Liberian Development Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Liberian Development Foundation (LDF), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
tax-exempt organization whose mission is to assist in the creation and funding of socio-economic and human development programs in Liberia
.
Liberian Civil War). During this 14-year period, many Liberians were killed, brutally beaten, robbed, and raped. Liberia experienced all the ills of war. The war took the lives of approximately 250,000 Liberians and displaced about a million more. The economy crashed, and the political leaders turned to corruption. The war had a wide-range impact on the socio-economic lives of the youth of Liberia, especially ex-child soldiers, and forced a stop in the Foundation’s activities, until the Foundation came back to life in 2001 when Dr. Joseph Korto took the lead of the Foundation and started to gain the support of big donors, such as Montgomery County Public Schools
and other institutions in Maryland
. In 2005, Dr. Korto went back to Liberia and run for president in the first democratic elections of post-war Liberia. When Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won the elections, Dr. Korto was appointed minister of Education and took office in January 2006, leaving the Foundation to avoid a conflict of interests. In 2008 the leadership of the Foundation passed to Nyan Korto.
. The computers donated to the University of Liberia were used to build the first computer lab in the history of this university.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
tax-exempt organization whose mission is to assist in the creation and funding of socio-economic and human development programs in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
.
History
The Liberian Development Foundation was founded in 1982, by the Catholic Society of African Mission to promote socio-economic and human development in Liberia. The country erupted into civil wars from 1989 to 2003 (First and SecondSecond Liberian Civil War
The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when a rebel group backed by the government of neighbouring Guinea, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy , emerged in northern Liberia. In early 2003, a second rebel group, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia, emerged in the south, and...
Liberian Civil War). During this 14-year period, many Liberians were killed, brutally beaten, robbed, and raped. Liberia experienced all the ills of war. The war took the lives of approximately 250,000 Liberians and displaced about a million more. The economy crashed, and the political leaders turned to corruption. The war had a wide-range impact on the socio-economic lives of the youth of Liberia, especially ex-child soldiers, and forced a stop in the Foundation’s activities, until the Foundation came back to life in 2001 when Dr. Joseph Korto took the lead of the Foundation and started to gain the support of big donors, such as Montgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery County Public Schools ' is a school district that serves Montgomery County, Maryland, USA. It is the largest school district in Maryland. As of the 2009–2010 school year, the district had 11,500 FTE teachers serving 141,777 students at 200 schools.Students in the district score among the...
and other institutions in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. In 2005, Dr. Korto went back to Liberia and run for president in the first democratic elections of post-war Liberia. When Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won the elections, Dr. Korto was appointed minister of Education and took office in January 2006, leaving the Foundation to avoid a conflict of interests. In 2008 the leadership of the Foundation passed to Nyan Korto.
Achievements
Since 2001 LDF has distributed thousands of donated computers, books and other school supplies to high schools and other educational institution across the country, including the University of LiberiaUniversity of Liberia
The University of Liberia is a publicly funded institution of higher learning located in Monrovia, Liberia. Authorized by the national government in 1851, the school opened in 1863 as Liberia College and became a university in 1951. The school is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning...
. The computers donated to the University of Liberia were used to build the first computer lab in the history of this university.