connection Initiative?  Can we connect you to a family here who would love to know that someone cares about them??
 
With great gratitude and love for your support and caring for so many years now – blessings,

Deborah Lindholm
Founder/CEO

January 11, 2022 Monrovia, Liberia
 
I am in awe.  As I write this blog, I am completing 15 years of the Foundation for Women’s service here in Liberia, perfecting our collective impact model, Seats at the Table for Liberia.  Whoever would have thought??
 
I arrived in this impoverished and completely wrecked West African nation on Christmas Eve 2006.  The next day I attended a Christmas party hosted by Ma Frances Mayson and her family for children who had nothing to do on that special day.  There were perhaps 250 children in the family compound.  Amazed by the joy, I captured much by photo.  Every time I turned to take an image, there was Moses.