Church Donation Aids Liberian Refugees Returning to Their Country

On September 16, 2024, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), donated food, medication and other household items to Liberian returnees from Ghana to assist them in their reintegration process.

The donation was done at the Congo Town headquarters of the LRRRC in Monrovia. Representing the Church of Jesus Christ were President and Sister Thomas of the Monrovia Liberia Mission; Bishop Emmanuel S. Tarpeh, Liberia's Welfare and Self-Reliance Manger; and a local member of the Church's Communication Publishing Department (CPD).

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Because of internal conflicts within Liberia in years past, nearly one million people fled the country, settling temporarily in Ghana, Sierra Leone, and the Côte d'Ivoire. Others were displaced within their own country of Liberia. With conditions there now improving, many of these refugees are starting to return to their native lands and need aid and support in their repatriation. The Church’s donation, working through the LRRRC, aids in this process. Speaking during the donation ceremony, the Executive Director of the LRRRC, Honorable Patrick Worzie, thanked the Church on behalf of the government of Liberia saying that they were happy to have help in such a critical time in the lives of those returnees.

"Little is much when love is in it. We see the face of God in what you are doing. May God richly bless you and the hands of those givers," he said. He also praised the timeliness of the Church's intervention in providing life-sustaining drugs for those returnees, adding that among other things, access to medication has been a major concern.

According to Mr. Worzie, of the first two batches of returnees the LRRRC is currently working with, they have processed 1,539 individuals, with about 1,700 more expected to arrive soon in the country. Within these groups, besides those from Ghana, there are about 200 families spread out in 100 communities within 10 counties in Liberia. He noted that of that number, two hundred and eighty-eight individuals are children still in grade school, ranging from kindergarten to high school, and he emphasized the need to get them enrolled now. An additional five hundred returnees are to get vocational training through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training program (TVET) of Liberia.

Director Worzie said that the LRRRC will open its arms to the Church, assuring its accountability for the donation by providing a comprehensive monthly report on the distribution and consumption of goods. The intent is to show the level of impact the donation has made on the lives of those beneficiaries. He also asked the Church for its approval to make a documentary of the donation, explaining that the video will eventually be placed on their website.

Speaking on behalf of the Church, President Thomas praised the LRRRC family for their wonderful services to the Liberian people, and he also thanked those who contributed to helping those Liberian citizens. In recounting the numerous humanitarian contributions of the Church to the people of Liberia, Bishop Tarpeh explained that its only intent was to save humanity and do the Lord's work, and that the Church seeks no reward in return.

"All what we are doing is in the interest of humanity, we are not seeking anything in return" he said." The Savior will not give you and want something back but all he needs is your heart and to follow and serve him" he added.